The age-herald., 1899-01-13

i eo he'd to the strietest accountability Tor 1t. If he made these statements as set forth there, then he lied again. and if he made the statement that pretense is the precise term to be used as he said when referring to the experiment. then he lied with as black a heart as the man who blew up the Maine possesses, and he de- serves to be characterized and known to America and Europe. where his statements have gone, as being the colossal, prodigious liar of the nineteenth century I submit to this committee and to the whole country that this account of an interview W tn him In the New York Journal going uneontra- dicted, undenied and when the opportuni- ty was given him a refusal to deny it in terms, places upon him the onus and re- sponsibility for the statements in that in- tervew. which statements here and now denounce as unmitigated falsehoods, vile and slanderous. as slanderous that It can only be called filth. I submit to this com mission and to the country at large Whetn- CT 1t is the characteristic of an honorable man to permit such statements as those made in this alleged interview with General M les in the New York Journal to go un- contradicted. if untrue and whether or not ] it is the first duty of a gentleman. an hon est man. an honorable man, to deny such 1 falsehoods as are to be found in the article refer to, if they were not made by him. The Journal Interview
 | This interview was headed as follows:
 Miles Makes Grave Charges Against the l Administration; Poisons Used in Beef Made Soldiers III: Bad Beef Sent to Troops in l Porto Rico"
 Continuing General Eagan said: 'Whcn was commssary- general in May last. General Miles had already seeeted for l his staff as chief commssary ono of the ab.est commissaries of tho regular army | Major H. D. Osgood. Judge of my sur 1 prise when one day General Gilmore. the 1 adiutant-Genera for General Miles, told It l was General Miles wish to have Major l John D. Black. recently appointed from civil 1 life, as a volunteer commissary, made his | commissary on his staff. I expressed my | surprise that the senior officer of the army should select volunteer commissary officer totally devoid of experience, in the subsist- l ence department and therfore wholly in- l competent for such all important duty. l Shortly after and about June ', General | Miles sent very ordinary commonplace l telegram to the adjutant-general at Wash | ington inquiing what subsistence stores the | subsistence department had at Tampa and | somewhere else. and such similar inquiries | to the quarterma ter general and the | charge of or chief of ordnance I made a | formal written reply to this and to my | amaZenent the next morning I saw # pub lished in the press of the country that Gen eral Miles had sent, or found it necessary to send, serious reprimand to the quarter
 
 and the chief of ordnance for conditions that he found there. No such reprimand was ever received and MT. Miles has au- thority in his commission or his position under the law or regulations to send repri- mands to me.
 Knave' of the Press
 This uneontradicted story of a repriand to the head of three of the most important departments of the army aided as much q anything in exciting the yellow journalist press. the knaves of so-called journalism, to harass and viify and libel the conscien- tous, able and hard-working officers on duty a Washington Since asking that an investigation be made to l>arn who gave out this alleged reprimand have instituted inquiries to find my requests with the news- paper clipping enclosed. The adjutant-gen- erals department has reported its inability to find it.
 General Eagan, referring to newspaper attacks, asserted that the secretary of war had nothing whatever to do with the fur nishing of refrigerated meats or timed meats, nor had he attempted to control the contracts, awards or purchase, and in this connection, in heated language, he attacked the New York newspapers and their edi- tors and proprietors, who, he said, should be indicted and tried for treason to the United States during the war for giving aid, comfort and information to the public en- emy for the sole purpose of gain.
 Were a man of wealth or means,' he protested, "I would take this subject on myself I would put Journalistic knaves, purloiners of the secrets of the government, behind the bars, where they belong"
 Attacked Inspector Generals
 General Eagan made vigorous attack on the inspector or-senerafs department in connection with its investigation. He asked why those inspections were not made while the armies were in the field, where were the officers of this department, and said the principal officers of this department took other positions and let the inspections of the army, which were never needed so much as during the war, go, solar as they were concerned, for personal aggrandize- ment, as we know they took volunteer rank with increased pay, and now at this late day we find that department suddenly en- deavorng to get ex-parte views of people in manner not authorized by the secretary of war-the proper authority-about things that are passed.
 "The senior major general of the army, the inspector general of the army" he con- tinued "does not seem to be content that with perfect propriety and within the law and as contemplated by regulations, sam pies of everything furnished the army are now In existence and can be obtained, an- alyzed and every statement for or against the food furnished verified. This Is not enough I have not felt at liberty to ob- Ject 10 tnlS UelHOu cl piOSSuuic lOi tiiS reason that my objection, however well founded however well based on law and regulations, feared would be given to the world as an evidence that and my depart ment feared an inspection, and this, too, when and while I and my whole depart ment courted it, but we did not court ex- parte reports made at the instigation of people well known to be hostile, parties whose actions already and whose state ments here before your committee show but too plainly what animus is behind It al''
 Breckinridge's Investigation
 Referring to Inspector General Breckin- ridges investigation, General Eagan point ed out various reports of officers that have been published and quoted telegram from Lieutenant Colonel A. l.. Smith, depot com missary at Havana, as follows:
 'sCommissary General, Washington: Guild, inspector Seventh corps, ordered by Breckinridge to inspect and report on all meat and requests samples I will without further instructions decline to recognize L. --xtt