The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-02-03
NILES STATEMENT.
The Commanding General Speaks
About the Embalmed Beef.
has Many REPORTS on TIE NATTER
The Publicity Given By the Press 20 the Dis
pute Has Caused the General TO BE
Delayed with Communication
from Civilians and soldiers

New York, Feb. L-Gen. Nelson A
Miles gave ont statement last night
after having denied several published
interviews attri6 uted to him He pre-
faced his statement by saying i
have been most freely quoted, without
authority from me or without any ut
terance on my part 1t has been a
source Of great annoyance to me" His
statement is as follows:
On the 9Th Of last September issued an Or
der 70 r6gimsntal commanders 70 report 20 ne
concerning the beef which had been issued 70
their men AT the same time that went be-
fore the war board investigating commission
had only received reports from u OF the com
manders Now I have % reports They
al tell the same story. The evidence proves
the truth OF the statements have made In
addition TO the reports Of the regimental com
mauders- have a great mass OF evidence, con-
sistiug Of communications. af1daTits. etc,
from Ohcsrs, soldiers aud civilians Every
part o. the country has contributed TO the
mass Of correspondence which have received
In reference 20 the beef served 70 our soldiers
and the evidence IS all corroborat5ve OF what /
have said The great publicity which thsPress
has given 70 the matter has brought all the
correspondence Of which speak upon me
I have overwhelming evidence that the en-
balmed beef was treated with chemicals in or
der 70 preserve it I have af1davits from men
who saw the beef undergoing the treatment or
embalming process Now. as 20 the canned
roast beef that was different from embalmed
beef The canned roast beef was the beef after
the extract had been boiled out Of it. You have
seen the advertisements beef extract one
pound contains the substance Of from four 70
I've pounds OF prime beef" Wei, this IS the
beef after the extract has been taken from it
They put this beef pulp up in cans and label 1t
canned roast beef" The soldiers report that
the canned beef was nauseatfng. II swallowed
IL could not be kept on the stomach
It was pointed out to Gen Miles
that he had been quoted as having
said that If the men who supplied the
beef would deposit thousand dollars
in such a way that it could be made to
pay the cost Of the proceedings he
would furnish absolute proof of his
assertions He was asked what tri-
bunal he had in mind, or to whom ne
would furnish the proof and in reply
said:
made that statement in response to the
oher Of the beef men to pay s100. 90 for evil
dencs Of the truth Of my allegations against
their product / looked on their oIer as
blur and took that way OF answering 1t I
have no tribunal IN mind have the greatest
abundance Of evidence 70 support the charges
1 made and DO not think that any part OF the
thousand dollars need be spent in more inyesti-
cation
Gen. Miles has received a telegram
from Col A. A. Pope, Of Boston, re-
questing Gen Miles to draw on him
for 81, 600 to prove that chemicals were
used to embalm beef furnished to SOL
diers, but his offer will not be ac-
eepted for the reasons already given.