The record-union., 1899-02-10
Its Report Now in the Hands Of
President Mckinley.
Delivered at the White House at Ais
O'Clock Yesterday Afternoon.

be Officially Promulgated for
Several Days, Until the Presi-
dent Has Given It Full Consid-
GRAFTON.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The report
of the War Investigation Commission
is in the hands of the President, and
the commission is dissolved. All Of the
members of the commission, including
the Secretary, Mr.. weightman, and the
recorder, Colonel Davis. met by ap-
pointment at the White House at Ais
o'clock this afternoon, and were at
once shown into the Cabinet room,
where they were received by the PreSi-
dent General Dodge, the Chairman Of
the Commission, presented the report,
and in receiving it, the President cor
graduated the Commissioners on the
completion of their task.
Seated around the Cabinet table, the
members went over their work in
general way, and at the request of the
President read portions of their report
which covered certain points in which
he had expressed an interest. The con-
ference lasted about an hour and
half, and as the Commissioners were
about to leave the President stated
that he was satisfied that each mem
Der had done his whole duty. He him.
self had rendered them every assist
ance possible, and said that they would
bear witness that he had not sought to
influence them in any manner or in the
slightest degree.
General Lodge leaves here tonight
for New York, Colonel Charles DENLY
leaves tonight or tomorrow for his
home in Evansville, Ind. and will sail
from San Francisco on the Dist for the
Philippines to join his associate mem
bers of the Philippine Commission;
General McCook goes to Fortress Mon
roe to join his family, now there; ex-
Governor Beaver leaves tonight for
his home in Pennsylvania; Ex-Governor
Woodbury. goes with Mrs. Woodbury.
on a pleasure trip through the South
for few weeks, then returning to his
home in Vermont about April 1st. Cap
tain Howell will shortly return to
Georgia, and Dr. Conner returns at
once to his home; General Wilson will
resume his duties as Chief of the En-
gineers.
The report may be in the hands Of
the President several days before being
given official PRONUNCIATION, to enable
full consideration of the document 1t
consists of between 10000 and 65,000
words.
The general scope of the report was
sent out last night, and renewed at
tention was called to-day to the fact
then pointed out that there were only
two witnesses who had made charges
against the Government in the beef is
sue 1t is pointed out that there were
numerous allegations made and many
attacks in the public prints, but that
when those making the attacks and
charges were called on to appear before
the commission with their statements
under oath or otherwise substantiate
them they failed either to appear or
furnish proof of what they had said.
1t is insisted that all the men who had
made any charges were offered the full
est opportunity to be heard, and their
statements given full consideration and
that every effort had been made to
probe the truth in whatever matters
had come up before their body.
The Eagan incident is passed over
without material mention, in view of
General Eagan's revision of the state
ment that he originally made to them.
The report avoids all question of the
strategy of the war, that being a mat
ter regarded as outside the functions of
the commission. The references to
General Miles, commanding the army,
are devoted mainly to structures on his
course with reference to the beef issue
as covered in his testimony. In this
connection a main point made, it is
understood is as to General Miles
failure to take prompt action in re-
porting on the beef, and instead of
waiting long period before commune
eating the facts to the department, and
meantime with the information he gave
up, permitting beef he so vigorously
condemned being issued to the army.
The fact that he was the only witness
failing to testify upon oath is referred
to.
In speaking of the report to-day a
prominent member of the commission
said:
1.-The report does not whitewash. 1t
criticises, but not persons or things not
warranted by the evidence before us.
We started out with the assumption
that the conduct of the war was all
right, and then we went ahead to hear
and call witnesses who said it was not.
The report represents the honest opin-
ion of every member of the commission
We were unanimous in adopting it.
say this, and I am of the opposite po-
litical faith and don't expect and don't
want anything from the Administra-
ton
IT know that every line of the report
represents my individual view, and if
any member tried harder than I did to
get at and out all the facts, have yet
to see him. There was no suppression
or concealment, and no point brought
out in the evidence was evaded or
CLOSED over. We never met before
hearing a witness and agreed not to
examine him or to touch upon certain
matters that might turn out unfav-
orably Everything that a man knew
or thought he knew was the subject of
inquiry, and / am satisfied when the
country gets our report in full, that
there will be no complaint either as to
our methods or results
"The President never saw a line of
our report before he received it Off
cially: not single word. Nor. indeed,
has he ever talked with any of the
commission about it, He has never in
any way. by word or action or messen-