The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-14
THORO CGH INVESTIGATION
be Made Into General IIiles' Charges
The Court of Inquiry Appointed

Washington, February 9.-The presi-
dent has appointed a court Of inquiry
to examine into the charges touching
the meat furnished the American army
during the war with Spain and other
matters involved in the charges made
by General Miles against the admins
tration of war AFFAIRS
The court will consist of Major Cen
eral James F. Wade, U. S. "; Briga-
der General George B. Davis, u. S. W;
Colonel George l.. Gillespie, corps of
engineers, U. S. A; Lieutenant Colo
mel George B. Davis, deputy judge ad-
Vocate general.
The order for the court of inquiry
which was issued by the secretary Of
war, says:
"The court is hereby directed to
investigate certain. allegations of the
major general commanding the army
in respect to the unfitness for issue
of certain articles of food furnished by
the subsistence department to the
troops in the field during the recent
operations in Cuba and Porto Rico. In
addition to it's findings of fact, the court
will submit an opinion upon the merits
Of the case, together with such recon-
as to further proceedings
as may seem to be warranted by he
facts developed in the course of the in
quiry."
The court Will in this city on
the 18th instant.
Genera Miles, when seen had nothing
to say respecting the appointment of
the court. He has been accommodating
a large amount of evidence along the
lines OF the inquiry, but he has not
chosen any counsel and a large part of
his evidence has been already trans
mitted to the war investigating COM
mission.
This oo,,~+ 80 -, =
persons versed in military %jurispru-
dence, will be unique in that it will
be directed in its Investigations against
a state OF affairs and not against a per-
son, although General Miles is named
in the formal order, it is these allega-
tons and not General Miles that is
the subject of inquiry. The only regu-
latlon In the army n bearing on
courts of inquiry provides that they
may be appointed to inquire into any
allegation against, or the conduct of an
officer or an enlisted man, but nothing
is said about an inquiry into a state of
things. 1t is to be assumed. of course.
that the president has thoroughly sat
iSfied himself as to the legality of this
order before issuing it. The court has
no power to compel the testimony of
witnesses
The court, should it find that Cen
eral Miles charges are not sufficiently
eStaDIlshed, may express an opinion as
to what course should be pursued to-
ward him
Inasmuch as the court of inquiry will
to take UP the whole subject of
the meats furnished to the army and
ascertain the exact state of this meat
as it left the packers hands, as well
as look into the preliminary operations
OF slaughtering, packing and canning
and refrigerating, a good deal of time
probably will be consumed in the in
quiry. 1t may be necessary also to call
personally before the court all the Off
GERS cited in criticism of the meat by
General Miles. numbering between six
ty and seventy, in which case a good
deal OF expense will be incurred and
still more time consumed. The adj
.~inistration takes the position that
these charges against the character of
the meat supply shall be thoroughly
sifted, and if wrong has been done it
shall be corrected.