The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-05-11
REPORT 0F BEEF INQUIRY
Synopsis of the Finding of the Court
Concerning Charges Made by
Maj. Gen. Miles.
ALLEGATIONS WERE NOT ESTABLISHED.
Refrixrrxfed Beef Not Embnlmed-
The General Censured for Delay
In Giving His OpiniOns-Gen. Eag n
R~huked - Packers ExOnerated-
Ae Farther Proceedings.

re Further PrOceeuinSs.
Washington, May S. - BY direction
o9 the president, who approves the md
IDgs, Acting Secretary of War Meikle-
John has made public the report and
findings of the military court appointed
To investigate the charges made by MAJ.
Gen. Miles, commanding the army, that
the beef supplied to the army during
the wax with Spain was unfit for the use
<sf the troops.
IL. Findings.
The most important features of the re-
mort are. The finding that the generals
sIiegat tons that the refrigerated beef was
treated with chemicals were not estap-
aishcd, that his allegations concerning the
canned fresh or canned roast beer were
sustained as to its unsuitability for FOOD
used on the transports and as long
~centinued field ration; censure or Gen
Miles for error in failing TO promptly
notify the secretary of war when he first
formed the opinion that the food was I'M
nit: censure of the commssary general
Chen Gen. Eagan) for the too extensive
purchases OF the canned beef as an un-
&ried ration; censure of Col. Mas, OF Gen.
N,ics' staff the finding that the packers
were not at fault and that the meats sup
oiled TO the army were of the same quality
as those supplied to the trade generally,
and the recomme n da ton that no further
proceedings be taken in the premises.
OppoAe Further Proceedings.
The conclusion of the court adverse to
further proceedings based upon the
charges is as follows: 1T has been devel-
sDt,ed i'm the course of the inquiry, as recited
fn this report that in some instances some
fDsiiv iduals failed TO perform the full meas
ure of duty or to observe the proprieties
which dignity high military command. but
the court is Of the opinion that the mere
statement in the official report of the facts
developed meets the ends of discipline, and
thai the interests of the service will be best
subservcd if further proceedings be not
fskcr."
Criticism of Miles.
Commenting upon Cen Miles testimony
that he had first formed the opinion last
August that the refrigerated beef had been
DTocessed the court remarks: Whatever
the date upon which he formed a belief, or
"a reasonable suspicion. that the health of
the troops was being impaired by the use
of deIeterious food, IL was his bounden
duty, in the opinion of the court, instantly
IN take the most effective measures with
I'm his control to ascertain the actual fact
and ia correct the wrong, If any should
De found 1t would have been practicable
30 obtain samples of the beef then being
supplied TO the army by contractors and
zeal examination, WHICH would have re-
suited in the detection of the presence or
absence of boric and salicylic acids or any
other chemical agent that may have been
used a. preventative agent. Yet no such
rrecaution that suggested was taken
by the ma or general commanding at that
time al any subsequent time, so far as
has been learned by the court"
Rebuke for Eacan.
THE report places the quantity of canned
roast beef purcha sed for the war by the |
commissary department at 6,S47l74 pounds, |
}ncllseiDg 10000 pounds which was brought |
from Liverpool and other English ports. |
This amount is characterized as excessive. !
and the commissary general Gen. Eagan) |
As severely criticised in several parts of !
Ghe document on this score.
Other Conclusions.
Replying specifically to other questions |
set ent by the president the court says;
Thai the canned be was described as |
fresh" because IT was not sailed but that |
the meat was not old or stale |
" That the refrigerated beef furnished the |
army was not doctored or treated with |
any other agency than cold air"
That the meat purchased for the army |
was the meat Of commerce. that both |
kitds-refrigerated and canned-were such |
as are well known in both hemispheres as |
commercial articles, of which there is and |
has been very large consumption not only |
by the trade generally, but by the United !
States navy and by the armies and navies |
of Europe
Thai TO reports OF unftness or unsuita-
utility OF the beef sent from the United |
States were forwarded to the war depart !
mcnt by any general officer serving in Cuba |
or Porto Rico while the field operations |
were in progress. nor were any such reports !
received until more than month after hos |
diliticS ceased
That. barring some defects in methods of |
inspecting the beef on its delivery 10 the |
. subsistence department. the deterioration |
of The meat in shipment was due TO the |
faux OF no one.
Miles Charges.
TIE charges of Gen. Miles. as made in !
newspd per interviews, as well those |
made before the war investigating commits |
sion, are referred to at length. among them |
being the interview with the general sent !
out from the New York Office of the Asso- |
<,ia ted Press on the 3lst of January. in !
which Gen. Miles was quoted as saying that |
he had overwhelming evidence that the |
beef was treated with chemicals TO preserve !
II and that he had affidayits from men who |
saw the beef undergoing the embalming |
process" The court notes the denia! which |
Gen Miles made of this part of the CONVEX
station as il was printed in the New York |
Herald, but prints the charge al a part of
the allegations, saying on this point: THE
testimony OF both Mr.. Reid and Mr.. Berry |
III iDt NEW j OTh INES agree IN the verify
OF the interview as reported by the former
and this is found Ia the Herald clipping
The court does not therefore ignore this
paragraph. but treats ii as a part ofthe al
legations which under investiga ton"
Several pages OF the report are devoted
30 the consideration of the allegation made
sy Gen. Miles that the refrigerated beef
WAS treated with personalities, but the
statement is made upon the threshold OF
xhis question that but little testimony was
submitted by him in support of this con-
IGNITION. The inference drawn by the
court from the absence of such testimony
as adverse TO the existence of the practice
alleged 10 prevail by the major general
commanding.
Approved by the President
The report closes with the following state
KneLt: The court with deep sense of the
responsibilities devolvine upon IL has la
BORED 2ealously to bring out the truth and
believes that it has fully covered all the
matters referred TO 1t for investiga ton
That the calling of more witnesses from the
AargE number suggested by the ma jor gem
@Sal commanding, including all those who
have taken part in the operations of the