The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-16
TRUTH ABOUT ARMY BEEF.
KIND OF ARGUMENT USED TO BoL-
STER UP MEAN ATTkC KS.

A Sample Argument Knocked to Finder ny
Reference to Text of the governments
Contract with the Pnckcrs-What the
Agreement will Swift & Co. Really Was.
A New York morning Newspaper which has
assumed TO PREJUDICE the question ne TO the
kind and character OF the meat furnished TO
the United States Army during the Spanish
war and TO find the authorities guilty recently
printed n list Of questions which 1t declared
might be pertinently put TO President McKin-
ley and the authorities at Washington by Gen.
Miles. Of which the folio wing is the most i'm
portdnt:
Does any sans man think that the con-
tracts would have called for beef that should
keep for seventy-two hours outside n refrig-
orator in a tropical climate unless some
thieying concern had offered the poisoned
trash alleged to keep by virtue Of its chemical
embalming2"
No reader can doubt that II was the inten-
tion OF the person who wrote the above uues-
lion to convey the impression that the con-
tracts which were entered into for the supply
to tho army of fresh refrigerated beef con-
tanned the quoted clause. Keep for seventy
two hours outside n refrigerator In a tropical
climate and that it was the expectation Of
the Commissary Department that meat would
be furnished which would meet this requires
ment. II this were true, the question might
indeed he pertinent. for IL is n well-known fact
that refrigerated meats begin to spoil rapidly
after cCminR into the hot outer air from the
cold storage rooms, unless they are, covered
with. cloths. to keep out the heat and air. 1t
can hardly be supposed that SO grave an accu-
sation as that contained by inference in the
quoted question. would have been made with
out ZONE basis OF fact. and yet this seems to
have been done.
AS a matter Of fact there was no such pro-
vision in the contracts lct for supplying fresh
meat to our soldiers in Cuba and Porto Rico.
but the only clause which contains II refer
ence to 'seventy-two hours is one which. prom
erly construed. i'm cans. thnt theGovernment OBJ:
llgated itself to take the meat off the hands OF
the, contractors within that time after the meat
o 1Sq the TeG isIabp nd. ' and fstgt eiense wn nST fST th nsn ppoe
lection Of the contractors. who could not. With
out a serious risk of loss. undertake to keep
definite time ut the contract price;
swift & Co. were the contractors for furnish
The contracts we're entered into on July |
and July 30. respectively and were Identical
p pc ai fl p sqtsr Of Ff the eontracts ne iS STN the Ss ' supply ply
at Porte Rico. obtained from official sources.
is as follows:
Both day Of july. iSNS. between Brig Gen.
Charles P. EaGan, Commissary-Generai Of
BART. and Swift 4 Co. a corpornttiion existing
under the laws of the state of Illinois. doing
C CpSii'S and s State tsV of iii Illinois Of TIE so COMP bart.
This agreement witncsseth that the said party
Of the first part for and in behalf OF the United
'"N'S v +hiiANi 10, "A4' wv S"'' ~, '"I
second part. for themselves and their legal
representatives.. have mutually agreed and by
these presents do mutually agree. as follows.
viz:
IL. II. for the purpose Of carrying %refriger-
ated. chilled or frozen beef under this con-
tract. it shall. In the opinion of the Commits
sary- General of Subsistence. he necessary to
equip with retriEeratlng apparatus. machines
and fittings steamships in addition TO those
now in the military service, 50 equipped. the
rarty of the second par shall. dt their own eX-
pensc. equip the additional number that the
Commissary-Geucral Of Subsistence shall re-
uuiIa, not exceeding three. The refrigerators
to lie supplied to these additional shall TO of
such size not less than three hundred .thou-
SAND @DO:o44l rounds each; IT being under,
shall be reasonably commensurate with the
capacity Of the refriGerating ulant aboard the
provide and ope rate refrigerator buildings nj
such points in tho island Of Porto Rico occu-
pied by tho army Of the United State as may
b" necessary for carrying out the object of
this contract. and shall move the same from
point to noint on the sea coast as may be nee
shall keep not less than two experts with each
cargo on shirhoard, and after landing until
the beef is delivered to the proper officers of
the Government. which shall not he more than
seventy-two az hours from the time of stor-
ing same in such refrigerators. 1t being un-
derstood that the marty NJ the first part will
furnish locations for such refrigcrators under
military protection and as near the point Of
transfer as tho commanding General can des-
ignate. at which ships carving the %refriger-
a,ted meat shall land for the discharge OF, said
hNlEln'ulS. ! It IdlNN VI I't H'H' Idlt 10 W
furnish free Transportation for two men in
charge Of the refrigerator on each ship; also
t. furnish free Transportation and sell at cost
price the necessary subsistence stores for such
men and free transportation for materials
and supplies aS NAV be necessary for the con-
struction and operation of such rofrigera-
tors In the ports of the island Of Porto Rico as
may he required for the proper carrying out
Of thi, contract.
In witness whereof. the party Of the first
rart has hercunto set his hand. and the party
Of the second part has caused this contract to
b" signed in the CORPORATE name by the presi-
dent and the corporate seal affixed, the date
first hereinbcforc written.
"CHAs. p. FAGAN.
'BriGadier- General. Commissary General OF
Subsistence.
Swift and Company.
by GusTAvUs I. SWIFT. President.
Witness: WILLIAM \. DE CAINDRY.
Residence Washington. y. G.
Attest: j: EDwIN HARrwELI;, Secretary.
"lEXecuted in Quintuplicate. W