The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-14
The Horrible "Embalmed Beef" AL
legation Disproved.

The report Of the Commission which in
vestigated the conduct OF the war Is
unanimous in its conclusions, after an
inquiry into the subject which consumed
four months OF time and elected testimony
from nearly five hundred witnesses. TIL
Commission was composed Of men Of both
political parties.
We pass by, for the moment, all the con-
illusions. criticisms and suggestions Of the
report Of the Presidents Commission Of In
v~estigation except the findings as to the
meat matter. No allegation of "embalmed
beef" was made before it until Gen. MILES
testified before the Commission on the
21st Of last December, though 1t had
been conducting its inquiry since Sept.
"a, had visited seventeen different towns
and cities and nine camps. and had
obtained the testimony OF hundreds OF
witnesses, military and civilian. Before
his testimony there had never been the
slightest suggestion that the beef was chem
ically treated. He brought forward in sup
port Of his accusation a communication,
dated Oct. 81, from DR.. W. Fl. DAILY, a Sur
geon Of Volunteers on his staff, declaring
that in inspections at Tampa, Jacksonville,
Chickamauga, and Porto Rico he bad found
the fresh beef to be apparently preserved
with secret chemicals which destroy its
natural flavor" and, in his belief, were
detrimental to the health OF the troops"
DR.. DAILY swore that he informed Gen.
MILES OF his suspicious on Aug. 1, but
there Is no evidence that the subject
was investigated and no communica-
tion OF the suspicious was made to the
War Department by Gen. MILES. Nothing
whatever seems to have been lone as to the
matter of the refrigerated beef spoken OF
by DIR. DALY and stigmatized by the COM
manding General as "embalmed." When
on Sept. 20, Gen. MILES issued an order
calling for reports as to meat, no refer
ence was made to it in the order, but only
to canned fresh roast beef" and the re-
ports OF officers given out by Gen. MILES
for publication relate solely to them.
Obviously, as the Commission says, Gen.
MILES was grossly negligent Of his duty
in not ordering amy Of the officers under
his command to probe to the bottom an
allegation which. If true, concerned the
health OF 275,OoO soldiers of the United
States" That is simply common sense.
The Commission, however, proceeded to
correct this negligence as soon as Gen.
MILEs's testimony was before it. 1t OBJ
tanned samples Of the refrigerated beef
from the various camps at home and abroad,
had them examined and analysed by
the chemists OF the Agricultural and In
terror departments, and received from
these experts twenty-nine reports as to the
matter. which are appended to its own re-
port. "In no specimen examined has either
boric or salicylic acid or other deleterious
chemicals been found" The allegation
OF Gen. MILES, therefore, Is entirely
without scientific support and it is for
tunate for society that such has been
the result, for the meat against which
he inveighed SO recklessly is consumed reg
ularly by millions of people in this coun-
try and forms one Of tho most important
articles OF our exports.
II the sweeping allegations OF tho COM
handing General had been sustained 1t
would nave been u public calamity, for
alarm as to the meat supply would
have spread throughout the country and
a vast American industry would nave
been destroyed. The canned meats also, Of
which there has been so much criticism,
were tested blythe Commission and analysed
under its direction, and no injurious chem
icals, boric or salicylic acid, were found.
The as~persionsof Gen. MILES on the meat
supply, therefore, are disposed OF effec-
tually, for w do not doubt that the mill
tary court recently appointed by the War
Department will sustain fully and finally
the conclusions of this Commission, since
they are supported by ~indisputable scien-
tifc proof. Undoubtedly, in a tropical eli
mate, under intense heat, the canned
beef may become unpalatable and even of
~ionsive, but that is an inevitable result,
and some change OF form in this meat IA
ton may be requisite; but that as supplied
10 our troops during the war it was exactly
the same rs is used by the people in civil