The Red Cloud chief., 1899-02-24
MILES MAKES CORRECTIONS.
The Court Of Inquiry Hears the
e., Generals Testimony.
EXPLAINS WHAT HE MEANT.


NttN ~
Miles In his testimony to-day before
the court of inquiry said that his use
OF tho phrase ''prctense OF expert.
mont" in speaking OF army beef was
unfoundcd. Ho d,sclaimod intending
any inference of fraud aud said no
should have said the refrigerated beef
issue was ION the theory of an expert
ment" zane a very costly one"
The court of inquiry to examine
into tho beef controversy assembled
ut the Lemon building shortly after
10 o'clock this morning preparatory to
its first formal session. Brigadier
General George w. Davis and Colonel
George J.. Gillespie. members OF the
court. and Colonel George Il. Davis,
recorder and judge advocate, were
first to arrive. Major General James
+. Wade, president OF tho court,
came later and mt ,0:35 the court,
In full dress uniform, proceeded to the
White house. where 1t paid it's respects
to the President, and then TO tho War
department, where IL called upon Sec
rotary Alger ank Ma jor. General Miles.
Meantime newspaper men who were
accorded places in tho courtroom had
assembled, and upon the outside were
many other correspondents aud artists
detailed to attend the inquiry.
The court returned al 1905 o'clock
from It's visit Of courtesy and after
two photographers mado pictures of
the court, Colonel Davis ced
readiness to proceed and read the or
ders converting the court and its In
structions.
The court was then sworn, and
Major.Geucral A. Nelson was present.
ed as the first witness. lie appeared
in fatigue uniform, and was sworn.
vftcr stating his rank and office, no
was asked about his statement before
the war commission He said he MAIDS
one. Upon Colonel Davis's submitted
n printed report Of that statement.
General Miles examined and approved
It.
Then he vas asked about an al
legged interview which appeared In the
New York journal Of December 20,
whether 1t represented completely or
In part what he said. General Miles
said: 81 do not recall anything in
that interview that had not been
given In my testimony or transmitted
in my reports. You will observe It
contains n number Of my declinations
to name officers or my authorities aud
refusals % answer. IL must, there.
fore, be incorrect In its representa-.
ton"
lie then commented upon a general
slight inaccuracy of newspaper inter-
views owing to the dependency OF
writer's upon their memories. Hardly
a day in six months had passed that
nm interviewer had not applied, and,
because Of the press to the army, and
especially the enlisted men, he had
~cndcavored to give them such informa-
ton as he thought wise and safe, but
never, he said, with q view to preju-
dicing anyone against any person or
department. Finally General Miles
said he did not think the New York
Journal interview represented cor
rectly what was said because its con-
tents should be taken in connection
with all that was said, his silence
upon some points and speech upon
others.
Asked about m interview from the
New York Herald Of February /, he
said: ~ have n letter from the gem
tleman who wrote this in which he
says he Is willing TO swear that I de.
clined to be interviewed and that
thinking something had been given
out, he proceeded to write what he
knew were the facts"
lie then pointed oit that abe inter-
view was erroneous, in that where IL
represented him to have said that he
had overwhelming evidence that the
refrigerated beef was treated with
chemicals. The fact was that his only
evidence was what was collected
in the reports of the officers and the
statements of men who claimed that
the beef had the odor of an embalmed
body; that they had seen fluid injected
into beef and other indications OF
chemical treatment. He declared the
interview an erroneous presentation
OF what he could possibly have said.
Recurring to the expediency of
feeding the troops hoof beef in Porto
Rico, General Miles said he was much
in favor of IL. He said native beef
killed at night could be very well fed
the men next day.
'Do you think" continued Colonel
Davis, that the native beef would
keep as well as the refrigerated beef
In the absence Of cooling apparatus on
shore?"
II am quite sure 1t would unless the
refrigerated beef was chemically
with preservatives. II 1t was
o as to keep for seventy-two
hours after coming out of the coolers
Of course 1t had the advantage OF the
beef, SO far as keeping goes"