The times., 1899-02-13

Attention Is invited to the faCt mat
General Skaters telegram to the Secretary
OF War. reporting scarcity of medicines at
Santiago, is dated August A. 1898.
The steamers Seneca and Concho were
used as hospital ships for the return of
sick and wounded from Santiago in July.
Their conditions for this purpose were very
unsuitable.
Owing to the lack of necessary trans
ports. the means of land transportation
during the Santiago campaign was pain
fully deficient
General Shafter testifies that he could
carry no more on his transports from
Tampa; that he realized that he would
have very few ambulances, but that wagons
could be used for transportation both of
the wounded and of supplies, while am
balances could be employed only for one
purpose. General Humphrey testifies that
no more land transportation was taken,
simply because the vessels were fully
loaded. Lieut.. ]. NJ. Kennedy, assistant
surgeon. appeared at the front near San
tiago July with ten ambulances, which
had been brought over on the Louisiana.
There were eight pack trains, consist
ing in all of $50 mules, and the value of
their services in carrying provisions and
ammunition to the front was simply in
estimable.
"The testimony shows that the trans
ports arrived off the south coast of Cuba
near Santiago on June 81: that the pack
trains were landed on June % that the
| first wagons We're landed on June 25 and
that the landing of the latter was con-
! tinued more rapidly than they could be set
up on shore. and that in fact some of those
that were landed were never set up at all.
General Chaffee testifies that on July l,
at the battle of Ell Caney, ten days after
the arrival of the fleet, there were no am
balances or wagons available, and that the
Il, mt
reach the front. He adds that only litters
could have been used for the wounded,
but even these were not on hand, as owing
| to oversight none had been landed.
1T is plainly evident that this army OF
| 1000 men disembarked in the face of an
] enemy in a hostile country, and, rapidly
i thrown forward against a we'll armed force
was painfully deficient in land transporta-
| tion, but in spite of the absence of this
| almost absolutely necessary portion OF the
equipment of a well-trained command, it
| drove the enemy before it. captured their
| outposts, pushed them behind their main
defenses. drove their fleet from Santiago
| Bay to absolute destruction as it faced the
navy of our country, and finally. after most
! gallant fighting under tropical sun.
! amidst most adverse conditions, captured
| a strongly fortified city, and received as
prisoners of war over $4,000 Spanish SOL
| diers.
The WhiteSash Brush.
The Commssary and Subsistence De-
partment comes in for a liberal applica-
ton CT the whitewash brush, most Of the
space devoted to that department being
taken up by criticisms Of General Miles
and Surgeon DAILY. The report says:
THE Commission has carefully investi-
| gated the subject of the condition quality,
ana quantity of the food supplied to the
army. Almost without exception it has
been shown by the testimony taken that
wherever the troops were ordered, whether
! to the various camps in the United States,
/ or in Porto Rico, Cuba, and Manila, the
rations prescribed by law were on the
| transports and at the camps with the SOL
| diers.
$50 far as we have been able to ascer-
| tain there was but one occasion. that of a
| day, in front OF Santiago when the troops
were seriously short of rations; these had
been supplied. but thrown aside when the
| men went into action; the condition of
| roads and lack OF transportation prevented
| prompt reissue. At times the vegetable
ration was not of good quality. the pota
| toes and onions being spoiled. Condemned
| by a board OF survey, such vegetables were
| destroyed and an equivalent part OF the
| ration issued. Some trouble occurred be-
food were disposed of by the company
without the warrant of a board of survey.
| This was done through ignorance. their
| officers not knowing what was necessary to
be done.
This Commission was organized the
! 2ith day of September last. Up to the 21st
day of December its members had taken
| testimony in seventeen different towns and
| cities and nine camps 1t had also received
| MAJ btn
and newspaper clippings from persons liv-
ing in all parts of the country. Examina-
| tion OF numerous officers and enlisted men
! had been made as to the quality and condi-
| tion of the meat issued to the troops. The
testimony, with some exceptions, showed
| that the refrigerated beef was pure sound
| and wholesome.
| 'On the 21st day OF December last Mai
| Gen. Nelson 4. Miles. upon the written re-
quest of the president of the Commission,
appeared before it. He refused to be sworn,
| as all other witnesses had been except one
who affirmed stating that he would make
! his statements without being sworn and
! was responsible for what he said. He pro-
| ceeded. and for the first time in the his
! tory of this investigation the allegation
was made that refrigerated beef issued to
/ the troops had been chemically treated
In the statement. revised by himself
General Miles said:
"Thcrr was sent to Porto Rico 33T tons Of
! what is known so-calcd refrigerated beef,
which YOU might call eubalmed beet.
Surgeon DAILY Criticised.
He proceeded to read a communication
/ from DIR. W. II. Daily. Major and Chief Sur
| ge0n, United States Volunteers. on his
| staif, bearing date of September 2l, 1898,
wherein Or. DAILY stated that
In the several inspections made in the
riouS camps and troopsiiiIs at Tampa Jackson
| Vile ChCkamauga, and Porto Rico, found the
fresh beef To Lc apparently preserved with secret
! chemicals which destroy it, natural favor. and
| which / also believe to be detrimental to the
| health OF the troops.
Although Dr. DAILY swears that he in
! formed General Miles about the list Of Au-
! gust, 1898. that he suspected that the re-
/ frigerated beef chemically treated, it
does not appear that the General informed
! you or the War Department that an officer
| of his staff had made this discovery nor
does it appear that he al the time ordered
| any of the officers under his command to
probe to the bottom an allegation which,
| if true. concerned the health OF 215 900 sol
diers Of the United States. 1t appears from
| the report of DR.. DAILY, which he handed
to General Miles October u last. that he
then specifically stated that the refriger-
ated beef furnished to the troops was 'ap-
parently' chemically treated. 1t does not
appear that when this charge was made.
October 81 it having been already made to
him in August. 1898, that General Miles
communicated to you. or the Secretary Of
War. or TO the Commissary General. the
belief suspicion entertained by him that
refrigerated meat, dangerous to health,
was issued every day to the troops, in fail
ure to do which there was derelction of
duty. II is true that on September 20 he
had directed that an order should be issued
asking for reports relative to meats issued,