Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-02-09
NEXT INVESTIGATION
Will Follow Close Upon the Re.
port Of the War Conduct
Investigators.
WILL DEVOTE ITSELF TO MEATS

That Were Supplied to the Army Last
Eear-FOTecast of the Report of the
Dodge War Conduct Commission-WilI
Find the Secretary of War at Fault, So
1t Is said-AIso Gen. aIiIes-other Al
legged Features.
Washington, Feb. 9.-The inquiry into
the charges against the character of
the army meats PREFER d by Genera!
| Miles viii follow close upon the pre-
| sentatlon OF the report of the commits
| sion TO investigate the conduct OF the
| war. Three members VIII constitute the
court. Tie late Eagan court-nartial
viii be represented in the membership,
but UP to this moment no designations
have been made. The probable scope
Of the inquiry viii be into the condition
Of the army meats as delivered by the
contractors, of course, involving the
determination of the question 10
whether or not the meats were chem
ically treated. Apropos Of the investiga-
ton the specials here are sending TO
th-i- papers forecasts of what the war
investigators viii report. The New
York HeraId's correspondent sends the
following:
Secretary of War Criticised.
President Mckinley will receive to-
morrow or Thursday the war investiga-
ton commissions report on the conduct
of the war. The commission has di-
rcc:ly criticised the secretary Of war for
lack OF hrmncss in his administration
OF We war department. No specific il
lustration Of the secretary's weakness
is given hy the commission, but through
its reports the evidences OF this fault OF
the secretary VIII be found, particularly
in the matter OF his relations with
Major General Miles. The commission
has determined not to dwell upon mat
ters Of strategy. and for this reason has
left out all reference to the action of
General Miles in going to Santiago. of
the secretary's permission for him to
do so, and of his dispatch to General
Shafter that he was not to be sup
planted IN his command by the major |
general commanding.
Gen. Miles Comes in for Criticism.
ct viii be found that General Miles
is severely criticised. and the president
will find ample material from the stand |
point of the commission. to take action |
against the major general commanding.
The commission viii devote an impor- |
tant chapter of its report to General |
Miles charges concerning the beef and |
meats generally furnished to the army, |
and viii find that they are practically |
without foundation. It will report that |
llAt bttL WIS not tnetIiGdIIN prepared. |
that it was of good quality, and that |
the charges of the use of chemicals in |
the beef probably grew OUT of the fact |
that four-quarters of experimental beef |
We're placed on board a transport al |
Tampa by Mr.. Powell. inventor of n |
preserving process which he desired to |
test. This meat was thrown overheard |
by direction of General Wood.
No Chemicals Were Used.
''Nn Chemicals according IN 40
mission were employed in the prepara-
ton of the canned meat. but il Will be |
found that that meat was unfit for use |
in the tropics because of the climatic
condition which made il unappetizing IN
appearance, though il was perfectly |
good except in those instances where
the cans had been accidentally pune
tured or imperfectIy soldered, thus al
lowing the air to enter. Attention will
be called to the fact that of the thirteen |
officers whose reports General Miles
submitted as showing that the beef sup
piled to the Porto RiCan army was bad |
not one served on that island.
Miles Responsible for Camps.
1t will also be shown that General
Miles was responsible for the selection
of a number of camps at Chickamauga
and Miami, and that this latter recon-
mendatiOn was adopted nutwithstand-
ing the protest OF the secretary of war.
According to the commission the pri-
mary trouble lies in the defective army
organization. \ recommendation will |
be made that the inspector generals |
department he radically reorganized.
and the report will sharply criticise
General Breckenridge for abdicating his
office of inspector general to accept n
commission as 4 major general of vol
unteers. The secretary Of war viii be |
cleared of responsibility for the alleged
transport horrors. but Colonel c. r |
Humphreys. who had charge of the |
fitting out of the transports and officers
Of the quartermaster's department in
charge Of them viii be held to be re-
sponsible. The conditions which existed
at Camp Thomas prior To its removal
Will be censured and attention will be
called to the fact that Major General
Brooke was in command of the Camp at