Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-26
rrr GAHLINGToN REPORT.
Careful Review of subject of Army
nccf SuppIy.

Beef supply.
WASHINGTON. April 25.-The report
of Colonel Darlington. Of the Commissary
Department Of the army. which was yes
1crday presented TO the Wade court Of
inquiry. but was not accepted as a part
az the records. was made public to-day.
It covers about a hundred typewriter
pages. and is careful review Of the
subject.
colonel Darlington claims 90 have coll
l..ted the opinions of 376 officers and lS3
enlisted men concerning the canned roast
l..f which he Classihes as follows:
"TWenty-thrcc officers and one man
Pronounced il good or excellent; twenty
ttt officers ana two men. fair or good.
with exceptions; twenty-s.X officers and
....n men. mostly bad or unfit. 303
officers and 1l9 men, entirely bad or
ut.'"
d. comments at some length on this.
...- the terms indicating the feelings
rt.. officers and men upon IL, but says:
.N.rc cooking was possible. and vcgc-
-..- and condiments available and the
.... ul- prepared. seasoned. and mixed
u.. vegetables. complaints were lessen
off modified and some even praised it
... destitute for fresh beef
CANNED BEEF AS RATION.
colonel Darlington refers to- the fact
t.t the issue of canned beef was au-
raorz.d as I'd part of the army ration as
early as ',>> but says that the use Of
Gin. canned roast or boiled article ape
rr. u have been very limited before
OH. beginning of the Spanish war
"Nlf 0l about 200 officers reporting on
D.
i.. never seen canned roast beef used
. tl. army before the war, and only
r,r cent remember a previous issue
Referring to- the Chicago purchases Of
canned roast beef for the Spanish war;
COLONEL Darlington says: There was no
nsr.ction of 1T other than that Of the
nples selected by the various packing
Uses. and delivered 90 the commissary
.f.cr from time 10 time
colonel Darlington directs attention to
Old. fact that none Of the cans bore amy
I..l giving the date Of canning. and he
comments thus: How long the beef that
n. sold To the government had been in
storage is "a matter OF conjecture as the
-uon of age does not seem TO have
Deem entered into I'M making contracts"
FIRST COMPLAINT.
colonel darlington mentions the fact
that t.a first complaint of the war con-
..rr..- the quality of the canned beef
v made by Colonel Weston, of the
D.mm.- ary Department. This was Tor
u.r.I n telegram dated Iampa'
and directed to Colonel o: NJ.
Smith, Chicago. In it he said: some
H u. beef is Objectionable. and cans
lH. .uI there are fermeQted.
Oil. records show that this complaint
Sn. asked that the name of the pack
e. I. a... and that Colonel Davis. AS
t.star. D.mmissary Of subsistence nj
Wa.Hn-u gave immedite instructions
90 t,tt.. the complaint and mot
iY send ut until further orders
c.'.al 1gton found it impossible
p o..ut.. determine the amount ol
ahmed roast beef destroyed but he col
Ht.. considerable data ON this SUBJECT
i.uln- Chat eat least l0i.NS pounds were
4 r.4 upon hy boards of survey OF lhspeC
~. ni that of this quantity o''yyy
.r.' H.fe destroyed as WorthieSS' an"
3 rs pounds were sold
H- ulrs t0 the fact that the soldiers
trn away much of the meat. saying
Nr..r IId the alternative of eating this
i e.ng hungry.
rIE REFRIGERATED BEEF.
Colonel Darlington groups the opinions
and men ON the i'iIlEei a. vo
t.t .. follows: Good or excellent 90
of and s men: "fair 20 good, il 'Ilil-
r s officers and So men. mostly
lo D officers and p men; bad OF
li- officers and Is mem
From this summary he concludes that
about .5 per cent of the opinions were
f...fe 90 the refrigerated meat ana
IT ut. torable.
Colonel Darlington also devotcs con-
f..r.I .e space 10 processes OF presefNihb
t..f living the details concerning tne
experiment. with the Powell process lie
a..1 s.,.s Am the facts going 90 show that
%. mmissary officers I'm Florida man
rst.d h disposition TO assist in this eN-
PERTINENT by having the meat tried by the