Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-08
REPORT OF THE
COMM ISS|0N
Several Officers Came in For
CenSufe.
THE BEEF WAS ALL RIGHT
Gen. Miles Was Responsible For Sell
elton of Camp Sj!ss--Alger
Was Not Careful.
THE BEEF WAS ALL RIGHT

New York, Feb S.-A dispatch to the
Herald from Washington says Presl-
d4nt Mckinley will receive today or
Thursday the war investigation conmis-
sion's report on the conduct of the war.
The commission has directly criticised
the secretary of war for lack of fir1nness
in his administration of the war depart
ment. Nc specific illustration of the sec
retary's weakness is given by the comnls-
sion but through It's reports the evidence
of this fault of the secretary will be
found particularly in the matter of his
relations with Maj. Gen. Miles.
The commission has determined not to
dwell upon matters Of strategy and for
this reason has left out all reference to
the action of Gen. Miles in going to San
tago, of the secretary's permission for
him to do so and of his dispatch to Gen.
Snafter that he was not to be supplanted
in his command by the major general
commanding. 1t will be found that Gen.
Miles is severely criticised and the presi-
dent will find ample material from this
standpoint of the commission to take ac-
tion against the major general command
ing.
The commission will devote an import
ant chapter Of it's report to Gen. Miles
charges concerning the beef and meats
generally furnished to the army and will
find that they are practically without
foundation. 1t will report that the beef
was not chemically prepared, that It
was of good quality and that the charges
! of the use of chemicals in the beef proba-
| bly, grew out of the fact that four quar-
| teys of experiment beef were placed on
| board a transport a Tampa by Mr.. Pow
ell, inventor of a preserving process
which he desired to test. This meat was
! thrown overheard by direction of Gen.
Wood. No chemicals, according to the
commission, were employed in the pre-
paration of the canned meat, but it will
| be found that the meat was unfit for use
in the tropics, because of the climatic con-
ditons which made it unappetizing IN ap-
pearance, though it was perfectly good
except in those instances where the cans
had been accidently punctured or imper-
! fectly sCldercd, thus allowing the air to
| enter.
| Attention will be called to the fact that of
| thirteen officers whose reports Gen. Miles
! submitted as showing that the beef sup
! Piled to the Porto Rlcan army was bad,
net one served on the island. II will also
! be shown that Gen. Miles was RESPONSE
| bic for the selection of a number of camps
! at Chckamauga and Miami, and that
| this latter recommendation was adopted.
! Notwithstanding the protest of the sec
retary of war. According to the report
| the primary trouble lies in the defective
army organlza ton. A recommendation
| will BE- made that the inspector generals
| department be radically reorganized and
! the report will sharply criticize Gen.
! Breckinrldge for ahdlcating his office Of
| inspector general to accept a commission
| as major general of volunteers.
| The secretary Of war will be cleared of
! responsibility for the transport horrors,
/ but Col. c. f. Humphreys, now on Gen.
/ Brooke's staff, who had charge of the
Fitting out Of the transports, and officers
7 of the quartermastcrS department in
! charge of them will be held to be respon-
! sble. The conditions which existed a t
| Camp Thomas prior to its removal will be
censured and attention called to the fact
| that Maj. Gen. Brooke was in command
| OF the camp at the time.