Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-10
CEASES TO EXIST.
The War investigation Com
missions Duties Are Over.
Report Said to Rub Gen. Miles on
Charges Concerning Beef.
4 cesn Of Inquiry Will Now lssk Into INST
Little matter.

| UktOu, Il GU. u ne WAT lUveS-
| tigating commission with the presenta-
ton Of It's report to President McKin-
ley. this afternoon. ceased its exist
| ence.
b The general scope of the report was
sent out. last night. and renewed at
tentiOn was called, today, to the fact
they pointed out that there were only
1 two witnesses who made charges
| against the government in the beef is
! sue. 1t is pointed out that there were
numerous allegations made and many
attacks in the public prints. but
when those making the attacks and
charges were called on to appear be-
fore the commission with their state
ments under oath or otherwise sub
Stimulated. they failed either to appear
or furnish proof Of what they had said.
It is Is insisted that all the men who
had made any charges were offered the
fullest opportunity to be heard and
their statements given fun cOnsidera-
ton and that every effort had been
made to prove the truth in whatever
matters had come up before their body.
The Eagan incident is passed over
without material mention, IL at all. in
view of Gen. Eagan's statement that
he originally made to them. The re-
port avoids all questions of strategy of
the war, that being matter regarded
as outside the functions of the commas
sion.
The references TO Gen. Miles. COM
manding the army. are devoted mainly
10 structures on his course with refer
ence 10 the beef issue as covered in his
Tt1 mo N
point made. IL is understood. is as 10
Glen. Miles failure to take prompt ac-
ton in reporting on the beef. and in
stead, waiting long period before
communicating the facts to the depart
ment. and meantime. with the infor-
nation he gained in his possession and
his judgment on the beef supplies made
UP, permitting beef he so vigorously
condemned to be issued to the army.
The fact that he was the only witness
failing to testify under oath is referred
to.
President Mckinley. on receiving the
report from the commission. congratu-
lated the commissioners on the COM
pietion of their task. The commits
sioners went over their work in gen.
craI way. and. at the request of the
President, read portions which covered
certain points in which he had ex-
pressed an interest. The conference
lasted about an hour and half. The
President stated that he was satisfied
that each member had done his whole
duty. He, himself. had rendered them
every assistance possible and he said
that they would bear witness that he
had not sought TO influence them in any
manner or in the slightest degree.
In speaking of the report, today, to
a Star reporter a prominent member
Of the commission said The report
does not whitewash. 1t criticises. but
not persons or things not warranted by
the evidence before us. We started out
with the assumption that the conduct
OF the war was all right and then We
went ahead TO hear witnesses who
said il was not. and that report rep
resents the honest opinion of every
tnember of the commission. We were
unanimous in adopting it. l say this
and l am of the opposite political faith
and don't want anything from the adj
ministration.
There was no suppression or con-
cealment and no point brought out in
the evidence was evaded or CLOSED
over. Everything that man knew or
thought he knew was the subject of in
auiry and l am satisfied. when the
country gets our report in full. that
there will be no complaint either as to
our methods or results.
1.-The President never saw word of
our report before he received it Off
cially. Nor. indeed, has he ever talked
with any Of the committee about it. He
has never in any way by word or ac-
ton or messenger evinced 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
witnesses and the majority of them
had some complaint they wanted to re-
late. In no instance can it be proved
that we have omitted to call any wit
ness who has been brought to our at
tentiOn as had important facts to dis
close.
"Of course there were some evils. but
they was to expected. The soldiers in
the Civil War never had hospitals or
medical attendance so good as was
given them in the war with Spain. And
their army ration then was not as eat
able as it is now. The men who COM
planned the most of the food we found
were very generally the militiamen
from the interiors of states and who
had been allowed 81 per head for sub
sistence stores while they were in state
camps. When they went into active
fighting they expected the same sort of
thing. These men nearly all confessed |
to us that they had always received |
the army ratiOnS. They had no right |
to expect any more.
"There were many complaints |
brought to us that on their face were |
foolish and false, but we went to every |
trouble and expense to inquire into |
every charge"