The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-10
1T DOES NOT WH|TEWASH
Commissioners Assert It Is an
Honest Report.
AND 1T WAS UNANIMOUS
Started Out With the Assumption That
the Conduct OF the War Was
All Right-Some Minor
Evils Found.

washington, Feb. 9.-The report of
the war investigation commission IS in
the hands of the president and the COM
mission is dissolved. All of the mem
bers of the commission, including the
secretary, Mr.. Weightman, and the re-
corder, Colonel Davis, met by appoint
ment at the white house at Ais o'clock
this afternoon and were at once shown
into the cabinet room, where they were
received by the president. General
Dodge, the chairman of the commission,
presented the report, and in receiving it
the president congratu1at ted the commits
sioners on the completion of their task.
Seated around the cabinet table, the
members went over their work in gen
eral way and at the request of the
president read portions of their report
which covered certain points in which
he had expressed an interest. The con-
ference lasted about an hour and a half,
and as the commissioners We're about
ITO leave the president stated that he
was satisfied that each member had
done his whole duty. He himself had
rendered them every assistance possible
and said that they would bear witness
that he had not sought to influence them
in any manner or in the slightest de-
gree. In speaking of the report to-day
a prominent member of the commission
said:
The report does not whitewash. 1t
criticises, but not persons or things not
warranted by the evidence before us.
We started out with the assumption
fthat the conduct of the war was all
fright and then we went ahead to hear
and call witnesses who said it was not
The report represents the honest opini on
of every member of the commission. We
kwere unanimous in adopting it. I say
this and I am Of the opposite political
Haith and don't expect and don't want
ianything from the administration.
Il know that every line of the report
represents my individual view and if
fRny member tried harder than did to
J get at and bring out all the facts I have
| yet to see him. There was no suppress
sion or concealment and no point
brought out in the evidence was evaded
or CLOSED over. We never met before
hearing witness and agreed not to ex-
anime him or to touch upon certain mat
tiers that might turn out unfavora ply.
Everything that man knew or thought
he knew was the subject of inquiry and
I am satisfied when the country gets
our report in full that there will be no
complaint either as to our methods or
results. -.''
''The president never saw a line of
our report before he received it official
ly; not single word; nor, indeed has
he ever talked with any member of the
commission about it. He has never in
any way, by word Or action or messen-
ger, evidenced a wish to have us de-
Velop anything but the truth or even
touch uDOn the matter of orr tyoyls
We have questioned more than zoo
witnesses and the majority OF them mad
some complaint that they wanted to re-
late. In no instance can it be proved
that We have omitted to call any wit
mess who has been brought to our at
tention as having important facts to
disclose. But had we desired to white
wash the administration we could have
had 5000 witnesses who could truth
fully testify that the conduct of the war
was all right.
of course, there were some evils, but
they were to be expected. The soldiers
an the civil war never had hospitals or
medical attendance as good as was
given them in the war with Spain, and
their army ration then was not as eat
able as it is now. The men who COM
planned the most of the food we found
were very generally the militiamen
from the interiors of states, and who
mad been allowed " per head for sub
sistence stores while they were in state
camps. When they went into the active
fighting they expected the same sort of
thing.
I'm questioning these men nearly all
confessed to us that they had always
received the army ration They had no
right to expect any more. ! could tell
some funny stories to illustrate this.
There were many complaints brought
n II ieI,
false. but we went to every trouble and
expense to inquire into every genuine
charge"