The times., 1899-05-08

after delivery, the Court finds that there
was neglect in Cuba, and to a less degree,
in Porto Rico. The wagons assigned to
carry the beef were sometimes not clean,
and often there was no protection from
sun and rain; but the most serious mis-
take seems to have been due TO a failure
to arrange systematically for rapid convey
ance and prompt delivery, so that the
wagons could receive their brigade issues
and return direct to camp and SO insure
its speedy delivery for consumption.
The number of organizations drawing
beef separately could not have exceeded
ten or twelve and the distribution. it
would seem, could mere quickly have been
made from-the wagons to regimental and
battery camps direct than to have unload
ed at the places of brigade issues. there
apportioned to regiments. etc, reloaded
and hauled TO the organizations. 1t is in
evidence that the beef rarely reached the
ramps of the consumers before s a m,
and it was often after Il or even 3 o'clock
before the troops received their daily al
lowance.
THE Court does not wish to state the
case more strongly than to say that the
| finding appears to be warranted that too
much time was consumed in distributing
| this perishable article-refrigerated beef.
| The fault. if any there was, rested with
| the brigade and higher commanding Off
| GERS and their commissaries and quarter
masters, but the testimony is not so def
| mite as to warrant the naming by the
Court of any particular officers.
THE contract with Swift & Co. required
the contractors to erect cold storage faciii-
| ties on shore An apparatus was nrovid
ed for Santiago and it arrived in the harbor
on July 27. but the evidence shows that it
was not unlcaded by the quartermaSter
until long after its arrival. An appeal
by the contractors agent to General Shaf-
ter for an order on the quartermaster to
expedite the delivery from the transport
to the refrigerating plant did not effect
| any result After the unloading was eff
fected the refrigerator was ready to re-
| ceive the beef in eight days. but this
! matter was the cause of serious loss, for
! previous to its installation the beef had
| to be lightered ashore in the sun and rain,
| and its exposure to the elements during
such lighterage and handling resulted in
| considerable damage and loss.
1T need not be said that beef derived
, from good cattle, freshly slaughtered.
would be most acceptabl but when the
| Porto Rican expedition was being organ
| lied nothing was known, or could be
! known. as TO whether or not the landing
| would be unopposed. Certainly the ex-
pectation that the troops would be per-
mitted to occupy more extensive areas
than were, up to that time, controlled in
the opinion that it was not only wise,
but most desirable. that provision should
be made to have at command and under
control a supply of refrigerated beef for
use while the troops should be employed
securing good bases or operating near the
coast. Until considerable areas had been
| occupied and the availability of native
beef had been established, there was no
better food than refrigerated beef that
was practicable.
After the troops landed and penetrated
inland the men subsisted largely upon
native beef. and. while the complaints. re-
specting its poor quality and toughness
were not infrequent, and while it was
well-nigh impossible in that hot climate
and season to divest 1t of animal heat, yet
it served useful purpose, and for interior
points was probably the best fresh meat
component of the ration that was practi-
cable. For such points fresh refrigerated
beef was not available or practicable at
all, and comparison of it with the native
beef cannot therefore be made.
Reef on the HoOf.
'It has been contended that beef cattle
should have been sent to Cuba from the
States, landed through the surf. as were
the horses and mules, herded near the
troops, slaughtered as required, and the
troops supplied from this source instead
of from cold storage. The court does not
| subscribe to this view in so far as relates
| to the period of field operations before the
surrender The commanding general of
the expedition characterizes as absurd
such a proposition. and many of his COM
marding officers. whose opinion is given
in the testimony, coincided with him in the
impracticability or inexpediency Of such
a project. The Court concurs in the opin-
ion OF these men whose experience in ac-
tive military service dated from 1861.
'It is well known that it was
with the greatest difficulty that SUI
icient transports were secured to car
ry the Army to Santiago and TO return
it to the States, TO say nothing of the de-
| lay to the Porto Rican expedition on ac-
count of non availability OF transports. The
landing of beef cattle and their herding on
shore within the limited area controlled
| and available, in a country full of ravines,
| jungle and forests. would have been at
tended with very great difficulty and
losses; besides, there was practically no
cavalry with the expedition to herd and
guard the droyes.
Until several days after landing, the
flesh of such animals would have been
| unfit for human food. All was excitement
and there was necessarily much confusion;
in the opinion of the Court, would have
been an incumbrance rather than benefit.
After base had been secured at Santiago
Harbor. no doubt cattle could have been
| landed: indeed some were landed in Octo-
| ber and November. but the weight OF testi
mony is that, save under those circum-
stances, which were altogether favorable
to the animals, the refrigerated beef was
often preferred to the beef from cattle
freshly slaughtered.
The Court has stated that the canned
roast beef, under the conditions existing,
was not a suitable ration for extensive
issues The Court finds that the allega-
! tions of the Major General Commanding
| to the effect that the refrigerated beef sup
| piled to the troops was treated with chem
| ical preservatives, have not been estab-
/ lished. The Court also finds that so much
of the allegations of the Major General
Commanding. in respect TO the canned
| fresh beef as relates to its unsuitability
for food. as actually used on the trans
ports. and as to its extensive or long-con-
tinued use as a field ration, are sustained.
| IN the opinion OF the Court none of the
other allegations in relation to the canned
fresh beef are sustained. The evidence
shows that Col. John F. Weston, Assist
| ant Commissary General of Subsistence,
recommended the adoption of the canned
roast beef as a component OF the field ra-
tion, and to this extent he is responsible
While this article had been upon the
| traye-ration list for many years, it was
| but little used. The entire purchases of
this beef for the whole Army, in the
twenty years following its appearance
among the ration components, aggregate
but 50,Sl6 pounds, or slightly more than
$500 pounds per annum. The records of
the Commissary Generals office show that
small quantity was issued as a travel