Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-02-25
RETRACTS A CHARGE.
Miles Did Not Intend 70 Accuse
.Eagan of Corruption.
Qualities His Statement Regarding
'Prctcnse of Experiment''-His
Testimony Before the Army
Reef Inquiry.

Washington, Feb. 21.-The Miles
court of inquiry on Monday made a
rood start in its work. The court was
comfortably quartered in the old meet
ing-room of the war investigating COM
mission in the Lemon building, with ac-
commodations for representatives of
the press associations and the local pa
pers Calls of ceremony on the presi-
dent and the general commanding the
army occupied large part of the fore
noon, and Immediately thereafter Gen.
Nelson a. Miles appeared as the first
witness. He and three other army Off
GERS summoned as witnesses were eX-
Gmined and disposed of before the
court closed its session at three o'clock.
Cen Miles testimony. of course,> was
the feature of the days proceedings.
Col. Frank Michler. his chief of staff,
and gentleman in citizens clothes whe
took a seat by the fireplace and grave
ly watched the course of proceedings,
retiring with the general as silently as
he had come, accompanied the general
to the court room.
Gen. Miles Evidence.
Gen. Miles appeared in fatigue uni
form, rather striking in its contrast
with the display of scarfs, bullion and
buttons on the full dress uniforms of
the court. He submitted to the ques-
tioning of Col. Davis, recorder of the
court, with equanimity, except for a
flash of mingled Indignation and irony
when he informed the recorder that he
was not compelled to report to the
commissary general of the army. This
was in reply to question as to wheth-
er or not he had reported to the COM
missary department the fact that COM
plants had been made to him as to the
quality of meat being issued to the
troops. An instant later Gen. Miles re-
sumed his cool and carefully considered
replies to the inquiries of the court.
AS indicated by a letter of the ad-
jutant general. read by the record
er for the information of the
court, the scope of the inquiry was
limited to the allegations of Gen. Miles
before the war commission as to the
quality of the army beef land the mat
ter purporting to have been furnished
to the public press by the SHINE official"
Only two interviews were called up by
the court, the first an interview with
New York journal representative early
in the beef controversy, in which Gen.
Miles was quoted as charging that GER
tain chemicals were used in the preser
vation of the army beef, and another of
the New York Herald, under date of
February 1, covering about the same
ground.
Gen. Miles was very slow and careful
in his replies to the recorders questions
on this point. He called attention to
the fact that in both instances he was
credited in the interview with refusing
TO answer certain questions. and in
sisted that these refusals should be
given due weight in considering the
questions to which he did reply. He
said in the case of the interview of Feb
ruary l that he had a letter from the
man who wrote the story Offering to
swear that Gen. Miles had refused to be
interviewed, and that the whole story
was made up in the office from the
writer's general knowledge of the
facts. Notwithstanding this, when his
final answer was asked as to the au-
thenticity of the interview, Gen. Miles
did not specifically deny it, but merely
said that it did not quite fairly repre-
sent his own opinion in the case. The
same qualified denial as to the Journal
interview of December % was made,
leaving the witness on record as not
assuming any responsibility for the
newspaper statements, but tacitly adj
mitting that there was a good deal in
them with which he agreed.
Did Not Intend to Charge Fraud.
Gen. Miles, in his testimony, said his
use of the phrase ''pretense of expert
ment," in speaking of army beef, was
unfortunate. He disclaimed intending
any Inference of fraud, and said he
should have said the refrigerated beef
issue was ION the theory of an expert
ment," and "a very costly one"
He said he did not recollect whether
DR.. Daly's report was volunteered or
whether he had been ordered to in
vestigate and report on the meat. II
was general talk among the officers al
Ponce, Gen. Miles continued, that the
refrigerator beef must have been sub
iected to some chemical treatment to
: make it keep for 72 hours. DR.. Daly's
| however, was the first official report.
Gen. Miles then read long summary
of 100 letters received by him at army
: headquarters, giving the various terms
: in which the army meat was character,
lied. These included "embalmed," ""de'
composed" injected" poisoned
spoiled" and the like. He said thai
he should fix September 81 (the date
of DR.. Daly's report) as about the ear
: liest at which the question of chemical
ly-treated meat had BEEN brought tc
his notice, SO as to command his full at
tention.
1t was said after the court adjourned
that DR.. Daily, whose original "em
5 balmed beef" report was the genesis O.
the meat controversy, probably would
appear at to-day's session.
The Cereal Trust.
S Trantnn NJ Il Feb 81 rtialec m