Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-24
Suspended CommiSsary General TeS-
titles as to Army Beef
EXPLAINS TESTS OF THE MEAT
Denies the Famous "Pretense of
an Experiment" Charge.
GENERAL YOUNG'S EVIDENCE

mer commissary general of subsist ence
suspended for grave infractions of army
regulations. was the most interesting wit
ness today before tfre beef court Of INQUIRY
He was asked by Judge Advocate Davis
IT, any rations were sent to any troops at
any time as an experiment and he explain
ed that the first shirmeGt Of refrigerated
Der TO Santiago was sNp.rim' ntal. but
that, except another Uuimportant beef test
no other meat WAS ever sent under such
conditions.
He emphatica!iy- denied that any rations
had been issued under the pretense of an
experiment" as charged by Gen. Miles. but
he was not moved to add any offensive or
insulting epithets to his denial
Other commissary department witnesses
were heard and each praised the canned
beef and the refrigerated beef Mai Gen.
S. b. M. Young gave brief but interesting
testimony for the governments side Of the
controversy.
Lacking more witnesses the court ad-
journed till Monday next.
Gen. Eagan Tails About Beef Con-
tracts.
Gen. Eagan was preseQt i'm the inquiry
building some time before the court met
lie wore a fatigue uniform and nervously
paced up and down the corridor awaiting
the summons 10 appear He loCi1ed for a
protracted sitting on the stand and braced
himself by vigorously smoking a long
cigar. Shortly after 10 o'c,ock the sum-
| mons came, and he resumed his testimony
at the point he left off yesterday. when he
| appeared for thirty minutes before the
| court pricr to aGiC urnment and cave unirn-
portaHt evidence. He tolk up the question
Of his beef contracts. and said /! was the
| duty of the government to provioe the re-
| frigerator ships. of which there were four
\ rNip nllntS
| on ths vessels We're inspected by the con-
| tractors. Swift & Co, and they were
| C0era: ed by orzineers paid by this firm.
| 1nCy were responsible for the delivery OF
/ the meat in good condition at the points
| designated by the government. The re-
ports in this regard to the commssary de-
partment indicated that the cold storage
| plants worked well. though in some iH-
| stances they were more satisfactory than
| others. The clause requiring the beef TO
keep seventy-two hours after leaving the
ship refrigerator was inscribed after the
| concerns declared they could prepare il to
keep that long.
Suppose commissGry," said he. should
| make a requsition for 20OOo pounds Of
| beef should secure IL from the ship and
take proper care of it, retaining il in the
shade and it should spoil within seventy
| two hours-the contractors would not be
| paid for it. 4"
He was responsible for this provision.
| He said many vouchers for beef had been
| paid, and he presumed that proper deduc-
| tions had been made for spoiled beef,
| though he did not know. He was told by
| Col Osgood that meat had been rejected
| by commands, but had been found to be
| sweet and good by the commissary officers
He said there We're disputes between the
| contractors and boards of survey that con-
| demned meat. He review I'd the case Of the
| beef condemned hy "A board at Santiago,
| but which had been accepted subsequently
by another command. The refrigerator yes-
| sells were large. and. in addition TO meat,
| carried miscellaneous stores.
Beef for Porto Rico.
Gen. Eagan said that before Gen Brooke
sailed for Porto Rico he had fully discuss
ed with the general the plans for supplying
the expedition All Gen. Brooke's views as
| to rations were met and carried out. and
| there was a complete understanding be-
| tween them as to refrigerated beef. He
| learned later that Gen. Miles was to COM
n,and the force, but he never met him
| consulted him. He did not know whether
or not Gen. Miles heard of the beef ar
| rangement. He said Col. Sharp. the chief
| commissary of the expedition, was furnish
| ed with about S25O00O in credits on the
| United States, and an offer to send cash
| was made, but declined. This was avail
| able for the purchase of emergency sup
| plies. and the commanding general could
| determine when IL should be drawn upon.
| kilograms that had passed between Gen.
| Eagan and Col. Weston at Tampa Were
! read, relative to the sending by packing
| firm of beef, frozen and refrigerated, to
| test how long either would keep after leaV-
| ing the ice boxes, with view 10 making
| contracts for it. Col. Ripley, at Tampa.
| made the test. and the refrigerated beef
| kept sweet forty-eight hours, though ii
| dried out hanging in the direct rays of the
| sun. Beef in the ice box did not remain
| good over eighteen hours after the ice dis
appeared.
| The frozen beef was reported adversely
| The same officer experima antad with canned
roast beef ard declared ii to be the best
substitute for fresh beef while an army
% hat
beef often has bone taint, and ii cannot
well be determined before using it. Its
commercial value is less than refrigerated
beaf
Authorized to Buy Beef ON the HoOf.
Ample and complete" said he, was the
| authority of commissaries in Cuba and
Pcrto Rico to purchase beef on the hoof in
emergencies, at the will of their respec-
tive commanders.
Reports showed, said he that without ex-
ception the native beef was not near SO
satisfactory the refrigerated meat. The
latter tends to supplant beef on the hoof
whenever both are equally available.
He understood that refrigerated beef has
been used satisfactorily for Years in the
navy, but no conference on the subject was
ever had by the officials of the army and
navy
Were any rations sent to any troops at
any time as an experiment. asked Colonel
Davis.
Experiments.
Five thousand pounds of the Dole beef,
canned preparation that made nice Ham
burger steaks. found its way to Porto Rico.
were used, and everybody was delighted
1t was not used further because ii was too
expensive" said General Eagan.
He said he regarded the first shipment Of
refrigerated beef to Santiago as expert
mental because its value had not been de-
termined finally. Aside from these. no
other experimental shipments We're made.
AS matter Of fact, said he, ''I-fought
all the time against it?'
Directed Not to send Refrfgerated
Beef.
He said that August he received a ca
blegram from Cen Miles in Porto Rico not
to send more refrigerated beef as native
cattle could be had. At that time cargo
of refrigerated beef had been ordered to
Porto Rico on the Manitoba, which was
loaded. freight paid and was allowed to 60
Had this been otherwise no more refriger-
ated beef would have been sent. In fact
No rna Wa tn f.sar1