The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-05-11
CENSURE fUh MILES.
For Not Reporting Promptly
His Opinion of Beef.
"EMBALMED" CHARGE NOT PROVEN
T he Report of the Board of Inquiry So
Deolared--Ea Censured For Too Ex-
tensive Purchases of Canned Beef.
Packers Found Not at Fault.

WASHINGTON, May S.-By direction
OF the president, who approved the find.
ings, Acting Secretary of War Meikle-
john made public the report and find
ings of the military court appointed to
investigate the charges made by Major |
General Miles, commanding the army,
that the beef supplied to the army dur
ing the war with Spain was unfit for |
the use Of the troops.
The conclusion of the court adverse |
to further proceedings based upon the
charges is as follows:
"lt has been developed in the course
of the inquiry, as recited in this report,
that in some instances certain individ.
uals failed to perform the full measure
of duty or to observe the proprieties
which dignity high military command,
but the court is of the opinion that the
mere statement in the official report of
the facts developed meets the ends of
discipline, and that the interests of the
service will be best subserved If further
proceedings be not taken"
There is more or less criticism of
General Miles in various parts of the re-
port. Probably the most direct instance
Is the one which states that beyond the
criticism of officers found elsewhere is
the report:
"The court finds that against none of
the officers commanding corps, divi-
sions, brigades and regiments and their
staff officers should II charge Of guilt be
brought.
1.-The court also finds that the major
general commanding the army had no
sufficient justification for alleging that
the refrigerated beef was embalmed or
was unfit for issue to troops. 1t also
finds that he committed an error i'll that
having belief or knowledge as claimed
that the food was unfit, that it caused
sickness and distress that some of it
was supplied under the pretense of ex-
pertinent. that other beef was em-
| balmed, he did not immediately report
such knowledge or belief to the seCre-
tary of war to the end that a proper
remedy might be promptly applied" ;"
The censure of Colonel Maus, IN.
spector general on General Miles staff
is based upon his failure to call atten.
ton to charges concerning the beef at
| ChiGkamauga contained III a report of
inspection made by DIR. (or Major) DAILY
on Oct 26 last, in which he stated his
belief that the beef was chemically
treated.
"The silence of Colonel Maus," says
the court, ION so important matter as
the chemicalized beef reported by Major
DAILY and personally known to himself,
| is most remarkable. The remark is
also made that General Miles failure to
draw special attention to this report is
unexplained"
| Commenting upon General Miles tes.
timOny that he had first formed the
opinion last August that the refrigerated
beef had been processed, the court re-
marks:
Whatever the date upon which he
| formed a belief, or a reasonable suspi-
cion, that the health Of the troops was
being impaired by the use of deleterious
food, it was his bounden duty, in the
opinion of the court, Instantly to take
| the most effective measures within his
| control to ascertain the actual fact and
to correct the wrong, if any should be
found. 1t would have been practicable
to obtain samples of the beef then being
supplied TO the army by contractors and
to have submitted these samples to
chemical examination which would
| have resulted i'll the detection of the
presence or absence of boriC and salicy-
lie acids, or any other chemical agent
| that may have been used as u preserva-
| tive agent. Yet no such precaution as
| that suggested was taken by the major
| general commanding at that time, or at
| any subsequent time so far as has been
learned by the court.
",rhe court finds that the allegations
| OF the major general commanding to
the effect that the refrigerated beef
| supplied to the troops was treated with
| chemical preservatives have not been
established. The court also finds that
so much of the allegations Of the major
general commanding III respect to the
canned roast beef, as relates to its un-
suitability for food, as actually used on
| the TRANSPORTS, and as to its extensive or
| long continued use as q field ration are
sustained. In the opinion of the court
none of the other allegations in relation
TO the canned fresh beef are sustained.
The evidence shows that Colonel John
| +. Weston, assistant commissary gen.
eral of subsistence, recommended the
adoption of the canned roast beef as a
component Of the field ration, and to
this extent he is responsible"
The report places the quantity Of
canned roast beef purchased for the
war by the commissary department at
|
pounds which was brought from Liver
pool and other English ports. This
| amount is characterized as excessive,
and the commissary general General
Eagan) is severely criticized in several
parts of the document on this score.
| One of the seyerest rebukes is as fol-
lows:
! considering the little use that had
been made of this beef in the regular
army, the probability that the volunteers
were entirely ignorant of 1t, that its use
as part of the field ration had never been
sanctioned by the president or secretary
| of war, the court can but characterize
The action Of the commissary general Of
| subsistence as unwarranted and reck-
less-in that he ordered the purchase of
| such enormous quantities of u food that
was practically untried and unknown
| and the court so finds. The court also
finds that there is no ground for any
imputation whatever of any other actu-
ating motive on the part of the commits
sary general than the earnest desire to
procure the best possible food for the
troops. The court pronounces this act
of the commissary general of subsist-
ence collosal error for which there is
no palliation."
| The court finds that there was neglect
in Cuba and to less degree in Porto
Rico in delivering the refrigerated beef.
"The court" says the report, "does
not wish to state the case more strongly
than to say that the finding appears to
be warranted that too much time was
consumed in distributing this perishable
article. The fault, if any there was,
| rested with the brigade and higher