The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-08
Eagan Censured For
Buying So Much.
Miles Reprimanded For Not Re-
porting On 1t.

Un0 fteBlOoubs VINO approves tno uuQluR6
acting Secretary of War Meiklejohn today
made public the report and findings Of
the military court appointed to investi-
gate the charges made by Major General
Miles, commanding the army, that the
beef supplied to the army during the war
with Spain was unit for the troops. The
most important features of the report are:
The finding that theigenerars iallega-
tions that the refrigerated beef was treat
I'd with chemicals, were not established;
that his allegationssconcerning the canned
fresh, or canned roast beef, we're sustained
as to its unsuitability for food as used
on the transports and as q long contin-
ued field ration; censure of Gen. Miles
for 'error' in failing to promptly notify
the Secretary of War when he first formed
the Iopinion that the food was unfit; CEN
sure of the commissary general (Gen.
Eagan), for.the too extensive purchases
of the canned beef as an untried ration;
censure of Col Maus. of Gen. Miles's staff;
the finding that the packers were not at
fault and that the meats supplied to the
army were of the same quality as those
recommendation that no further proceed
ings be taken in the premises. The con-
clusion of the court adverse to further
proceedings based upon the charges, is
as follows:
'.It had been developed in the course of
the inquiry as recited in this report that
10 certain cases, certain individuals
failed to perform the full measure of duty
or to observe the proprieties which digni :
| fy high military command. but the court
! is of the opinion that the mere statement
| in the official report of the facts devel-
oped meets the ends of discipline, and
| that the interests of the service will be
| best subserved If further proceedings be
| not taken"
Thera Is more or less criticism of Gen.
Miles In various parts of the report.
Probably the most direct instance Is the
one which states that beyond the criti-
cism of officers found elsewhere In the re-
port:
1.-THE court finds that against none
of the officers commanding corps, dlvis-
| ions, brigades and regiments and their
staff officers should charge of guilt be
brought.
The court also finds thai tho major gen.
eral commanding tie army had no suffic-
| lent justification for alleging that the
refrigerated beef was embalmed or was
that he committed an error In that hav-
ing belief or knowledge as claimed. that
| the food WAS UNFIT, that 1t caused sick
| ness and distress. that some OF 1t was sup
piled under the pretense of experiment,
that other beef was embalmed, he did not
| immediately report such knowledge or
| belief to the Secretary Of War to the end
| that proper remedy might be applied"
The ceLsure of Col. Maus, inspector
general on Gen. Miles's staff Is based up
on his failure to call attention to scharges
concerning the beef at Chicknmauga con-
DIR. (Major) DAILY on the Goth of October
last, in which he stated his belief that
| the beef was chemically treated.
"The silence of Col. Maus, says the
court, ION SO important matter as the
ohemicalized beef. reported by Major
| ia most remarkable"
The remark is also made that Gen.
Miles's failure to draw special attention
| to this report Is "unexplained.
Commenting upon Gen. Miles's testi-
mony that he had first formed the opinion
last August that the refrigeratec beef
had been processed, the court remarks:
| Whatever the date upon which he
formed q belief or reasonable suspicion,
| that the health of the troops was being
impaired by the Use of delsterious food,
1t was his bounden duty. In the opinion
of the court instantly to take the most
effective measures within his control to
ascertain the actual fact and to correct
the wrong, II any should be found. 1t
would have been practicable to obtain
samples of the beef then being supplied
to tho army BY contractors and to have
submitted thsss samples to chemical
examination which would have resulted
in the detection of the presencs of boric
| and salicylio acids, or any oGher chemi-
cal agent that may have been used as q
prsseryatiye agent. Yet no such precau .
tion as that suggested was taken by the
major general commanding at that time
or at any subsequent time so far as has
been learned by the court"
The court finds that the allegations of
the major general commanding to the