The record-union., 1899-04-13
Will be Little Delay Thereafter In the Pre-
sentation Of the Report.
Four Witnesses, Including Generals
Chaffee and Arnold, Before the
Court Of Inquiry at Yesterdays
Hearing, but Nothing of Sens
sational Nature Brought Out
in Their Evidence.

B WASHINGTON, April 12-GeneralS
Adna r. Chaffee and A. r. Arnold, DIR.
Huidekopper and Captain Williams OF
the Commissary Department, were be-
fore the Court of Inquiry to-day. Gem
eral Chaffee said that while he consid-
cred the refrigerator beef supplied to
the army at Santiago wholesome, the
officers and men of his command re-
fused generally to eat it He attributed
this largely to the fact that most OF
them were sick. DIR. Huidekopper said
the canned beef was generally of poor
quality. Captain Williams told of the
condemnation of the beef on board the
transport Panama General Arnold's
testimony dealt with the beef supplied
at Jacksonville, which was. he said
generally Wholesome.
Members of the court express cof1fi~
dence in being able to conclude the tak-
ing of testimony by the early part>lof
next week. There will not be much de-
lay after that in the presentation az
the report
General A r. Arnold who was inf
command of the Second Division of the
Seventh Army Corps during the Span
ish war, was the first witness called.
He stated that at Jacksonville, as a
rule the fresh beef was acceptable. but
that there were occasional complaints
that it was tainted, especially during
the hot weather of last summer. These
complaints came at times every two or
three days. There was also some conn.,
plaint concerning the potatoes, onions
and other food. He did not attribute
the sickness of his command to the
food supply He did not remember
that Lieutenant Colonel Currie of the
Second New Jersey had ever made COM
plant of the food supplied. He had
not suspected that the meat was chem-
ically treated.
General Adna r. Chaffee, who, coma
manded a brigade at Santiago, gave
the details of the recent condemnation
of canned roast beef at the latter place.
He said the canned roast beef had been
sent there from other points in the West
tsiies xfor distribution to the Cubans.
and that he had distributed probably
j, 100000 pounds of it. He had not
heard any complaints about the meat
until a few weeks ago, when a news
paper report had told him that 10000
cans had been thrown into the sea be-
cause it was bad. He had immediate-
ly reported to General Brooke, and
asked for an inspection. This was Or
dered, with General Earnest at the
head of the board. 4 is board found
that out of the 100000 rations remain-
ing on hand, about 1.S5 per cent. was
bad There was considerable guam
tity of tomatoes and canned fruit which
was not good.
General Chaffee also testified concern-
ing the meat supply to his command
during the Santiago campaign. He
belived the refrigerator beef to be per-
fectly good. but while this was true
the officers and men would not eat it.
They rejected it almost wholly as be-.
ing spoiled This was due largely, as
he thought to the fact that the men
We're sick. He had demonstrated with
them because he thought they needed
the change of diet but they would not
have it, AS for himself, he kept the
meat until the afternoon, and them
found it wholesome and sweet.