Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-04
A RIGID INQUIRY
1o Be. Made Into Charges
by Major General Miles.
President will Institute Proceedings
After War Commission Report.


washington, Feb. 3.-The purpose of
the President to terminate the unsat-
;sfactory state of affairs that has ex-
lated for some time as the result of
the numerous charges and counter
charges and interviews respecting the
character Of the army beef. by insti-
tuting formal inquiry into these mat
ters and endeavoring to place the re-
sponsibility where it belongs. was made
known, today. This inquiry will not
be undertaken before the commission
10 investigate the conduct of the war
has made its report to the President
The scope of this new inquiry has not
been defined but it certainly will en-
brace the allegations made by Gen.
Miles as to the character of the army
supplies and will involve that officer
TO the extent that he must make these
charges good and to that degree will be
on trial himself in a preliminary man
SHOULD the charges be found we'll
establiS I'D. Il heavy responsibility
would be placed upon the packers and
persons concerned in the meat inspec-
ton and perhaps others. Should they
fall unsupported. Gen. Miles riay be
obliged to answer to a courtmartial for
rejecting upon the character of other
officers.
There are two methods by which
such an investigation may be con-
Quoted, according to established mill
tary usage. The first is by the appoint
ment of what is known as an officers
or inspection board. In the former
case it would be necessary to name
some officer who is to be the subject
of the investigation. In the latter the
board is charged simply to inquire into
a state of facts or alleged facts with
out reference to any particular person
and to place the responsibility if posi-
Bile for anything of which the com
plant is made. The boards findings
may serve as the basis for courtmar-
tial quite as effectively as the findings
ola court of inquiry and the board has
some advantages in that it does not
begin with the presumption Of court
of inquiry.
When a court of inquiry is ordered,
it is said, there is conveyed distinct
reflection upon the office named. Be
cause of this when the navy depart
ment requested the war department to-
order court of inquiry to investigate
the circumstances attending the kill
ing of number of Spanish prisoners
on board the Harvard. the latter de-
partment instead ordered an inspection
board. considering that the ordering of
the court of inquiry might be looked
upon as a pre-decision against our
troops
Such officers boards are frequently
ordered to fix responsibility for the loss
or damage of stores and several Of
them have been appointed during the
war to look into the loss of meats, not
ably in the case of that shipped to
Porto Rico and returned to Montauk
Point Like court of inquiry, these
boards return statements of facts de-
veloped by them upon which the SUI
perior authorities can act
1t is not possible at present to learn
in what direction the President leans,
but he has been in conference ON the
subject with the secretary of war and
the attorney general and the matter
has been discussed in the cabinet to
some extent AS before stated, how
ever, no action is to be taken on either
plan until the report of the war investl-
SdtlOn COHliillSSioH - ouoiilIec"'
Up to the close of the day, Gen. Miles
positively declined ITO discuss in any
manner the event of the day so far as
they related to himself or to discuss
any statements contained in any or the
interviews attributed to him. 1t may
be said of these interviews that, Whlle
it is conceivable they might figure,
they would not do so of necessity for
the matters to be first looked into are
those connected with the character OF
the army beef.
Gen. Miles was questioned, tonight,
regarding the reported statements that
he had denied the accuracy OF the IN
terview concerning beef furnished to
the army which was published While
on his recent visit to New York He
courteously declined to be drawn into
any discussion of that or other news
paper statements appertaining to him.
Gen. Miles insisted that the question
at issue after all was not of this or
that interview. but whether bad food
was furnished the army.
1t is suggested that 1t will be mat
ter of difficulty to secure the person.
mel for even court of inquiry with Its
limited membership without employ
ing some of the officers who have al
ready taken some part in the contro-
versy between Gen. Miles and Gen.
Eagan. This is on account OF the
scarcity of available officers of suffi-
Gent rank to warrant their assignment
to this duty.