New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-21


INACCURATE NEWSPAPER INTERVIEWS.
He then commented on the general slight naccu-
racy Of newspaper interviews owing to the writer's
d.rondinr ON their memories Hardly day I'm six
months had passed that an interviewer had not
applied and because Of the kindness OF the press
20 the Army. and especially the enlisted men ne
had eudcavorod TO give them such Information as
lie thought wise and safe. but never. he said with
a ,iev, 10 prciudlcing any one against any person
or Dcpartmont Finally General Miles said ne do
not thinl, The Journal interview represented cor
rectlv what was said. because its contents should
bee taken in connection with all that was said MS
silence on some points and speech on others.
Then being asked about an interview from Ihe
New-York Herald" OF February l, he said:
have letter from tho gentleman who , pnder7
stand wrote this, in which he says ne y "I' 10,
thinkug somethnC had been given out. he had pro-
ce,dcd TO write what he knew were the iace
lie then pointed out that the interview was er-
roneous as where II represented him 10 nave 'D
that he had Overwhelming evidence that inc TO-
FEDERATED beef was treated with chemicals. the
fact was that his only evidence was contained !"
the reports Of officers and statements OF men ""o
said THAT the beef had the odor OF an emoalfneu
body; that they had fluid injected into peer
and other indications Of chemical treatment ne
declared the interview an erroneous preSeh'"'io"
Of what he could possibly have said
FAVORED SENDING LIVE CATTLE.
eral Miles before the War Commission, asked MIN
what his idea as 10 the beef supply for the Army
when the war broke out was
General Miles replied that. while his attention
was occupied with wciEhtier matters OF mooiH"a-
ton and equipment OF troops. he felt confident mat
the usage OF 4 hundred years would be Ioio"en
and herds o. cattle would be shipped TO the Army
II, tho tropics and killed here just as they had been
through the south I'm The Civil War IN NrHoha'
I'm Texas and in Mexico. where II was 80 NOT '"d'
a soldier could not Sit on the rocks lie undeis'oou
that cuba and Porto Rico were excellent grass
countries and that cattle could be shipped and
kent III prime condition. He reviewed MS Acuon I'D
cabling 10 the War Department 10 send no more
refrigerated beef to Porto Rico while ne was there
finding IL possible 10 use beef on the moon lie uh-
do~stood that the troops in Porto Rico were sun
being supplied with q form Of refrigerated beef al
though the island was as good grass country as
any III the world and the cattle there we're plenty
The snanisb troops drew all their meat supply
from this source.
Colonel Davis asked y General Miles khe"
whether Porto Rico exported any cA'ue. ne "a"
a. did 10 the number OF several thousand and thot
+bcv were fine cattle. Still he understood that the
,roons were not only receiving refrigerated beef az
+ha coast but that Il was being sent into tho IN
terror The situation now, he said was ol"eren'
from that in the war. Now there were Ice ma
/ chimes shore. Then there was MOI iC' e"0Ue'
COR the hospitals.
ro,,-rirg 70 the eypediencv OF feeding the troops
boof boef In Porto Rico General Miles said he was
strongly IN favor Of f. He said that native beef
killed at night could he fed 10 the men the next
day
do Won think" asked Colonel Davis, that the
native beef would keep well as the refrigerated
hess in -,e absence Of cooling apparatus on shore?"
ct an, quite su-e II would unless the refrigerated
beef was chemically treated with preservatlves'
REPLIED General Miles IF II was treated so as 70
keep FOR soventy-two hours after coming out OF the
coolers Of course fl had the advantage OF natVe
beef So far as keeping goes"
Asked how long he was in Porto Rico before he
advised the Department against sending more re-
f-iperated beef General Miles said he had learned
~ the large supply 81 native cattle soon after
landing and advised the War department the
next day after getting ashore
referring to the canned roast beef ar distin-
r,,,~hed from the refrigerated beef Colonel Davis
read a portion Of General Miless testimony before
! the War Commission condemnng It in severe
terms.
WHEN COMPLAINTS WERE FIRST HEARD.
General Miles said the canned roast be- WAS
/ ISSUED 10 volunteers end Regular troops on
the TRANSPORTS and in cuba until the arrival Of the
refrigerated beef II was fully tested by both the
/ Regiilars and volunteers. The first complaints OF
II he heard az Tampa from some OF the koufh
Riders from San Antonio, but he paid little atten-
ti,- 70 then, 81 the tine not realizing fully that
/ there had been any change from the standard ra-
. ton lie again heard % the matter aboard the
/ Yale when the men declared they could not eat
II and ne ordered the inspector 10 inquire into f.
/ Apain ne heard % II In the trenches at Hantlago'
hrf he was still largely occupied with the cam
/ -aton md he thought nothing more Of the com
rl.fr.e tran he would Of hearing that some man
V.as ..lfcl,trg" about his coffee or his h%otack
| His attention finally drawn seriously 10 the
r,,o-+er by the reports Of officers that the whole
/ Fifth Corps was weak and prosirated Ihs WAS
/ IN Aupue+ when a question Of parade through
/ sev--yo~k was preached. General Bates al that
time reported that only about one-hfth Of the men
/ 81 Montauk Point were IN condition 10 march
through Network. General Miles said this seemed
~ him remarkable as there was no yellow fever
I Of nv noint and he thought the certainly
+ ought 70 be over their malaria He therefore or
/ de~ed an INQUIRY into the beef about which there
had been 20 much complaint
..1id YOU report this matter az the time 20 me
Comrnlssary- Generals Office asked Colonel DAVIS
DOESN'T REPORT TO COMMIssARY- GENERAL
General Niles leaned forward drawing his brows
| 20 p f1rrow and replied forcefully
Il am not required. sir. 10 report TO the Commits
/ sarv- General"
We'll did Won report II 20 the Secretary OF
. War" asked Colonel Davis
General Miles in reply went az some length into
On exclamation OF the routine Of Army H"adquar-
,ers showing why he preferred 20 conclude his In
F curry that he might have something tangible 10
present 20 the Secretary
Colonel Davis put number % questions ~ 20
vhv the Commanding General mad delayed definite
r~tion IN the beef matter. and General Miles re-
piled mat he had delayed because he did not want
T 10 ac. until he had secured the best authority
which wac information from the most trustworthy
solr,es Finally ne issued MS order 70 officers 10
report on The quality Of beet furnished. Re 90
70, reuorf directly 20 the Secretary 81 War. be
cause under n rule NJ 1890 he order should 60 from
tho Acknowledgement 20 the Secretary
His attacks on the canned and refrigerated beef
before the War Commission were then taken mp
sno-0caHy Colonel Davis reading the testimony
~ me Commanding General. in which he referred
% n a- "emba lined" beef and said II had been
se,t a. "a pretence Of experiment"
General Miles was asked II he knew when the war