The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-08

New York, Feb. S.-A dispatch to the
Herald from Washington says: Presi-
dent Mckinley will receive today or
Thursday the war investigation com
InisSiOners' report on the conduct Of the
war The commission has directly crit
jcised the secretary of war for lack of
firmness in his administration of the
war department.
No specific Illustration Of the secre-
tdry'S weakness is given by the COM
mission, but through its reports the.
evidence Of this fault of the secretary
viii be found, particularly in the mat
ter OF his relation with Major General
Niles. The commission has determined
10 dwell upon matters Of strategy. and
Tor this reason has left out all refer
ence to the action of General Miles in
going to Santiago, Of the secretary's
permission for him to do SO. and Of his
dispatch 10 General Shafter that ne was
not to be suppIanted in his command
by the major general commanding
1t Will be found that General Miles is
severely criticised, and the president
VIII find ample material from the
standpoint of the commission TO take
action against the major general COM
manding.
The commission will devote an inDor-
Miles charges concerning the beef and
meats generally furnished TO the army
and Will find that they are practically
without foundation. It will report that
the beef was not chemically prepared:
that 1t was of good quality. and that
the charges of the use of chemicals in
the beef probably grew out of the fact
that four quarters of experimental beef
were placed on boar da transport al
Tampa by Mr.. Powell. inventor OF a
preserving process which he desired TO
test.
This meat was thrown overheard by
direction of General Wood. No chem
icals, according to the commission,
We're employed in the preparation of the
canned meat, but it viii be found that
that meat was unfit for use in the trop-
les. because of the climatic conditions
which made it unappetizing in appear
ance, though it was perfectly good. eN- .
cept in those instances where the cans
had been accidentally punctured or i'm
perfectly soldered, thus allowing the
air to enter.
Attention will be called to the fact
that thirteen officers whose reports
General Miles submitted as showing
that the beef supplied to the Porto
Rican army was bad. not one serv-
ed on the island. 1t viii also be shown
that General Miles was responsible for
the selection of a number of camps al
ChickamauGa and Miami, and that this
latter recommendation was adopted.
Notwithstanding the protest of the sec
Tetary of war.
According 10 the commission. the pri-
mary trouble lies in the defective army
organization. \ recommendation viii
be made that the inspector generals
department be radically reorsanized.
and the report viii sharply criticise
General Breckenridge for abdicating
mis- office of inspector general to accept
a commission as a major general Of vol
Unteers.
The secretary of war will be cleared
Of responsibility for the transport hOr-
rors, but Colonel c. F. Humphreys.
now on General BrOoke's staff. who
had charge of the fitting out of the
transports and officers Of the quarter
masters department in charge Of them,
viii be held to be responsible. The con
ditiOns which existed at Camp Thomas
prior to its removal will be censured,
and attention Will be called to the fact
that Major General Brooke was in COM
mand of the camp at the time.