Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-02-17


but in most instances the commission has
been content to call attention to matters
that went wrong and to leave TO the
President the locating of responsibility as
he sees fit. This is noticeably true with
regard to the many references in the re-
port to the lack of system in the transpor-
tation of troops and supplies both by land
and sea.
The report deals with Secretary Alger
very lenenty. His administration of the
war department is dismissed with the
statement that "there was lacking in the
general administration of the war depart
ment during the continuance of the war
with Spain that complete grasp of the sit
uaton which was essential to the highest
efficiency and discipline of the army"
1t is found that there was no intentional
neglect of duty on his part nor any attempt
to serve personal interests. The charges
that he was pecuniarily interested in trans
actions of the war department are found
to be baseless.
Criticism OF Gen. Miles, expressed or
implied, runs through the entire report 1t
is brought out in the beginning that there
was friction bet ween the commanding gen.
eral on the one side and the President and
the secretary of war on the other, and in
this connection it is noteworthy that a
synopsis of the report prepared at the
White House brings out strongly the fact
that the President gives his special APPROX
al to this feature of the report. That syn
opsis, after reviewing the routine introduce
ton, says:
"Perhaps the most significant utterance
in the whole document, so far as concerns
the discipline and efficiency of the army,
comes next"
Then follows in the synopsis an extract
from the report commenting on the divided
authority and responsibility for the war
department, "for which in the interest of
the service a remedy, if possible, should be
applied" The commissions report cites
the statute bearing on the duties of the
commanding general and quotes with APP
pIoval Lieut.. Gen. Schofeld's statement
before the House committee on military
affairs, in which he favors doing away
with the office of commanding general and
providing a general-in-chief who should be
chief of staff to the President.
The commission, plainly having Gen.
Miles in mind, urges that the President
should have the same power of selection of
his generalin chief as he has Of his sec
rotary of war, and says:-"Neither the
President nor the secretary of war should
have in command of the army an officer
who is not working in harmony with him"
Attention is called to the fact that Gen.
Miles declined to obey the orders of the
secretary of war to inspect certain camps,
saying that it was his place to order inspec'
tions. The most severe criticism of the
major general commanding is for his alleg-
ed failure to call the attention of the wal
deparIment to DR.. Days suspicion tina,
the refrigerated beer was chemically treat
ed or to at once order an investigation him
SELF and DR. Daily is also severely CRITICS
ed for having ''as it appears, concealed the
knowledge of the commission of a crime
affecting men under his charge whom as
an officer and physician, he was bount
to protect"
Although DR.. DAILY swears that he in.
formed Gen. Miles about Aug. l, 1898
that he suspected that the refrigerated
beef was chemically treated, it does NJ
appear that the general informed the wal
department that an officer of his staff haC
made this discovery, nor does it appeal
that he at that time ordered any of thu
officers under his command to probe to thu
bottom an allegation which, if true, con
cerned the health of 275, 900 soldiers of thu
United States.
Much space is devoted to the refrigerat
ed and canned meats, and, as has been Ger
tain from the beginning, the commission
finds that all the refrigerated beef ISSUED
to the army was sound and wholesome anC
not chemically treated, and that tn,
''canned meat was generally of a gooC
quality, was properly prepared, and con
tanned no deleterious substance" Here il
what the report says:
"There has been neither allegation no
proof before us that boric or salicylic o
any other acid has been used in the canned
meats furnished to the troops, but sucl
meats have nevertheless been greatly criti
cised, and they have for that reason beef
tested by us, and have been analysed un
der our direction, and we have taken
great deal of testimony as to the mode o
Their preparation"
The officers of the pay department ar
credited with performing their dutie
promptly and efficiently.
The work of the engineer and ordnanc
departments are commended, and the con
duct of the medical department, under Gen
George M. Sternberg, is then taken uI
Methods growing out of long customs az
condemn ed, and then the report says:
That in the absence of a special corps c
inspectors and the apparent infrequenC
of inspections by chief surgeons and {
official reports of the state of things
camps and hospitals there was not sue
investigation of the sanitary conditions {
the army as is the first duty imposed upo
the department by the regulations.
That the nursing force during Ii
months of May, June and July was neithC
ample nor efficient, reasons for which ma
be found in the lack of a proper volunte'
hospital corps, due to the failure of Coz
gress to authoriz its establishment ana |
the non recognition in the beginning
the value of women nurses and the eXteI
TO which their services could be secured.
That shortcomings in administration an
operation may justly be attributed in lars
measure 10 the hurry and confusion inc
dent to the assembling of an army of III
trained officers and men ten times larg,
than before, for which o preparations
advance had been or could be made b
cause of existing rules and regulations.
Comment is made on the low death IA
among the wounded and i'll soldiers, an
suggestions for improvements are made.
The report contains some severe crit
clsms Of the inspector general department
which is under the command of Gen. ,
G. Breckenridge.
Many excuses are found for any shor
comings in the department of Gen. M.
Luddington, quartermaster general.
SIT will be Observed" the report say
Iat tl,n Of