The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-25
BEER INVESTIGATORS
Hold Their Last Open Session and
Are Preparing Their Report.
THE ARGUMENT oF-MAJoR LEE.

THE ARGUMENT MAJOR LEE.
Diaclaims That He Acts as the Coun-
sci OF General Mites in Technical
sense-Believes That q Great Fraud
and Crime Has Been Committed.
Washington. April 25.-The Wade
court Of inquiry appointed to investi-
gate the allegations made by Major
General Miles In his testimony before
the war investigating commission con-
corning the meat furnished the army
during the late war with Spain held
Its last open session yesterday, and is
now engaged upon the preparation Of
Its report. The court has been in ses-
sion almost ten weeks, and in addi-
tion to daily hearings given In this
city for several weeks sessions have
been held In Chicago, Omaha and
Kansas City to afford the members of
the court an opportunity personality
to inspect the canning and refrigerat-
ing processes Of the packing houses.
Several hundred witnesses have been
examined, most Of whom have been
oficers and enlisted men in the reg
uiar or volunteer service, and over
$500 pages OF testimony have been
submitted,
Yesterday the court decided not to
accept report made by Lieutenant
Colonel Darlington, Of the inspector
generals Office. This report had been
transmitted to General Miles through
Inspector General Breckenridge. The
report of General Darlington covers
about 80 typewriter pages, and goes
exhaustfvely Into the reports made by
officers and men, without drawing any
general conclusion. The board, in ex-
PLANTATION Of its refusal to Except this
report In evidence. gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
"The report Of the investigation con-
ducted by Lieutenant Colonel CARING
ton, Inspector general, under orders Of
the major general commanding, con-
tains the result Of an inquiry carried
on for the most part at the same time
and In the same places as that en-
trusted to this court by the president
During the progress of the investiga-
ton Colonel Darlington has submitted
the names of witnesses and from time
to time has suggested subjects Of In
qutry, all of which have been fully
considered by the court. The reports
which were furnished him by officers
of the army have already been read
and submitted In evidence. In view
of these facts, and as 1t does not ap-
pear that Colonel Darlington had any |
other or better means of information
than were accessible to the court at |
every stage of it's inquiry, It is ordered
that the report be not received in EVIL
dence."
At the afternoon session Major Lee,
who had been Major General Miles
representative before the board, sum-
med up for his side of the case. Re-
corder Davis read brief reports from
General Breckenridge, the inspector
general, and also from two of his
subordinates, Major Philip Reade and
Lieutenant Colonel Darlington, as to
the result of their individual work and
observations General Breckenridge
condemned the canned beef ration, and,
speaking generally, said that while the
army ration fulfilled alone the scien-
tific requirement Of food values, its
component parts should be changed to
meet the new conditions of service. As
the ration was fixed by law, this was
a matter for congress to remedy He
also suggested that articles required
by sick and convalescent soldiers
should be added. Major Reade's re-
port was mainly devoted to the lack
of certain camp equipment among Ger
tain regiments, and that of Colonel
Darlington to the result of his per-
sonal inspection of the various camps
Of the country.
The court then decided that if any
of the dispositions for which General
Miles had called should be received
prior to the completion of the report of
the board they should be admitted as
evidence, subject to the boards iimita-
tons.
Major Lee then summed up the case,
at the outset that he was
acting as counsel for Major General
Miles in technical sense, and adding
that he had been there simply to pre-
sent and elicit evidence. He read his
argument from carefully prepared
and was given careful at
.ention by the three members of the
court and the recorder. no one else
being present except the representa-
ives of the press. He declared that
he evidence showed conclusively that
he beef furnished the troops in Flor
da, Cuba and Porto Rico had been
treated to insure its keep
ng the specified contract time, that it
vas perfectly practicable to have land
ID beef cattle with the armies at all
'oints, and proceeded
There was no necessity for de-
'arture from the army travel ration, .
which has been found perfectly salts j.,
actory. Instead Of supplying the :
roops during this war, as other ar ]
1ies have been supplied, with whole 2
ONE food (of which there was an in
xhaustible supply in the country, i
here was gathered up all Of the can ! y
ed food possible, much of which had q
cen stored for years in the ware
ouses of the Baltimore and Ohio rail. 9
Dad, in other places and in foreign c
Greenhouses, and falsely labeled prime Il
past beef when there was not an h
unce Of roast beef and, we believe, :.
OF an ounce of prime beef contained =
| the cans. d
we DelleNe tnaC great fraud mas Ii
cen perpetrated upon the government
nd great crime committed upon its
'ldiers, and as to the party or parties
no had committed this offense, and m
neither the evidence should be refer n
ID to the judicial officers Of the gov
nment, in order that Justice shall be l
me, are matters that we leave to the IN
of your honorable court" l&
Major Lees statement consumed &
'out an hour, and when he concluded 1
lth the statement that the members
the board must decide whether the =,
eat fraud and great crime which he
lleved had been committed should
carried before the courts, Recorder ]
avis arose and said simnly. ~ subj I