Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-13
THE ARMY SHOCKED
By Commissary General Egan's Tir-
ade Against General Miles in
the Beef efSensation.
MILES WILLNOT NOTICE EGAN
Commanding General Receives Letters of
Support from Prominent Commanders
Commission Returns Egan's Print
ed Testimony to Him.

1
Washington, Jan. 13.-Army circles
this morning had scarcely recovered
from the shock caused yesterday by the
| statement of Commissiary General Ea.
gan. There was notable disinclinatior
on the part of officials to express fol
publication any opinion on the mer-
It's OF the case. This was true from
Secretary Alger down to the lowest
commissioned officer, but privately il
was evident that nearly all deplored the
incident as calculated to injure the
whole army. It was pointed out that the
immediate effect would accentuate
more sharply the division of the army
into two camps and thus injure the
! chances of legislation favorable to a
military establishment. Sober second
Judgment among the friends of Eagan
and Miles inclined to the opinion that
no action will follow yesterdays erup-
tion.
| Ihe war investigating commission to-
day passed a resolution censuring Cen
efal Eagan for the language he used
yesterday when answering the charges
made against the commissary branch
OF the army by General Miles, and re-
| turned to him the carefully prepared
typewriter statement he left with the
| commission, after reading it to that
BODY. With it was sent letter explain
ing the reasons of this action and copy
of the resolution.
Following is the text Of the letter or
dered by the war inquiry commission
sent to General Eagan I'VE respect
fully inform you that after your tes-
timony was read yesterday, the follow
ing resolution was unanimously passed .
Moved, That the commission receive
| General Eagans testimony without
| comment, and that it be not printed at
once, but held for consideration by the
commission; carried
Having now considered the questions
involved, we determined that in many
instances the vituperative language
used by you was not such as ought to
have been addressed as witness before
this board. We think the personal at
tacks and irrelevant statements con-
tained in the papers submitted should
be eliminated, and before receiving it
as testimony we request you will revise
it's language, and, If you choose, re-
submit it for our consideration. We
| herewith return your papers. Very re-
spectfully,
CHARLES DENLY,
Vice President
GENERAL NILES REMARKS.
Chicago, Jan. 13.-A special to the
| Tribune from Washington says that
when General Miles was seen in regard
to Eagan's statement before the war in
vestigation commission he said: 81
shall pay no attention to the man, who
seems to forget that he wears the uni
form of the United States army, and
this dignity should carry with it the in
stincts of gentleman. If the secretary
of war chooses to take cognizance of
Eagans language, well and good. !
certainly shall not do so. am receiv-
ing letters every day, from every Sec
| ton of the country approving of my
course. Today received three letters
one from Governor Roosevelt, one from
the commander of the crack Philadel.
phia battery, third from the COM
mander of Brooklyn troops. Governor
Roosevelt writes me that the steamers
which carried his men to Cuba carried
embalmed beef, which filled the shiI
with stencil that nauseated the men
The Philadelphia officer has can of the
stuff, which he will produce If the mem.
bers of the commission desire to exam.
inc it. 1t is remarkable that during
this investigation every one has beer
called upon except private soldiers
who, am sure, would tell the trutl
and nothing but the truth. The trutl
will hurt no one except those guilty o.
perpetrating fraud upon the soldiers
upon the government and upon tht
American people,"
GENERAL WOODS STATEMENT
Washington, Jan. 13.-Brigadier Gen
eral Leonard s. Wood was a star wit
ness before the war investigating com
} general statement that never in the his
tory Of any country had there been 81
successful campaign with so small |
loss of life. He praised the quality o
beef furnished the army, and said tha
except for some cans that were tainte
and thrown away, the beef was of goo
quality. He used the meat both in tn
war and in his own family.
DEPARTMENT CAN TAKE mo AC
TION.
The department Is stopped from ac
tion, no matter what the inclination Q
the officials might be, by the fact tina
the president has given his solem
promise to protect witnesses who Nigh
appear before the war investigatin
commission from the consequences 9
any testimony they might give. H
was compelled to give this pledge at tn
beginning Of the investigation by tn
open intimation that army officer
would not dare to testify to all thing
lthey knew that would reflect upon tn
administration Of the War department
TEDDY ON EMBALMED BEEF.
General Miles today made public tn
following letter bearing on the qualit
of army beef, received from Governe
Roosevelt: Albany, N. Y, Jan. 9Th
canned corned beef we found to be goo'
The so-called canned roast beef issue
to us for travel rations both on tn
transport and on the train, and whic
we occasionally got even at the from
was practically worthless. Unless ver
hungry, the men would not touch It, an
even when suffering from lack Of foe