The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-13

whether General Miles is ignorant Of this
do not pretend to say, but he takes 1t upon
himself when asked who fixed II as q part
OF the army ration to say: You VIII have
to ask some one here in Washington This
implication. shows how reliable his state
ments are"
General Fgan vent IN to say that Gen.
era. Miles chief comnissary. selected by
him over experienced officers, had public
subsistence funds In his possession, but
could not use them for lack OK check
book though Colonel Sharpe, chief com
missary on General Brookes stan. who
because he did not happen TO be the selec-
ton Of General Miles, had sense enough TO
provide himself with check book.
He queationed the right OF General
Miles to divert the customs funds to the
purchase of beef when tho subsistence de-
partment had over 100000 available.
Having traversed General Miles state.
ments, +" he said, having shown him u you
to be a liar, having demonstrated the AMI
MUS that pervades this whole matter,
now go back to his statement that In his
judgment food was one OF the serious
causes OF so much sickness and distress OF
the troops The design TO say. to iinpli-
cate, to assert, to insinuhte that sickness
WAS caused for such reason In Porto Rico
Is to make an assertion wholly untrue,
devoid OF all facts. devoid OF truth and
can only be prompted by base motive and
under cover OF the qualification In my
Judgment"
Questioning General Miles course in
submitting briefs of reports from regi.
mental commanders, General Egan says
this course is unprecedented in the history
OF the army. not within his province nor
contemplated by law and regulation, and
there would be just as much Justice in the
president or secretary Of war ending out
"a nj ri nj q a
conduct Of General Miles during the war
General Egan Eaid The iirst intInntion
Of chemical treatment he had had was in
General Miles statement pud { seemed
to him tho rGving nonsense VI q nad
man" His own tEgaa'e) co'tdutt and
work Ind been looked In >; he saw no rea-
son why General Miles conduct SHOULD
not be looked into on this showing, adding,
1T is high time and proper this cammis-
sion should examine into the truth and
falsehoods OF the statements and examine
into his conduct with ,ho war.
Further he said General Miles. legally,
had no control of the purse, Is he tssUmei
in Porto Rico, nor does tho law authorize
him To set aside food furnished under the
law, but II does determine how u bold
accountable the party furnishing imp opsr
food.
with General Miles, had ever made an ex-
pert examination OF the beef, then he
| wilfuily and deliberately flashed the
| facts.
| General Egan concluded ms follows: IN
| I have used harsh language before this
commission In dealing with the subject,
ask the commiss lon to bear II. mind that
grouping together the statements made by
General Miles means that haga furnished
or allowed to be furnished ~ the army
embnlmed beef which has diseased sol
ders and that great deal of sickness
arose from It's use; that ! have furnished
meats to the army under the presensc oil
experiment meats that made the solii srs
sick and this under the, preterse of eS-
pertinent. this because % corruption.
Nearly all the press OF America. be.
cause OF General Miles high position
IN the United States army. accepted these
Views of his statements, and many o
them huve called for my disgrace, court
martial and dismissal from the service
Also that these statements OF Genera
Miles were held back by him. not fur
nithed TO the government for Its appro
pirate action and use, bat sprung upor
you and the country at time when tn,
country from the falschooas that have
been told In regard 10 the supplies to thu
army was In Asate of excitement ant
ready to believe most anything. The sub
jcct hnve treated here Is a filthy sub
iect aud you can not touch pitch without
he!ng dcfilcd; you can not touch base. ma.
llicicns lbelous ftlsehoods and misrepre.
sensations without calling spade spadt
and telling the whole truth and chnrac'
= terizing the things as they are. The dam
age that has been done by these statements
is believed to he very great, but indulge
the hope and the belief that my statement
when published to the country. when rea!
by the representatives OF foreign govern
Inente Will Offset the statement made b,
General Miles and will, in some measure
at least do Justice to others that have
been wronged. maligncd and ltlia!cd, Fo
myseli content myself with ,o&pres Sins
my profound belief that either Genera
Miles >cr 7 should be pot ou' of the ser
vice; either he is right or am right
either he dishonors his uniforni with hi
false statements and libels or 7 dishono
mine IN feeding soldiers with pnlsonee
beef causing their Sickness aud doing 81
under inetense of experiment,