Evening star., 1899-02-09
THE WAR REPORT
Investigating Commission Gives 1t to
the President.
IT Was PRESENTED At WHITE HOUSE
Contains Criticisms and Does Not
"Whitewash."
GIST OF THE DOCUMENT

| The members of the war investigating
| commission met at the White House at $3.50
O'Clock this afternoon and at o'clock, by
! appointment they will present their report
| to the President.
| The report is at least 65 eco words in
length and there are 5000 pages of printed
! testimony added to 1t to sustain the
clusions reached by the commission. 1t
| will take the President several hours to
| read it, and until he has done copies of
| 1t cannot be obtained for publication.
Each member of the commission was
| given one of the first copies of the report,
| and after leaving the White House the
| commission will adjourn sine die. The docu-
| ment is signed by every member Of the
commission, and is their unanimous express
| sion, as forecasted in The Star yesterday,
! after majority had adopted the various
| sections. 1t is practically the work of
| every commissioner, the sections each
contributed have been welded together in
one harmonious whole.
The report is in no sense "whitewash-
| ing affair, it contains such criticisms
of the War Department conduct of the
| war as is warranted by the evidence be-
| fore the commission. 1t does not enter into
the discussion of the strategical questions
of warfare, there was testimony
| brought out upon them. The reasons for
| the selection of the officers for the conduct
| or the war are not referred to anywhere.
| The Eagnn Episode.
| The Eagan episode is not mentioned in
| detail; indeed there is no history, as was
! expected, of the forbidden character of the
| first statement read by him to the commits
| sion
So far as Gen. Miles is concerned the re-
| port only touches upon the unsworn testi-
| mony he gave upon the beef question. 1t is
| silent as TO the refusal of the War De-
! p2rtment to adopt the various plans of
| campaign submitted by the general COM
| mandlng the army to the Secretary of
| war. 1t was considered by the commits
sion that this is purely a strategfcal matter
and not within their range
| 1t Is Solemnly ave1Ted that the commits
sion has sought to bring out only the truth
and that there has hecn no suppression or
| conceatment of any important facts II is
pointed out that many persons, quoted by
| newspapers as having made statements in
| accusation or criticism of wax officials, re-
] fused to testify when summoned before the
[ commission. and declared that they had
| been misquoted or falsely reported
| 1t is shown that more than 800 witnesses
nave been examined by the commission
and, with the exception of persons or off,
| cfais in authority during the war who have
| necessarily testified, nearly all were men
| and women who had complaints to make
| Gen Miles was the Only one who refused to
be sworn.
| SoiiNei iHls lHc DeeI furnished the
the report bears out in detail The Stars
| advance statements in that regard and
.nere Is very pointed criticism OF Gen
Miles for his admitted failure to report
to the Secretary of War while he was in
Porto Rico ths alleged bad character of the
| meat sent there by the commissary DEPART
ment.
What One Member Saws
In speaking of the report today to a Star
| ieporter' a prominent member of the com
mission seid:
| lhe report does not whitewash. II
| crltlclses. but not persons or things NOT
warranted by the evidence before MS Wa
started oat with the assumption that con-
duct OF the war was all right and than Wa
went ahead to hear and call witnesses ubo
SAID 1t was not. That report represents tho
nonest opinion of every member of the
o1nnnssion. o1i we We're unanimous In
adopting 1t. 1 say this and | ana of the
opposite political faith and don't exnect
ana dont want anything from the admin
| istration. -'
rorlro Know that every line of the report
represents my individual view. and if anv
hehDef tried harder than l did TO get at
ana out all the facts l have Vet to SEQ him
s ausie was no suppression or concealment
ana no point brought out in the evidence
was eVaded or CLOSED over, We never me+
pelore nearing a witness, and agreed not to
eAahillie MN or to touch upon certain mat
lers that might turn out 1nfayorohI,-
everything that "a man knew or ,bnI,n5st
! ne knew was the subject of inquiry and
am SATISFIED when the country gets oI1r
nIaiat ~ lult mat there will be no com
pam ei'hef as to our methods or reSuItc
Every one of the commission is an 49,
EST man, and l can go before NV AIal-or "a
I"S S' miti cream and clear conscience that
! nave done my duty by nv corntry ari
ny myS3f We intended to prasan+ ~ I ~
PCrt thls morning, but were delavad ~,
wise copy -'i 'h7 re-
As to Gen. Eagan.
r. i,'o'e mas been great deal of criticism
| ''I commission because we permitted
oeh. Eagan to read his first statement s,,n~
pose We had not done so. Then thu, -,
nave been universal howl thai we ,yora
! Elahdling him so TO protect him No s;,
ne mac The privilege of reading his state
iiient ana We did not stop him because II
mou.u nave been the worst thing possible
10 60. Col, DENLY has been sbarniv cri.
iclsed because chairman he let tIsg.n,
make the disgraceful statements against
Mics. DENLY did not prearrange the mai
yer CT play into the hands Of the contract
ors.
He is an honest man. if there ever was
one. lie presided because, during the beef
inquiry ne mad asked most of the oues-
hohs' the chairman, Gen Dodge being an
sent. So when Eagan came again fo testif,,
Col; Denhy was asked to question him.
Al would never have done to have ston
pea Eagan and then asked the nress y
III
ourselves open to the serious charges anJ
we knew it, and acted according to omr
pest pest Judgment. And. what is more. / be-
neVe Eagan Is an honest man But he was
LED INTO error by anger.
The Presidents silence
The President never saw a line of our
report before he received it officially: not
a single word. Nor indeed has he ever
talked with any of the commission about IT. |
He has had plenty of chance 70 tom mo
for instance. to go light upon any subject
he desired. He has never In any way by
word or action or messenger evirced a wish
to have US develop anything but the truth
or even touched upon the matter of our
work.
I'VE have questioned more than 500 wit
nesses, and the majority of them had some
complaint they wanted to relate In no |
instance can It be proved that we have
omitted to call any witness who has been |
brought to attention as having Inn |
portant facts to disclose. But had We de- |
sired to 'whitewash' the administration we |
| hay r.bo