The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-02-23
And DiSclaimS Intention to Infer
Fraud--What He Should
Have Said.
One Interview Characterized as
Containing Inaccuracies of
Speech.
Another One Was Wholly Ficti-
tious, as He Was Prepared
to Prove.


quiry appointed by the president, said
his use of the phrase ''pretense of ex-
pertinent" in speaking of army beef was
unfortunate. He disclaimed intending
any inference of fraud and said he
should have said the refrigerated beef
issue was con the theory of an expert
ment," and ''a very costly one."
Major General Nelson A. Miles was
presented as the first witness before the
board. After stating his rank and Of
fee, he was asked about his statement
before the war commission. He said he
made one and upon Colonel Davis sub
uniting printed report of that state
ment, General Miles examined and APP
proved it.
When he was asked about an alleged
interview, which appeared in the New
York Journal of Dec. 90, whether it
represented completely or in part what
he said, General Miles read it, and
said:
Always Slight Inaccuracies.
81 do not recall anything in that in
terview that had not been given in my
testimony or transmitted in my reports.
You will observe it contains number
of my destinations to name officers or
my authorities and refusals to answer.
1t must, therefore, be incorrect in its
representation
He then commented upon the general
slight inaccuracy of newspaper inter
views, owing to the dependency of
writers upon their memories. Hardly
day in SIX months had passed that an in
terviewer had not applied and because
of the kindness of the press to the army
and especially the enlisted men, he had
endeavored to give them such informa-
ton as he thought wise and safe, but
never, he said, with view to prejudic-
ing any one against any person or de-
partment. Finally General Miles said
that he did not think that The Journal
interview represented correctly what
was said, because its contents should be
taken in connection with all that was
said: his silence upon some points and
speech upon others.
This Interview Was Fictitious.
Then being asked about the interview
from the New York Herald of Feb. /,
he said:
Il have letter from the gentleman,
who, understand, wrote this, in which
says he is willing to swear that | de-
clined to be interviewed. and that,
thinking something had been given out,
he had proceeded to write what he
knew were the facts"
He then pointed out that the inter
view was erroneous, in that where it
represented him to have said that he
had overwhelming evidence that the re-
frigerated beef was treated with chem
icals, the fact was that his only evil
dence was what was contained in the
reports of officers and 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.
Colonel Davis, recurring to the state
ment of General Miles before the war
commission, asked him what his idea
as to the beef supply for the army was
when war broke out.
Replying, General Miles said, while
his attention was occupied with the
weightier matters of mobilization and
equipment of troops, he felt confident
that the usage of hundred years
would be followed, and cattle herds
would be shipped to the army in the
tropics and killed there. just as they
were during the Civil war in the South,
Arizona, Texas and Mexico, where it
was so hot that soldier could not sit
upon the rocks. He understood Cuba
and Porto Rico were excellent grass
countries, cattle could be shipped ard
kept in prime condition. He reviewc.t
his action in cabling the department to
send no more refrigerated beef to Porto
Rico while he was there, finding it pos
sible to use beef on the hoof.
General Miles said that he understood
that our troops in Porto Rico were still
being supplied with a form of refriger-
ated beef, although the country was as
good grass country as any in the
world, and the cattle there were plenty,
and the Spanish troops drew all their
m aaf sun,,lv from this souroa