The times., 1899-05-08

OF the railroad, in addition to the sealing
OF the packing companies. Ii such a prac-
tice existed. knowledge of its existence
would soon become common among the
large numbers Of persons employed in va
rious capacities by the several packing
houses and transportation companies, and
SO become known to the world at large.
! The inference drawn by the Court from
the absence of such testimony can only be
adverse to the existence of the practice
alleged to prevail by the Major General
Commanding
The testimony submitted by the Major
General Commanding. in respect to the
Decentralization of beef. has to do in every
case with the meat at the time of its issue
to the troops. none of it, as has been
seen, relating to the use of preservative
agents in the course of its slaughter or
preparation for market"
The Miles Interviews
In discussing the matter of the Miles
interviews in the New York Herald and
the New York Journal" the Court says:
General Miles appeared as a witness
before the Court of Enquiry on February
20. 1899, and having been shown the
pamphlet print of his statement before the
War Investigating Commission, he was
asked by the recorder if the paper handed
copy OF the testimony which was given.
General Miles replied. I think So
AS respects the matter purporting to
have been furnished to the public press
by General Miles, they were each handed
to the General while he was on the stand
as witness. and he was asked, respect
ing the Journal interview. if such an
interview took place. ii it represented
what he said completely or not and, If
mai in hat forth
what was said upon that occasion. The
Generals answer was not specific, save in
calling attention to a statement contained
in the report of the interview to the ef-
feet that he declined to give names OF
officers or his authority for his remarks
before the Commission. He also said: 1
do not recall anything in that interview
or any allegation in that interview that
had not been given in my testimony be-
fore the Commission
THE question was repeated in another
form and he was asked, Can . you
say whether any of the statements were
not made? / would like to have you re-
fresh your memory with 1t and see If
there were any that were not made in sub
stance The Generals answer seemed to
be irrelevant when he was interrupted
by the recorder, who asked. In any re-
spect does it incorrectly set forth what
was said?' The answer was again irrele-
want and the question was repeated the
second time. Can you now answer the
! question as to whether there seems to
be any portions of it which do not cor
rectly represent what you said at that
time; or is it in the main correct" The
General continued. drawing the attention
of the Court to what he said the report
contained. consisting of his answers to the
reporter to the effect that he declined to
answer, wished not to be interviewed, and
referred his questioner to his official re-
ports.
LAS General Miles failed to point out spe-
cifc statements containing inaccuracies,
and as the strongest term he used in dis
crediting the report was an expression OF
opinion only that it was not in the main
correct the Court is unable to identity
ary inaccuracies, and therefore treats all
the allegations in the report as uncontra-
dicted and therefore part of the allega-
tions under investigation.
IAN examination of the statements at
tributed to General Miles by the Journal
reporter shows them to be largely repe-
tition of his statements before the war
Commission. Only such are here special
" referred to as contain stronger eX-
preston of the original allegations, or
such as present new charges. In the for
mer category is an answer which is re-
ported to have been made to a question
asking for further elucidation of the phrase
that the food was sent to his large army
under pretence of an experiment. The re-
ply is, L think that sentence is sufficiently
plain ''Pretence" is the precise term to
be used:' this followed by the declaration,
1t is absurd to say that these enormous
quantities of beef were in reality sent to
an entire army as an experiment. In the
latter category are allegations that the beef
used in Cuba was Just as bad;' also 1T
was the same thing at Tampa and the same
thing at Jacksonville
Qualified Repudintion.
''As respects the New York Herald in
terview. for purposes of Identification and
verification 1t was handed to General Miles
with the request that he look at that
and see if it fully reports what was said
upon that occasion, or in what respects 1t
Is incorrect If any The reply was
4 do not regard these statements
as mine. There are some statements that
were certainly not mine. and then one
was cited by him, wherein he said: For
instance / have overwhelming evidence
that the embalmed beef was treated with
chemicals in order to preserve it. The
evidence of that is in the testimony of offi-
GERS and communications, but the state
ment that | had evidence from the men
I
to this particular beef is incorrect.
The General also said he had received
letter from the gentleman who he thought
wrote the Interview saying that person
was ready to swear that General Miles de-
clined to be interviewed The General was
asked II there We're other statements he
could identify that were incorrect, to
which he replied irrelevantly. except by
repeating that he told the reporters he
declined to be interviewed. Later. In an
swer to the question, Would you like that
to be taken as the answer. that it lid not
| take place or that it differed in material
respects from this?' General Miles re-
piled, 1T differed materially
ION the 18th of April Mr.. Sidney Reid
appeared as witnesses before the Court
and testified that as a representative of
the Associated Press he reported an inter-
view with General Miles at the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel, in New York City, on the
night of January 81, 1899. Mr.. Reid sub
mitted and identified, under OATH copy of
| a verbatim statement that he wrote, on
the night in question. from notes made
while the interview was in progress, and
that he turned in the same night to The
manager of the Associated Press, by whom
| it was supplied to subscribers, and these
| included the New York Herald Mr..
| Reid testified that the statement handed
| to the Court was correct report of the
| interview save as respects the verbiage