The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-13


canned meats. our duty Is 10 give an op.n-
ion as to the quality of those furnished.
There has been neither allegation nor
proof before us that boric or saiicylic. or
any other acid has been used In the canned
meats furnished to the troops. but such
meats have. nevertheless. been greatly
criticised"
The report shows that a number of Off
GERS testified that the canned beef was I'M
palatable 1t Is also elected that in a
tropical country. where 1t is subjected TO
intense heat. the meat presents a repulsive
appearance at first Furthermore it,trans-
pires that occasionally an inferior article
Is found.
The Signal Corps.
1.-The work of this branch of the service
Is highly commended.
when war commenced and the fleets
started for Cuba, and the transports to
Manila, the signal corps was on hand. The
men of this corps cut the cables, often dis
playing great courage in doing their work
under the enemy's guns,fG r7
In addition this corps was charged with
the censorship of all dispatches passing
over the cable lines, The delicate and re-
sponsible duties connected with which
were faithfully discharged,
The Pay Department.
so far as the commission can ascertain,
all the officers of the pay department have
performed their duties promptly and eff
GENTLY. a. hi, 5Q
Corps of Engineers.
BRIG. Cen John NJ. Wilson in charge.
Whatever officers of this corps have
been assigned to duty, the testimony shows
that they have acted with great prompt
ness and to the great benefit of the ser
vice. The testimony of commanding off
GERS of compaigns has been i'm high praise
of the service of the corps of engineers.
Ordnance Department.
Brig. Gen. d. w. Flagler in charge.
THE testimony before the commission
shows that the ordnance department was
untiring in It's work, both before and dur
ing the war, and that every effort was
made by its officers to properly arm and
equip the troops The delays that &C.
CURED were none of them of serious inn
port and 1t was beyond the power of the
department to prevent them
Medical Department.
Brig. Gen. George NJ. Nsternberg in
charge.
This important part of the re-
port Is dwelt upon at great length
by the commission, and must be
properly understood. A glance at the
commissions summing up, however win
sufficiently indicate its nature.
"First.-That at the outbreak of the war
the medical department was, in men and
materials, altogether unprepared to meet
the necessities of the army called out.
"Second.-That as result of the action
through a generation of contracted and
contracting methods of administration IL
r1r inn, zasfI. IL. o.,
crate largely, freely, and without undue
regard to cost
''Third-That in the absence of a special
corps of inspectors, and the apparent In
frequency of inspections by chief surgeons
and of official reports of the state of
things in camps and hospitals, there was
not such investigation of the sanitary con-
ditions of the army as is the first duty
imposed upon the department by the reg
ulations.
Need of More Nurses.
"Fourth-That the nursing froce during
the months of May, June and July was
neither ample nor efficient, reasons for
which may be found in the lack of prop
er volunteer hospital corps. due to the
failure of Congress 10 authorize its estab-
lshment and to the non-recognitlon in
the beginning of the value of women
nurses and the extent to which their
services could be secured.
''Fifth-That the demand made upon the
resources of the department in the care
of sick and wounded was very much
greater than has been anticipated, and
consequently in like proportion, these de-
mands were imperfectly met.
"Sixth-That powerless as the depart
ment was to have supplies transferred
from point to point, except through the
intermediation of the quartermaster's de-
partment 1t was seriously crippled In it's
efforts to fulfill the regulation duty of
furnishing all medical and hospital sup
plies
"Seventh-That the shortcomings In adj
ministration and operations may justly
be attributed in large measure to the hur-
ry and confusion incident to the assemb-
ling of an army of unframed officers and
men, ten times larger than before, for
which no preparations in advance had been
or could be made because of existing rules
and regulations.
"Eighth-That Notwithstanding all .he
manifest errors, of omission rather than
of commission, vast deal of good work
was done by medical officers high and
low, regular and volunteer. and there were
unusually few deaths among the wounded
and the sick.
what Is needed by the medical depart
ment in the future Isl
"First-A larger force of commissioned
medical officers.
"Second-Authority. to establish in time
of war a proper volunteer hospital corps.
"Third--A reserve corps of selected train
ed women nurses, ready to serve when
necessity shall arise, but under ordinary
circumstanm owing no duty to the war
department, except to report residence at
determined intervals.
Camp Thomas, ChicISamauga.
The report is to the effect that Chicka-
manga Park is not adapted to the accom-
mediation of more than 10000 at a time. Ga
June 80, there were 5s,54S men in the camp