The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-08
Is Literally Applied by the War
Investigation Commission
In It's Report on the Beef Fur.
nished the Army.
MILES is CENSURED
And His Accusations Declared
to Be GrOundless.
Alger Comes in For Some Mild
Criticism.

New York, Feb. S.-A dispatch to the
Herald from Washington says:
President Mckinley will receive to-
day or Thursday the war investigation
commissions report on the conduct OF
the war. The commission has directly
criticised the secretary of war for lack
of firmness in his administration of the
war department.
No specific illustration of the secre-
tary's weakness is given by the COM
mission, but through it's reports the evil
dences of this fault of the secretary
will be found, particularly in the matter
of his relations with Major General
Miles. The commission has determined
not to dwell upon matters of strategy
and for this reason has left out all refer
ence to the action of Gen. Miles in going
to Santiago, of the secretary'S permiS-
sion for him to do so, and of his dis
patch to Gen. Shafter that he was not
to be supplanted in his command by
the major general commanding.
1t will be found that Gen. Miles is
severely criticised and the president will
find ample material from the stand
point of the commission to take action
against the major general commanding.
The commission will devote an i'm
portant chapter of its report to Gen.
Miles charges concerning the beef and
meats generally furnished to the army
and will find that they are practically
without foundation. 1t will report that
the beef was not chemically prepared,
that it was of good quality and that
the charges of the use of chemicals in
the beef probably grew out of the fact
that four quarters OF experimental beef
were placed on board a transport at
Tampa by Mr.. Powell, inventor of
preserving process which he desired to
test.
direction of Gen. Wood. No chemicals,
according to the commission, were en-
ployed in the preparation of the canned
meat but it will be found that that
meat was unfit for use in the tropics,
because of the climatic conditions which
made it unappetizing in appearance,
though it was perfectly good, except
in those instances where the cans had
been accidentally punctured or i'm
perfectly soldered, thus allowing the air
to enter.
Attention will be called to the fact
that of the thirteen officers whose re-
ports Gen. Miles submitted as showing
that the beef supplied to the Porto
Rican army was bad, not one served on
that island. 1t will also be shown that
Gen. Miles was responsible for the
selection Of a number of camps at
Chickamauga and Miami, and that this
latter recommendation was adopted
Notwithstanding the protest of the Sec
retary of war.
According to the commission the
primary trouble lies in the defective
army organization.
A recommendation will be made that
the inspector generals department be
radically reorganized and the report will
sharply criticise Gen. Breckenridge for
abdicating his office of inspector gen
eral to accept a commission as a major
general of volunteers.
The secretary of war will be cleared
of responsibility for the transport hor-
rors, but Col. c. F. Humphreys, now on
Gen. BroOke's staff who had charge of
fitting out of the transports and officers
of the quartermaster's department in
charge of them will be held to be re-
sponsible. The conditions which existed
at Camp Thomas prior to its removal
will be censured and attention will be
called to the fact that Major General
Brooke was in command of the camp
at the time.