Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-14

washington, IL. u, january 10 L ne
war investigating commission to-day
passed resolution of censure on Gen.
Eagan for the language he used yes
terday when he appeared to answer the
charges made against the commissary
branch of the army by Major General
Miles and returned to him the care
fully prepared typewriter statement
which he left with the commission af-
ter reading it to that body. The fol-
lowing letter accompanied the return
of the statement:
WASHINGTON D. c., Jan. 10, 1899
Brig. Gen. c. p. Eagan. Commissary Cen
eral War Department.
Strive respectfully inform you that
after your testimony was read yesterday,
the following resolution was unanimously
passed:
''-Ioved that the commission receive
Gen. Eagan testimony without comment,
that it be not printed at once, but held
for the consideration of the commission. y
Carried. Having now considered the ques-
tons involved we have determined that in
many instances the vituperative language
used by you was not such as ought to
have been addressed as a witness to this
beard. We think that the personal at
tacks and irrelevant statements contained
in the papers submitted should be elimi-
mated, and before receiving it as testi-
mony we request that you will revise its
language, and if you choose 're-submit it
for our consideration. We herewith re-
turn your papers.
f1,llt
CHARLES DENNY,
Vice President.
Army circles this morning had scare
ly recovered from the shock received
yesterday by the statement of Com
missary General Eagan. Still, in the
GERS had reached the point where they
began to appreciate
THE REAL GRAVITY
of the event and to understand that
it was not to be discussed lightly and
without due thought of the conse-
4nannAe, tho CASA heins oan entirely
without precedent in the military his
tory of our country Therefore there
was notable disinclination on the
part of the officials to express for pub
LEGATION an opinion on the merits of
the case. This was true from Secre-
tary Alger down to the lowest COM
missioned officers. But, privately, it
was evident that nearly all regretted
the incident and deplored it as calcu-
To- ;,,i, L1 r.
\ was pointed out that the immediate
| effect would be to accentuate more
sharply the division of the army into
two camps and thus injure the chances
of the enactment of legislation favor
able to the military establishment
1t has already been intimated at
army headquarters accepting theoret-
ically General Eagan's disclaimer of
his responsibility to the Major General
commanding the army as binding, that
this places the responsibility for any
thing he says or does on the depart
ment. The department, however, is
stopped from action in this case, no
matter what the inclination of the off
Gals might be, by the fact that the
President has given his solemn prom
Use to protect the witnesses who might
appear before the war investigating
committee from the consequences of
any testimony they might give there.
He was compelled to give this pledge
at the beginning of the investigation
by the open intimations in certain
quarters that army officers would not
dare to testify to all of the things they
knew that would reflect upon the adj
ministration of the War Department.
When General Miles made his first
statement before the commission. in
which he spoke of
EMBALMED BEEF
as being furnished the soldiers, General
Eagan resented this, but found upon
sounding the officials of the DEPART
ment that he could not prefer charges
against General Miles of slandering
him, as he desired to do, because the
Presidents promise protected the COM
handing general as we'll as all other
witnesses. This led to General Eagan's
attempt, by letter addressed to Gen
eral Miles, TO learn if he had said the
things published in the newspapers as
part of his testimony.
The purpose was to assure a. repeti
ton, if possible, outside of the COM
missions chambers, of the offensive
statements, in which case the founda-
ton Of Gen. Eagan thought might
have been laid for formal charges.
This attempt, however, failed, and Gen.
Eagsn, being thrown back upon the
testimony given by Gen. Miles before
the commission and finding him be-
yond reach according to the rules of
military law, awaited himself of the
same means, according to his friends.
OF redressing his grievance. Accord
ing to this view. therefore, the matter
has narrowed down to personal issue
between two officers for, from the rea-
sons already stated, the army officials
Advancing this new state that neither