The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-13
REFRIGERATED nEEF.
Charges of General Miles and Chief
Surgeon Daily Not Substantiated.

Charges of General Miles and Chief
Surgeon Daily Not Substantiated.
This commission was organized the Oath
day of September last. Up to the 2lst day
of December its members had taken testi-
mony in seventeen different towns and
cities and nine camps. 1t had also re-
ceived many hundred letters com1nunica-
tions and newspaper clippings from persons
living in all parts of the country. Examin-
alton of numerous officers and enlisted men
had been made as to the quality and con-
dition Of the meat issued to the troops The
testimony. with some exceptions, showed
that the refrigerated beef issued was pure,
sound and wholesome.
ION the 21st day of December last Major
General Nelson A Miles, on the written
request of the president of this commission,
appeared before It, He refused to be sworn,
as all other witnesses had been, except one
who affirmed stating that he would make
his statements without being sworn and
was responsible for what he said. He pro-
ceeded and for the first time in the history
Of this investigation the allegation was
made that refrigerated beef issued to the
troops had been chemically treated.
''In the statement revised by himself,
General Miles said: There was sent to
Porto Rico 337 tons of what is known as
so-caled refrigerated beef which you might
call embalmed beef He proceeded
to read a communication from Dr. w. II.
Daily, major and chief surgeon u. s. ".
on his staff, bearing date of Sept. 2l, 1898,
wherein DR.. DAILY stated that: In the sev-
eral inspections l made in the various camps
and troop ships at Tampa, Jacksonville,
Chickamauga and Porto Rico. / found the
fresh beef TO be apparently preserved with
secret chemicals which destroy It's natural
flavor and which also believe to be detri-
mental to the health of the troops
Although Dr. Daily swears that he in-
formed General Miles about the 1st OF
August, 1898. that he suspected that the
refrigerated beef was chemically treated, it
does not appear that the general informed
you or the War Department that an officer
Of his staff had made this discovery, nor
does 1t appear that he at the time ordered
any officers under his command to probe to
the bottom an allegation which, IL true,
concerned the health of 275, 900 soldiers in the
United States army 1t appears from the
report Of DR.. DAILY, which ne handed to
General Miles Oct. q last, that he then
specifically stated that the refrigerated beef
furnished to the troops was apparently
chemically treated.
NEGLECTED HIS DUTY.
1T does not appear that when this charge
was made Oct. 81 it having been already
made to him in August, 1s9s that General
Miles communicated to you or the secretary
of war or to the commssary general, the
belief suspicion entertained by him that
refrigerated meat, dangerous to health, was
issued every day to the troops. in failure
70 do rxybf fob Of 1sffxv
It Is true that on Sept 20 he had directed
that an order should be issued asking for
reports relative to meats issued. but the
order specifically mentions canned fresh
roast beef and nothing else, and it was
the reports received in answer to this that
were printed in abstract by the general at
the time of his appearance before the COM
mission and since
I'm his report DR.. Daily does not make
the all-mportant statement that he had al
ready chemically analyzed any meat al
though he suggests that such analysis
should be made. He does state that in tha
several inspections made by him at Tampa,
Jacksonville, Chlckamauga and Porto Rico,
he found the fresh roast beef to be appar-
emily preserved with secret chemicals lie
said that at Ponce the beef he examined
was also of the same character, being ap-
parently preserved by injected chemicals
For months as II appears. DR.. DAILY con-
ceaIed the commission OF crime affecting
men under his charge, who as an officer and
a physician he was bound to protect"
The report then, after quoting from the
regulations OF the Agricultural Department,
prescribing the manner in which inspections
are made (and no packing house in the
country is allowed to do business without
government Inspection, after detailing the
processes pursued by our officials aud
showing the practical impossihiity of put
ting impure meat upon the market. goes
on TO say:
'The commission has not confined itself
to merely verbal or written proof. Imms-