The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-14
GEN, EAGAN REBUKED.
War Commission Refuses to Accept
His Evidence,
GENERAL MILES CALMLY WAITS.
He Evidently believes the War De-
partment should Mako the Next
Move in the Case-Is General Eagan
Exempt From Court Martialf

lie Evidently Dol1eves the war De-
partment should Make the Next
Move in the Case-Is General Eagan
Exempt From Court Martials
Washington, Jan. H.--There seems
to be no abatement in the interest ex-
hibited here today in all the incidents
connected with the bitter attack made
on Thursday by Commissary General
: Eagan upon General Nelson A. Miles.
AS might have been expected, a mat
ter Of this official character was sure
to attract the attention of the presl-
dent, and in consequence greater part
of the session of the cabinet yesterday
was given to its consideration. The
principals in the case, Generals Miles
and Eagan. contributed little during
the day to the controversy, but the
war investigating commission acted
promptly to redress the affront put
upon the board itself, as the members
regarded it, contained in the excessive
language used by General Eagan. !.
The commission passed resolution
Of censure on General Eagan for the
language used and returned to him his
typewriter statement, with the priv
iege of resubmitting it If he chooses
to revise it's language. Their letter re-
turning the statement did not indicate
positively whether or not they would
receive 1t as evidence. even though the
Objectionable language were excised,
nor did General Eagan himself give any
sign of an intention on his part to avail
himself Of the offer made by the board.
His friends did. not hesitate to intimate
: that he would eXpunge the objection
able language. but he would say moth
for himself. and any intimation on that
score must be obtained from the board
itself.
The war department officials are not
yet clear as to what would be the ef-
feet of withdrawal or modification of
the statement. One element holds
that, officially, the record falling to
show that any Objectionable language
had been used there would be no legal
offense. Another takes the view thct
while the amendment of the statements
would mitigate General Eagan's Of
fense, 1t would not wipe it out. An
other aspect of the case Is the bring
ing forward of the plea Of exemption
which guaranteed in the name Of the
president all of the witnesses before
the board from the consequences of
what they might say. But again the
officials were divided, and this was also
true of the members of the cabinet as
to whether the exemption could be
claimed in this particular case.
The commission regrets that General
Eagan proceeded as far as he did, and
1t is explained that the vituperative ma
ture of the testimony was complete
surprise to the commission, and that
but for the rapidity with which Cen
eral Eagan read his long statement
and the absorbing vehemence of it's de-
livery he would have been checked at
the time One member of the commits
sion said that he was about to move
that the witness be called to order, but
decided not to, believing from the heat
ed way in which Eagan spoke such per-
emptory action might preclpitate some
controversy.
Meanwhile General Miles Is apparent
ly waiting for the war department to
act, taking the position that it is in
cumbent upon It and the wal commits
sion to protect the army from such at
tacks.'f 'fsefi sifstls " -Ai-4- .sia 7s sts' y s45
In the excitement created by this in
cident the pending issue before the
commission, the quality of the army
beef, was well nigh lost sight of. There
were, however, two piquant additions
to that part of the proceedings, one
consisting of the testimony of General
Wood to the effect that no one who
amounted to anything had made any
complaint as to the rations. and the
other from Theodore Roosevelt making
very severe complaint regarding the
beef.