The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-09
Finds AIger Exercised Proper
Diligence.
HIS sUBORDINATES WERE EFFI-
GENT AND FAITHFUL.

The Charges Made by General Miles
Were sustained--It Reef Was Poor
II Was Due 90 the Climste--Miles
Criticised For Making Talk 20
PubIic-Report I'm Hands of Presi-
dent.
Washington. February S-The war in
vestigating commission has now com
plsted its labors and its report will DO in
the hands Of the President tom orrow.
The commission held session today that
extended well into the afternoon, going
over details. Tomorrow the members of
the commission will formally attach their
signature to the original document and
proceed in body to the executive man.
sion TO inform the President that they
have completed this mission and present
their report The commission will then
cease to exist
The report of the war commission Is a
voluminous document of $50 printed
pages. Each member has been provided
with printed copy to retain and ar
rangements have been made so that the
President. win have as many printed
copies as he wishes when he makes the
document public. -
The report makes an important feature
OF the beef issue and dismisses, as a gen
eral proposition, the charges that Lhave
been made against the beef furnished the
army. 1t finds, 1t is understood, that
most of the beef was such as could be
properly furnished as an emergenc )
ration. pointing out that the evidence
showed 1t was never Intended TO be any
thing .ut AN emergency ration. 1t says
there were only two witnesses who really
testified against the beef. General Miles
and Major DAILY, the chief surgeon, who
made the report regarded as the most SEN
sational, forwarded to the commission by
General Miles. AS to the testimony Of
these two witnesses, the commission, it is
understood goes on to point out the mass
OF evidence submitted to the contrary, as
off setting this testimony. As TO such OF
the canned beef as was found to be objeo-
tionable, the commission points out the ef-
feet of the tropical climate IN producing
liquefaction OF the fat in the meat and
the conseq uent rendering of the contents
unpalatable. Most of the beef, though is
found to have been satisfactory for
emergency use, where fresh beef or beef
on the hoof could not be proc ured. The
structures General Miles made publicly
on the beef and his public expressions in
other ways, 1t is Understood, are subjected
TO severe criticism. The methods and
manne r Of loading the transports in Gen.
Shafter's Cuban expedition, are also dis
cussed and responsibility placed for the
results
The report finds that the statements of
chemical treatment made by General
"a lies, en- the authority of Major DAILY,
are not borne out by the chem ical experts,
who were also placed on the stand. 1t
quotes from Major Days testimony ana
then takes up the testimony OF Chemists
Clark of the Geological survey, and Bige-
low, of the agricultural department, who
examined All analysis of the beef submit
ted and finds that as chemical expert
Major DAILY is not supported by other
chemical authorities and therefore hi
testimony is regarded as not worthy of
oredehce There are also said 10 be some
recommendations as to organization OF
certain branches of the army but il is
stated the recommendations are not radio
al. As to the administration and conduct
of the war, the conclusions of the com.
mission are understood TO he that every
thing possible was done by rhe war de.
partnent in the limited time that it had
at its command in making its prepara-
lions for the war, and the report says that
the conduct of the war not only worked
out in the end successfully. but in such
way as to be worthy of great oommenda.
ton.
The report says that the evidence before
the commission shows that Secretary AL
ger exero sed proper diligence and super
vision and that his suuordinates also
were efficient, experienced ami faithful.
The commission Is unit on its report
and there is no minority report.
At the outset the commission divided
itself into sub-oommittees for the separate
consideration of designated branches of
the main subject Of inquiry. These sub
reports will be added to the principal