The Red Cloud chief., 1899-02-17
Miles and Breckenridge Are Gen.
sured Indirectly.
BEEF WAS NOT CHEMlCALlZED.
Many Unavoidable Errors discovered
There Was "a Lack to Grasp the situa-
tion" - Recommendation Made for
Future Use-Condition of Army Camps.

Wnlcu was SUBMITTED W iTtslucnD NC
Kinley last Wednesday, has been made
public. The report says, in part:
mo testimony has been presented
showing intentional neglect of duty
nor any attempt to serve personal in
%tcrests. The charges made hat the
secretary Of war was p~ecuniarily in
terested in contracts. purchases and
other transactions of the war depart
ment have been thoroughly examined
and found baseless.
I'm the jude meut of the committee
there was lacking in the general ad-
minfstration of the Wal department
during the continuance of the war
with Spain that complete grasp Of the
situation which was essential to the
highest efficiency and discipline of the
army.
During the recent war many posi-
tions were filed by the appointment
of civilians to which retired officers
could have brought professional train
ing, valuable knowledge and large ex-
perience."
In the matter Of %regimental' officers,
the commission found that all volun-
teer commands differed my men of
military experience and training Jared
much better than those differed by
amateurs. The soldiers were effect
lively cared for, enjoyed better health
M were better fed and clothed. A
most important criticism by the COM
mission is as follows:
THE routine work in the depart
ments, in our opinion, is far beyond
what is necessary, and each year
seems to increase it. The methods
employed make it almost impossible
to transact business promptly. The
heads of all departments, officers of
large depots, chiefs of staff depart
ments, corps and divisions, have neces-
sarily been obliged to give to details
the time and attention which should
have been given to matters Of larger
moment. No we'll regulated concern
or corporation could transact business
satisfactorily under such regulations
as govern the staff departments, and
the fact that every officer of each of
the staff departments holding a re-
sponsible position has been obliged to
ignore routine demon strates the neces-
sity of a thorough reform"
Con the first day of April, 1893, the
strength of the army was {, l43 officers
and &c, 040 enlisted men, a total Of 2s,-
1873. In August, 1898, the regular army
numbered SO, 365, the volunteer army
207, 244, a total Of 262, 6O9.
SIThesa Gnnraa ~ tbonca1vao ,nJ;
cate that immense work was thrown
upon the war department
Zone of the lessons taught by the
war is that the country should here
after be in a better state of prepare
ton for war. Suggestions have been
made that large supplies of all the
mateLial not liable to deterioration
should be kept on hand, to be con-
Ntinuously issued and renewed, SO that
in any emergency they might be avail
able. Especially should this be the
case with such supplies as cannot be
rapidly obtained in open market"
Perhaps the most significant utter
ance in the whole document, so far as
concerns the discipline and efficiency
Of the army, next.
For many years the divided author
ity and responsibility in the war de-
partment has produced friction, for
which, in the interest Of the service, a
remedy, II possible, should be applied.
The constitution makes the President
the commander-in chief Of the army,
and he cannot transfer that authority
to any other person. The President
selects his secretary Of war, who has
his confidence and who Is his confiden-
tial adviser. The commanding general
is assigned to duty as such by the
President.
THE President must have the same
power OF selection of his general-in-
chief as he has of his secretary of war;
without this there can be no guaranty
that he will give, or that the Secretary
of War will place in the general-in-
chief that confidence which is neces-
sary'to perfect harmony. Neither the
President nor the Secretary Of War
should have in the command of the
army an officer who Is not working in
harmony with him"
"The commission finds that the In.
spector generals department was not
as efficient as it ought to have been.
There seems to have been question as
to authority by which inspections were
to be ordered. On at least one occa,
sion, May II, the secretary Of war in
structed she major general command
ing the army to inspect certain camps
viz: Those at Chickamauga, Atlanta
New Orleans, Mobile, Tampa, MAN
and Key West. The major genera
did not act upon such instructions
stating it to be his place to order in
spection.
MANY complaints were received In
reference to unnecessary delays and
lack of promptness on the part of the
quartermaster's department in moving
regiments and the care Of sick and
convalescents.
"In spite of the efforts of the quar-.
t~ermaster's department, many trans
mort vessels were DOorlv anninnaS