The evening times., 1899-02-28
ROOSEVELT TO- Send
TESTIMONY BY mail
The Governor Declines to Re-
turn to Washington.
TOday's Session of the Beef Court
Of Enquiry.
Lieutenant Ramsey Describes the
Distribution and Character of
Army Rations.

1t is probable that Gov. Theodore Roose-
welt will not appear before the Beef Court
of Enquiry.
Colonel Davis. the Recorder Of the Court,
mailed to Governor Roosevelt on Friday
letter requesting him to testify before the
Court. A subpoena was not sent. The
letter reached Albany on Saturday morn
ing at about the time that Governor Roose-
yelteleft for Washington. When the Gov
ernor returned to Albany he found await
ing him the letter from Colonel Davis. No
reply to the letter has been received. II
was unofficially announced this morning
that Governor Roosevelt will not return TO
Washington, but will send to the Court
statement, in which he will give his opin-
ion of the meat issued TO the troops during
the Santiago campaign.
The first witness TO be called before the
Court this morning was Lieutenant Ram
sey, Ninth Infantry. He accompanied the
regiment to Tampa and then to Cuba. He
was depot commissary at various times at
Tampa and was chief commissary OF the
Seventh Corps at Jacksonville. He went
to Cuba on the transport Comal. In Cuba
he unloaded ships and issued rationS and
was assistant TO General Weston at San
tiago.
He testified that soon after arriving the
commissary officers received orders that
ration returns would not be required.
There was nothing said as to what the
components of the rations should be. but
the commissary officers issued rations in
such proportion as they had them in stock
as the stores were brought on shore.
Rstions Short Mt Times.
Jat-c larnn
and on the next perhaps only canned meat.
Whatever could be gotten out Of the
transports first was directly sent up to
the front 1t was attempted 10 get the
meat. bread coffee. and sugar parts of
the rations to the front first Some OF
the components OF the rations We're not
sent up to the front at all, because II was
/ thought that meat, bread, coffee, and su-
gar were the most important. No COM
plants came back from the front as to
( the meat components of the rations.
/ He received requests 10 send up as much
bacon as possible, and these requests were
granted whenever the bacon was on hand
/ He recalled that there were calls for to-
/ matoes and he would send them whenever
/ possible. He issued all the bacon that was
available as he understood that the can.
ned roast beef was not satisfactory TO the
| troops. Sometimes the surf al Baiquiri
was too high to land stores All the Of
| ficers were enthusiastic in their efforts 10
| get to the troops such supplies as they
wanted
! The officers and men OF the subsiSt, nee
| department worked day and night la get
| ting supplies on shore. When the mCH
wanted bacon, If ii could he had, il vas
sent forward. but as rule he had 20 un-
load one ship at a time. sometimes the
| bacon would come out of the ship first
! and sometimes he canneG meat would
/ have 10 De discharged frst.
| At Santiago he issued refrigerated beef
The first TO arrive was 20O, 900 pounds on
| the Mississippi and the next consignment
| came on the Port Victor. He considered IL
| very good beef. He saw it taken out of the
! refrigerator plant on shipboard and issued
/ ii as a rule to division commisSaries. At
| first there was some trouble in discharging
| the cargoes of meat because of inexperi-
| enced stevedores. The witness described
! the method OF bringing the beef from the
| transports TO the dock at Santiago by
means of lighters.
| Daily Issue of Beef.
The average daily issue OF fresh beef
was about so, ,G0N, though when the beef
was issued to Spanish prisoners about 40
900 pounds were used. When the Port Vic
| tor came in she brought between 200,OuU or
500. 900 pounds. He understood that on the
way down the engines of the ship had brok-
en- down and the refrigerator engineer died
on the voyage So far as he knew. the beef
| reached Santiago in good condition.
He never suspected that this beef had
been chemically treated. 1t was very
heavy beef and it was his opinion that ii
was high grade beef He had issued fresh
beef at posts and considered that sent TO
Santiago as of superior quality TO that
he had previously issued He understood
that some of it spoiled between the time OF
issue at the dock and its reception by the
troops. He did not know anything about
the terms of the beef contract. He did not
think that a copy of the beef contract was
in possession of any commissary officers al
Santiago.
After he was relieved from his duties
as commissary he rejoined his regiment
which was then quartered in theatre
The beef received there was in good condi-
ton His regiment was moved back about
4 miles from the city. apd much of the
beef received there was bad, as it did moi
arrive until or o'clock in the after