The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-21
Miles C0Urt Of Inquiry
ONLY ONCE DID THE GENERALS S
INDIGNATION NFLAMEFORTH.
His Testimony Cool and Deliberate Quail
fled Denial Of Two Newspaper Inter
views-Col. Minor Testifies.


in Arizona, Texas and in Mexico, where
il was so hot that soldier could not
sit upon the rocks. He understood Cuba
and Porto Rico were excellent grass
countries, and cattle could be shipped
and kept in prime condition. He re-
viewed his action in cabling the Depart
ment to send no more refrigerated beef
TO Porto Rico while he was there, find
ing it possible to use beef on the hoof.
General Miles said that he understood
that our troops in Porto Rico were still
being supplied with FORM of refrigerat
ed beef, although the country was a
good grass country, and there were
plenty of cattle there.
''Do you think" continued Colonel
Davis. that the native beef would keep
as well as the refrigerated beef in the
absence of cooling apparatus on shore?"
Il am quite sure it would unless the
refrigerator beef was chemically treat
ed with preservatives. If it was treat
ed so as to keep for - hours after com
ing out of the coolers, of course it had
the advantage of the native beef so far
as keeping goes"
General Miles said the first complaints
on the canned roast beef he heard at
Tampa from some of the Rough Riders
and then again aboard the Yale when
the men declared they could not eat it.
Again he heard complaints of it in the
trenches at Santiago. What finally drew
his attention seriously to the matter was
the reports of officers that the whole
Fifth corps was weak and Frustrated
This was in August when the question
of q parade through New York was
broached. General Bates at that time
reported that only about one-fifth of the
men at Montauk Point were in condi-
tion to march through New York. Gen
eral Miles said this seemed 10 him re-
markable as there was no yellow fever
at the point and he thought the men
certainly ought to be over their malaria
He therefore ordered an inquiry into the
beef about which there had been so much
complaint.
did you report this matter at the
time to the Commissary Generals of
fce?" asked Colonel Davis.
General Miles leaned forward. draw
ing his brows to a furrow, and replied
forcefully:
II am not required sir to report to
the Commissary General"
''Well did YOU report it to the Secre.
tary of WARP" asked Colonel Davis
pleasantly.
General Miles in reply went at some
length into an explanation Of the routine
Of army headquarters, showing why
he preferred to conclude his inquiry so
that he might have something tangible To
present to the Secretary. Finally he
issued his orders to officers to report to
the Secretary of War because under
rule of 1890 the order should go from
the Adjutant General to tne Secretary.
His attacks upon the canned and re-
frigerated beef before the war com
mission were then taken up specifically.
Colonel Davis reading testimony Of the
commanding General in which he re-
ferred to it as 'embalmed'' beef, and
said it had been sent as "a pretense OF
experiment"
General Miles was asked if he knew
when war began that canned roast beef
was part of the army ration. This
question brought out partial eXplana,
ton of his using the phrase ''pretense
of experiment" He said he did not
know that canned roast beef was a part
of the army ration, though in 1883 an
order had been issued including canned,
corned or fresh beef. He did not un-
derstand the canned beer now in ques-
ton was meat When his attention was
finally attracted to the canned roast
beef, recently issued. he assumed, he
declared, that sit was being issued as
an experiment." since it was not un.
derstood by him that canned roast beef
was part of the regular ration.
Continuing this explanation in an
swer to a question of Colonel Davis,
General Miles said he thought his use
of ''pretense of experiment" was unfortu-
nate and he disclaimed any intention to
impute fraud to any one.
$50 far as indicating fraud, he said,
II wish to state that no such inference
was intended. 1t was perhaps an I'M
fortunate expression and had my atten-
ton been called to it I might have
amended it to say ION the theory of an
experiment" As a matter of fact it
was an experiment and very costly
one"
Replying to a question General Miles
said he first heard complaints against
refrigerated beef at Ponce. The first
direct statement that it had been treated
chemically came, he believed, from DR.
DAILY, who presented it late in September
and appeared subsequently before the
war commission.
He said he did not recollect whether
DR.. Days report was volunteered or
whether he had been ordered to inyes-
tigatG and report ON the meat.
1t was general talk among the Offs
GERS at Ponce, General Miles continued
that the refrigerated beef must have
been subjected to some chemical treat
ment to make it keep for y hours.
General Miles then read long sum-
mary Of 100 letters received by him at
army headquarters, giving the various
terms in which the army meat was
characterized. These included ''em-