The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-01-07
|1E army BE6tAhDAL.
Gen. Miles Assertions in Relation
to "EmtaImed Beef" Finds
Numerous Supporters.
sEVERALxAy OFFICERS HEARD FROM
The Canned Roast Beef Denounced as "a
Mass OF Shiny, Black stuff" that Lacked
Nutrition and Sickened Those Who Ate
The Refrigerated Beef Had An Odor
Similar to a Human Corpse.

lin
Similar tn a Human Corpse.
Washington. Dec. 3O.-The wal in
yestination commission has made pub
lie a SYNOPSIS of the reports of officers
to Gen. Miles of the results obtained
from the use of canned fresh beef, In
campaigns in Cuba and Porto Rico
These reports were submitted by
Gen. Miles when he gave his testimony
last week and were presented in sub
sanitation of his vigorous Remuneration
of the canned beef. Gen. Niles stated
at the time that he had started an IN
yestigation of the matter of the canned
beef supplies and the reports sub
| United follow his official inquiry along
this line. The statement given out IN
cludes 4 statement from Maj. John d..
Black, chief commissary officer, u. >.
V, and commissar; at headquarters of
the army in the field during the Porto
Rico expedition. dated December -,
on the canned fresh roast beef re-
ceiyed. issued and transferred by HIM.
IT shows the totals received from all
sources were 12,G0i one-pound cans,
S6.292 two-pound ans and 1920 SIN
pound cans. Totals issued and trans
ferred follow:
One pound cans issued, IA; one
pound cans transferred. 12,46O; two
pound can issued, 42,16S; two-pound
cans transferred, 44.12i; siX-pound
cans issued, none; siX-pound cans
transferred. 900.
A synopsis of the reports furnished
follows:
Commanding Officer. Fourth infan-
try. Mai. Baker: The beef seemd to
be of inferior quality. and was any
thing but palatable. Quite n number
of men could not and did not eat it.
Commanding Officer. Sixth infantry.
Lieut.-Col. Minor: The meat was ut
terlv unfit as an article of diet fo&
either sick or well. 1t had no nutrft
ment in it. and turned the stomachs on
the men who tried to eat it,"
Commanding Officer. Ninth infantry,
Col. Powell: The meat produced dis
orderd stomachs; is not nutritious,
soon became putrid, and in many OF
the cans was found in curse of putri-
fication when opened
Commanding Officer, Twelfth infan-
try. Mai. Humphreys: 1.-The meat pre-
scented such a repulsive appearance
that men turned from it in disgust.
NASTY is the only term that will fifty
describe its appearance. Its use pro-
duced diarrhea and dysentery.
nGonr Thirtnanfh in
fantry, Col. A. 7. Smith: MANY COM
plants were made concerning the meat.
1t was found unpalatable, and is unfit
for isue to troops"
Commanding Officer Seventeenth in
fantry, Maj. O'Brien: Tine nutritious
Juices having been cooked out of the
meat. it was neither nourishing nor
palatable. 1t was unfit for use. 1t
! should no longer be issued
Commanding Officer, Second battal-
ion. Twenty-first infantry, Capt. j. W.
Duncan: "The meat 500 spoiled after
%opening the cans; the men soon tire
of it. and it is not proper food. 1t is
not equal in any way to canned corhed
beef
Commanding Officer, Twenty-second
infantry, Mai. Van Horn: The meat
issued was nothing more than refuse.
after various kinds of soups had been
extracted from it. Further issues oft
should not be made
Commanding Officer, Third cavalry,
Mai. jackson: 1.-The meat for canning
WAS too fat. and as an article OF diet
soon became nauseating to Il large ma
iority of the men. If made of good beef
and properlv seasoned it might be sat
i%sfactory."
Commanding Officer, Second artil-
lery. Col. Haskin: 1.-THE meat was gen.
orally disliked. was soft, watery and
insipid. agreeable to neither eye nor
taste. The men could be induced to
eat it only when prepared as a stew
Commanding Officer. Fifth artillery,
Lieut.-Col. McCrea: The meat was I'M
palatable because of the excess of fat
in it; its appearance was black and
stringy and none of the men liked 1t.
When prepared as a stew, 1t was more
p~alatable. If less fat and mixed with
vegetables, it would deserve n further
trial"
Commanding Officer Light Battery
A, First artillery, Capt. Best: 1.-The APP
pearance of the meat was not inviting.
The men soon tired of it."
Commanding Officer First cavalry,
Brighten. Niele: THE meat was a mis-
cradle apology for food in a hot eli
mate, n slimy-looking mass of beef
scraps. unpalatable to the taste and
repulsive to the sight. Competition for
the contracts placed the price so low
that only tailings and scraps were
used for canning"
Officers, Ninth cavalry: "Very I'M
satisfactory; men 500 tired of it, and
will only eat it when they have moth
ing else"
Commanding Officer, Twenty-fourth
infantry, Maj. Thompson: After a
few days the meat became unpalata-
BILE: the men become Disguised with 1t
and will not eat it"
Gen. Garretson Says That the Beef was
Unfit for Use.
Cleveland, O., Dec. 30.-Gen. George
A. Garretson of this city, VINO COLI
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