The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-22
HAS REQUESTED BY NILES.
GENERAL ASKED ron INQUIRY be
FORE 1T WAS ORDERED.
In Its Makeup the Court In Sattsfae-
tory to the Commsnder-in-Chi
Miles Appears a. the Accascr-
The scope Of the Inquiry.

On February o. Gen. Niles addressed
a formal ulruEic2tsaa - ire SECRETARY
e sar. requesting thai q cSurt OF sTslu.ry
Dc Appointed 10 determine iae reSspo'as2-
b11ix or he lssSe 70 the army q. an
"A .tesleScEas bSSf. says the Kansas Cts
star ~ was answered mat 90 February
re president had directed taat a court
- inquiry Re appointed 10 prQse - sse
bottom - the hesf questiogA Gea- Miles
had. - course, seen the newspaper reports
E@sa4She1 before ere request MAS ma4e
thar TIE Qy1S2Gsnt IaEefs4sd 10 appoIat IRE
coo-t, cut be had 40 information trQGn
etaer ssSTces that tie president mad de1-
n4iesy determined ca tnat ~oasrsa. ae
c3uTt was, therefore, ordered without aay
suggestion - reQgeSi from the major SEN
era1 commanding. - far as the record
made ap by ths administration reveals
taa irU.a. wescA is tAat tN9 DAYS s1-eg
Cian. Mes Ira3e his request. an order WIS
issued p0Tporting - be un1er lastrgc-
tons conveyed one fuI week oefore.
The record does ao1 ana never VII 5ss-
close tbs fact that Gen Niles conlpel.sd
the convenlng oi the cogr, WedneSs4y.
Al interesting taing in connection with
ne order Is that nc formal charges as to
tbs character Of the beef issued 10 The sol-
e.ers xers preferred ny Gen Miles The
statements made by h.m before the war
invest : ZION commission and - newsISa-
per Interviews pQgport-ng % have tecn
he'd with Kim are mentioned in the order
as certain allegat tons" ani not as
charges. Neither Tia president nor the
war department has received any com
plant from The commanding general IN
regard - the refrigerator or canned beef.
An Impartial Court.
Intimate friends o, Gen. Niles say that
RE - perfectly satisfied with the action II
h.
20 cTiucsse the appointment % the court
or its personnel. In military circles the
disposition OF the matter Is regarded as ah-
solutely fair 10 al concerned. \ great
many army officers believe that the court
would oa restricted 10 an inquiry INTO the
conduct OF Gen. Niles. which. In ordinary
circumstances would have been the oal-
come OF the controversy initiated by him.
TIE court Is regarded as an exceedingly
able one.
y court OF inquiry IS a military grand
Jury. and Ike civil grand Jury. sits be-
hind closed doors. Under the articles %
War Il cannot report anything exce0t And
inZs OF fact, unless specially directed TO
Go 30, The directions q the court 20 give
its opinions a. to the merits Of the case
and TO report whether further proceedings
ara necessary, are significant Of the pres
dents determination TO settle the facts AS
to the allegations OF Gen. Miles without
regard for the feelings 81 anybody con-
cerned. The court Must say whether IN
wholesome food was knowingly given 10
the army. ard Il has the power 20 recon-
mend that Maj. Gen Miles be tried by
court martial II should be understood.
however, ihat nobody will be on trial be-
fore ;he court. The proceedings are rot
agains. Gen. Niles, GEN Eagan. Secretary
Algor or anybody elise. On the contrary,
Cen Miles has the status Of the accuser
and not ot the accused
Its scope of Inquiry.
Tie scope or the invest CATION - prac-
tica.iy without Lint. as 10 the beef con-