Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-09
DID THEIR DUTY.
War Investigation Commends
Conduct Of Spanish War.
Gen. Miles Is Severely Criticised for
His Comments on Beef.
Meat Was IS Good Is Could Be Furnished
Under Circumstances.

Washington, Feb. 8.-The war inves-
tigating commission has completed its
labors and its report will be in tho
hands Of the President. tomorrow The
commission held a session. today. that
extended well into the afternoon, go-
ing over details The members of the
signatures t. the original document. to-
morrow, and proceed in a holy t. the
Executive mansion to inform the Pres
iient that they have completed their
mission and present their report The
commission will then cease to exist
The report of the war commission is
Il vol,fmnious document of $50 printed
pages. Each member has been pro-
vided with printed copy to retain and
arrangements have been made so that
the President will have as many print
ed copies as he wishes when he makes
the document public.
The report makes an important fea-
ture of the beef issue and dismisses, as
general proposition. the charges that
have been made against the beef fur
nished the army. 1t finds, it is under
stood, that most of the beef was such
as could be properly furnished as an
emergency ration, pointing out that the
evidence showed that it was never in
tended to be anything but an emergen-
cy ration.
1t says there We're only two witnesses
who really testified against the be
Gen. Miles and Major Daley, the chief
surgeon, who made the report regard
ed as the most sensational, forwarded
10 the commission by Gen. Miles. AS
10 the testimony of these two witnesses
the commission. it is understood. goes
on TO point out the mass of evidence
submitted to the contrary. as offset
ting this testimony.
As to such of the canned beef as was
found to be Objectionable the commits
sion points out the effect of the trop-
zeal climate in producing liquefactien
of the fat in meat and the consequent
rendering of the contents unpalatable.
Most of the beef. though, is found to
have been satisfactory for emergency
use, where fresh beef or beef on the
hoof could not be procured.
The structures of Gen. Miles made
publicly on the beef and his public ex-
pressions in other ways, it is under
stood, are subjected to a severe cri.i-
cism. The methods and manner of
loading the transports in Gen. Skaters
Cuban expedition are also discussed
and responsibility placed for the re-
suits.
The report finds that the statements
of chemical treatment made by Gen.
Miles. on the authority of Major Daily.
are not borne out by the chemical ex-
perts, who We're also placed ON the
stand. 1t quotes from Major Days
testimony and then takes up the testi
mony of Chemists Clark of the geolo-
gical survey. and Bigelow of the agri-
cultural department. who examined an
analysis of the beef submitted and
finds that as chemical expert Major
DAILY is not supported by other chemi-
cal authorities and that therefore his
testimony is regarded as not worthy
of credence. ..tf.
There are also said to be some recon-
mendations as to organization of GER
tain branches of the army. but il is
stated the recommendations are not |
radical.
AS to the administration and conduct |
Of the war the conclusions of the COM
mission are understood to be that |
everything possible was done by the |
war department i'm the limited time |
that it had at its command in making
its preparations for the war. and the |
report says that the conduct of the
war not only worked out in the end |
but in such way as to
be worthy of great commendation.
The report says that the evidence be-
fore the commission shows that Score
tary Alger exercised proper diligence
and supervision and that his subordi-
mates also were efficient. experienced
and faithful. The commission is a unit
on it's report and there is no minority
report.
AT the outset the commission divided
Itself into sub-commissions for the
separate consideration of designated
branches of the main subject of in
Iuiry. These sub-reports will be added
70 the principal statement of conclu-
,ions handed to the Chief Executive.