The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-05
BEEF INQUIRY REPORT.
MCKINLEY DISPLEASED WITH
ITS LANGUAGE.
Will Be Sent Back With Instruc-
lions to Expunge fragrant Ac-
cusations Against Miles.

WASHINGTON, May 4.-President
Mckinley to-day read through the re-
port of the Beef Court of Inquiry, and
it is stated at the White House this
afternoon that he was greatly dis
pleased with the severe language used
by the court in dealing with General
Miles, and that the report will be sent
back with instructions to have it ex-
purgated.
The report not only finds that the
beef served the army was good in spite
OF the testimony of about two hun
dred army officers to the contrary. but
1t directly charges General Miles with
neglect of his duty in the Porto Rican
campaign. President Mckinley will
permit no such fragrant accusations to
be approved.
WHAT THE REPORT WILL BE.
NEW YORK, May A special to
the Times" from Washington says:
From an Administration source it is
learned that the report of the beef in
quiry is a reply in a series of answers to
the questions put by the President to
the members of the board These ques-
tons, it is known, We're not asked un-
til about the last week of the inquiry
They were presented by the Recorder of
the board as showing the expectations
of the President. Neither General Miles
nor Major Lee, his representative before
the board, had heard of the questions
until they were read just before the
board was ready to make a report; in
deed, at time when is was ascertained
that the board had partly made up its
report
From another source it is ascertained
that the board found that it would be
difficult to make a report that would be
satisfactory unless some such list of
questions was propounded, so as to give
the board an opportunity to make cate
gorical answers. The board did not pos
sess wide powers. General Miles has
held the opinion, it has been repeatedly
asserted, that it had no legal form. It
was not a court of inquiry, for such
courts are called only at the request of
an officer who wishes to be relieved. The
President called it together as a sort of
board of survey on beef, and in order
that it should respond to his expecta-
lions, he sent to its members the ques-
tons read and published
The board has so answered the inquir-
les of the President, it is ascertained.
that when the replies are published they
will constitute the last word on the beef
question.
The first reply is said to be very
voluminous. being an account of the
method of preparing beef for market,
every detail observed by the board in
inspecting the different packing estab-
lishments having been gone into.
When it comes to questions about in
spections, there is call for fixing the
blame for neglect. and it is asserted to-
day that General Wade was called to
the White House to modify some criti-
cisms considered by the President to be
too severe
If any pointed criticism of General
Miles is in the report, it is declared that
it will be found in reply toward the end,
censuring him indirectly, perhaps. for
falling to report at once his observa-
tons about the beef supplied to the
army. Still, it is evident that the Cen
eral commanding is not destined to be
very roughly handled, for it is asserted
at the War Department in several Of
hces that there will be no suggestion of
punishment for General Miles
The friends of General Miles are
manifestly anxious lest, after the report
is made, he shall again open the sub
1ect by renewing the assertions he made
first at Ponce, Porto Rico. 1t does not
appear that General Miles has asserted
his intention to ask Congress to make
any inquiry next winter The report
that he contemplates doing so is prob
ably conjecture, for until the report has
been published and General Miles knows
positively just what it contains, he is
silent on the subject.