The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-12
General Shafter Gives Experience
With Canned Beef.
IT WAS NOT APPETIZING
BUT HEARD NO COMPLAINTS OF
THE RATION.
Says He Knows of Nothing to Sub
stitute For It-Had No Discretion,
For It Was Furnished By the Com
missary Observation-Disclosures
Refrigerated Beef Satisfactory.

Washington, April 1.-Whep Major
General w. r. Shafter appeared before
the beef inquiry board today, all the
members rose to receive him. He de-a
tailed the main events connected with
the Santiago expedition in narrative
form. The quantity of supplies taken
was largely determined by the capacity
of the ships. He had no discretion in
the matter of rations. He took what
was sent to him by the commiSSary
department. 1t was utterly impracti-
cable to take beef on the hoof. He
regarded it as absurd to consider.
Looking back at the campaign, he still
considered it impracticable. Had they
encountered an active enemy they
might have lost a beef herd, and in
any event it would have been impera-
lively necessary to take the same
amount of salt and cured meat to pro-
vide against such a possible contin-
gency.
After the troops We're landed he or
dered all troops forward with three
days rations. The meat ration was
not specified. Each commander deter
mined whether it would be bacon or
roast beef. He heard no complaints of
the canned roast beef between the time
of landing and the surrender He
heard no complaints until after his re-
turn from Cuba. Naturally, in such
climate it was not appetiZing. He ate
it every day himself. The troops were
furnished with full rations of meat,
hard bread and sugar. There We're one
or two days when the full ration of
coffee and sugar did not reach them,
but it was made up the next day.
The question of supplying the troops
was the difficult question:; the eest was
easy. There were no complaints from
NaS oh np 0f tr00DS
was fairly good up to the time of the
surrender. The sick report on July is
showed but 1000 men sick, but the
troops had been weakened, and after
the surrender went down rapidly.
The first case of yellow fever was re-
ported on the 9th. He only recalled one
complaint against the refrigerator beef.
He thought that came. from the Sew
enth or Ninth infantry.
KNEW OF NO SUBSTITUTE.
From your experience do you regard
canned roast beef as a suitable meat
ration for such a campagn?" asked
Major Lee.
Il do not know of any substitute"
replied General Shafter. Canned corn
beef is perhaps better. Possibly it is
not so good as bacon, but that depends
upon the individuals taste. [ myself
think there might have been less meat
and more beans and rice. Campaign
ing in the tropics was new to us, and
it was an experimental food. Certain |
ly we all recognize now that the rationS
were not we'll adapted to such cam
paign, but it was all we had and we
did the best we could. Congress pro- /
VideS the army rations."
General Shafter detailed a converse
ton with Commissary General Eagan
about the canned roast beef, which he
(ShafteO at that time believed was !
genuine roast beef.
In cold climate he would regard the |
canned roast beef as very good, in |
deed To carry fresh beef on the hoof
he regarded as absolutely out of the |
question None of the division COM
manders (Wheeler, Kent or Lawton) |
had complained of the ration officially
IF there has been complaints as TO
them" said ne, Il hardly think they |
would have reported it. They We're SEN
sible men. 1t was all we had. Nothing |
could have been done"
He took great interest in the refriger-
ated beef and from his investigation |
pronounced it perfectly satisfactory. |
Suspicion that it had been chemically
treated was never even suggested at |
that time. He attributed the immense |
amount of sickness to exposure, the !
eXertionS of an active campaign and !
the climate.
In report forwarded by Colonel |
Roosevelt some complaints were made, |
but he did not regard them as import
ant, as the emergency had passed.
Major Lee read from Colonel Roose-
velt's report of the action of July 1,
saying his troops had no food on that |
day except what they captured from |
the Spaniards
IF they did not have food it was
their own fault" observed General |
Shafter. 'They We're ordered to provide
themselves with two days rations.
AS to Colonel Roosevelt's statement |
that they did not have adequate food
or medical supplies, that was matter
of opinion. They had their rations pro-
vided by law. If the rations of the
rough riders gave out en- route to Cuba
it was the fault of their officers, VINO
should have drawn supplies to keep
ten days supply on hand as he had
ordered.
Some of the Pennsylvania volunteers
gave direct testimony as to the tainted
character of the refrigerated beef and
the canned roast beef. One of them
testified that the beef aboard the Mis-
sissippi had maggots in it.