Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-13
have gone. as being the colossal, prodiglous


II submit TO this committee and to the
whole country that this account of an in
terview with him in the New York Journal
gong uncontradicted, undenied, and. when
the opportunity was given him refusal
TO deny ii in terms. places upon him the
responsibility for the statements in that
interview, which statements \ here and
now denounce as unmitigated falsehoods.
vile and slanderous. SO slanderous that it
can only be called filth.
Il submit to this committee and to the
country at large whether it is the charac-
istic of an honorable man to permit such
statements as are made in this alleged in
terview with General Miles in the New
1ork journal, dated December %, 1898, to
30 uncontradicted, if untrue and whether
or not II Is not the first duty of a gentle
man. an honest man, an honorable man, to
ueny such falsehoods as are TO be found in
me article l refer to, if they were not
made by him.
This interview was headed as follows:
Miles Makes Grave Charges Against the
ssdm1inistrstion: Poisons Used in Beef Made
Troops in Porto Rico
General Eagan, referring to newspaper
attacks. asserted that the secretary of
wa. war mad nothing whatsoever TO do with
the furnishing of refrigerated meats or
tinneo meats, nor had. he attempted to
controi the contracts. awards or purchases.
ana m TINS connection, in heated language,
ana their editors and proprietors, whom
ne said should be indicted and tried for
treason to the United States during this
ton to the public enemy for the sole pur-
pose of gain. Were l a man of wealth or
means; means; he protested. y would take this
knaves, purloiners of the secrets of the
belong"
on General me Eagan made vigorous attack
ger In,
connection with this investigation. He
asheu why We're not those inspections
made While the: armies were in the fields,
where were the officers of this department.
and said the principal officers of this de-
partment took other positions, and let
tne inspections of the army. which were
20, SO Tar as they were concerned, for
personal aggrandizement, as We know they
M aook volunteer rank with increased pay,
aa, ana now, at this late day. We find this
department. suddenly endeayoring to ger
eH parte views of people in a manner not
authorized by the secretary of war-the
past"
General Eagan referred to the reports
from from ofhcers. and submitted by General
Miles concerning beef furnished, as ire
army officers would take advantage of
me situation to make statements which
,I. ul.ey Knew there was no power nor means
stances they speak of have passed out of
existence the proofs are gone, One of
Inese officers goes outside to tell you about
competition Tor contracts and what was
used In canning, both things without his
possible knowledge. If General Miles had
informed himself as much about the army
ration as he pretends to have Informed
hlmself about refrigerated beef, which he
1alsely calls 'embalmed beef then he
should st have been enabled to inform you
tnaI this very timed beef We are speaking
OF mas been part of the army ration
since since February s. 1888. Whether General
Miles Is ignorant of this. I do not pretend
to say, but he takes it upon himself when
asked who fixed it as part of the army
ration to say, You will have to ask some
one one here in Washington This implica-
are
Having traversed General Miles state
menIs, said General Eagan. having
having demonstrated the animus that per,
vades this whole matter. 1 now 20 back
20 fod ms 1 statement that. in his Judgment.
much sickness and distress of the troops.
me design to say, to imply, to assert, to
lncb snsibhuate. ate that a. sickness was caused for
assertion wholly untrue, devoid of anv
facts, devoid of truth, and can only he
prompted by a base motive and under cover
VI the qualif1cation in my Judgment :"
Questioning General Miles Course in suh-
mltting briefs of reports from regimentaI
comma commanders, General Eagan says this
the army; not within his province, nor nor con. n.
tempiated by law and regulation. and
there would be just as much justice in the
a circular letter inviting criticisms on the
conduct of General Miles during the war.
Geheral Eagan said the, first intimation
OF chemical treatment he had had was in
General Miles statement and it seemed to
MIN the raving nonsense of a madmau."
HIS HIS own Gagans), conduct and work had
General Miles conduct and work should
not be looked into on this showing. add
ing: II is high time and proper that this
committee should examine into the truth
and faisehood of the statements and ex-
anime into his conduct Of the war
Further. he said General Miles legally
sumed In Porto Rico. nor does the law au-
thoriZe him to set aside food furnished
under the law. but 1t does determine how
'r,rno 10 nola accountable s the party furnishing
He charged that if Chief Surgeon Dalv
with witt General Miles. had ever made an ex-
facts" 'ne
General Eagan concluded as follows:
II have used harsh language before
this commission in dealing with the sub
Ject. ask the commission to bear in mind
that that S grouping together s;s the statements
furnished. or allowed to be furnished. to
the army 'embalmed beef which has dis
eased soldiers. and that a great deal of
sickness arose from its use; that l have
furnished meats to the army under pre-
tense of experiment. meats that made the
soldiers sick. and this under the pretense
OF experiment, this because of corruption
Nearly al! the press of America. because
of General Miles high position in the INIT
ed States army. has accepted these views
and his statements. and many of them have
called for my discharge. court-martial and
dismissal from the service. Also that these
statements of General Miles were held bacl,
by him. not furnished to the government
for its appropriate action and use. but
sprung upon you and the country at a time
when the country from the fasehoods that
had been told In regard to starvation and
supplies for the army was in state of ex.
element and ready TO believe almost any
thing.
The subject. have treated here is a
filthy subject, but you cannot touch pitch
without being defiled: you cannot touch
base, malicious. iibelous falsehoods. mis-
representations: without calling spade a
spade. and telling the whole truth and
characterizing things as they are The
damage that has been done by these state
rlents is believed to be very great. but I
indulge the hope and the belief that my
statement. when published to the country.
when read by the representatives, of for
eien governments here, Will offset the state
ments made by General Miles and will, in
scme measure at least. do justice to Others
that have been wronged. maligned and IL
beled.
For myself. l content myself with ex
pressing my profound belief that either
General Miles or should be put out of the
service: either he is right or ] am right:
either he dishonors his uniform with his
false statements and libels, or 1 dishonor
mine in feeding soldiers with poisonous
beef, causing their sickness and doing so
under 'pretense of experiment
BRECKENRIDGE MAKES REPLY.
Inspector General Says n Set of Gen.
tIemen Is Needed in the War
Department.