Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-04-22
PRESIDENT M'KINLEY's INsTRUC
TIoNs TO THE BEEF COURT.
WHOLE TRUTH WAS DEMANDED
COURT WAS INSTRUCTED TO FIX
RESPONSIBILITY,
Another Letter From an Armour a
Co. Representative in Relation
to the Powell Preserving
PrOcess-General Ea-
gan's Reply.

WASHINGTON, April 21.-The Wade
court of inquiry devoted to-day's session to
reviewing testimony and tonight held an
other session for the purpose of reading re-
ports, letters, dispositions and other papers
bearing upon the beef investigation. The
most interesting matter developed was
President McKinley's instructions to the
court of inquiry, which were delivered to
the members of the court on February 20
| last. These instructions We're read by Colo
mel Davis in order to make them part of
| the record, and are as follows:
1.-The character and quality of the meat.
refrigerated and canned, furnished to the
army; how purchased; how shipped to the
soldiers; If good when shipped: what the
cause of its deterioration, if any.
| IF the meat was doctored, did the COM
missary general or any of his officers have
any knowledge of it or means of knowl-
edge? s'
WAS It the meat of commerce?
WAS it Inspected by the government in
spectors as provided by law?
WAS it an authorized ration in the
army?
IF good when purchased, what made 1t
bad?
WAS it anybody's neglect or fault, and,
il SO. whose?
when unfit for use, if you should Sc
find, was the fact made known to the wal
department? When and by whom?
IF, after leaving the depot commissary
lit was not cared for and properly preserved
whose fault?
was it a suitable ration for the cam
paigns in Cuba and Porto Rico?
was there anything better that was
practicable?
Would it have been prudent for oul
troops to have made the expeditions Il
Santiago and Porto Rico without the pre-
served meats, either refrigerated or canned
with which they We're supplied?
Gould the army, with any certainty
rely upon the cattle ON the hoot on thos'
Did the commanding officers in Santiag'
or Porto Rico, or the major general com
the refrigerated or canned beef was al
When We're these reports first made ant
.If the allegations of the major genera
commanding are established want tn
court to find the cause and fix the respon
sibility for the fact. that the guilty ma,
, Ibid the cattle in Porto Rico make d;
wholesome ration! In.
IF the packers or the country are suii''
"ii III the - officers of the commissary de
partment are guilty, 1t must be known
. If any officers Of the army are guilty.
3 Both Major Lee and Colonel Davis sub
mitted a number of reports and mas
S of correspondence.
Davis was a letter from the Washington at
torneys of Messrs. Armour & Co. date ate
June Is. 1888 after the contract i1r Pee Pee
. Of the subject in the interest of their ellen
8 and Endorsement by General Eagan as com
:; missary general opposing the request.
i their letter the attorneys represented tina
J. the Armours controlled the Powell process
o for the treatment of meat and that TINS fac
= gave them such an advantage in the preser
= vation of fresh beef as to Justify the wa
department in disregarding the dinerenc
in price and awarding them the contract.
In his Endorsement, General Eagan re
= ferred to the letter of the attorneys as
y Especial pleading" and said there was n
!; reason in this plea why the subject shoul