The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-11
CALLS IT ABSURD.
Gen. Miles Counsel
Fl Thinks Beef Report
qualification.
1T LACKS LOGIC.
Army in Cuba Now Fur
nished With Beef on
Hoof.

Cincinnati, May 10.-The Enquirer to-
morrow will print the following inter
view with H. R. Probasco, district at
torney here, a relative of Ex-senator
Sherman, and recently counsel for Gen.
Miles.
when the court convened, having
previously served Gen. Miles as counsel
in other matters, was asked to go to
Washington and confer with him re-
garding the proceedings before the
court of inquiry. 1t was determined
that. as Gen. Miles was not in the atti-
tude of one of the accused it would be
i'll advised to introduce a lawyer, and
Major Lee was selected by Gen. Miles
to aid the court and the recorder. My
only connection with the case was con-
fering with Gen. Miles and Major Lee
regarding the summoning of witnesses
and the examination of most important
ones"
what is your opinion as to the re-
port of the court of inquiry"
IT have not read the full report, but
have seen the synopsis of it. l was
amused that these intelligent army Of
fiers, sitting as a court for weeks and
examining several hundred witnesses,
should have rendered such an Illogical
and uncertain decision. The decision
amounts to the court finding that the
beef packers wer saints, sent to our
soldiers with mama from heaven and
that Gen. Miles was careless because
he did not report the first vague rumor
which came to his ears that this food
was bad. Every witness condemned in
unstinted terms the so1called canned
roast beef as an unfair ration.
The chief clerk of the com. general S
Office testified that canned roast
beef in 1878 was an experimental ra-
ton and was adversely reported on af-
ter a short trial.
what about the embalmed peef?"
Before bids were received by the
commissary general he was advised by
expert cattle and beef men that fresh
beef would not hold up "a hours after
delivery from the refrigerator In the
climate of Florida and the West Indies
and the best course to pursue would be
to purchase the beef on the block or
beef on the hoof. He told these gem
tlemen that the parties who desired to
furnish the fresh beef had a process
which they said would enable them to
deliver meat which would keep sound
and fresh for 70 hours after delivery
from the refrigerator"
HAS there been any change in the
manner of supplying troops witA&resh
meat since this criticism was first
made?"
Indeed there has. Cattle on the hoof
are now being delivered in Cuba.
slaughtered on the island and delivere
to the troops the following day, anc
no complaint has been made. Further
more, so-called canned roast beef was
dropped as a meat ration, some time, l
think, during last August or Septem-
ber All of which shows that Gen. Miles
reference to method of supplying troops
with meat as an experiment was cor
rect, and that his opinion that beef on
the block or on the hoof is the only
suitable fresh meat ration for troops,
was well founded.
THE great majority of the papers
and of the people, including the presi-
dent Il know this from a conversation
with him about three weeks slnce), be-
lieve that Gen. Miles would not make
q statement concerning any person or
circumstance which he did not honestly
believe to be well founded and true.
Gen. Miles has no political ambition
whatever, and no more thinks of being
candidate for president or any other
office than I do" Mr.. Probasco blames
the secretary of war and adjutant gem
eral for opposing the general command
ing the army.