The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-01-20
MILES IS DENOUNCED
Gen. Eagan Makes a Sensational
Attack on the Major General.
"EMBALMED BEEF" CONTROVERSY
The Commlssary General Denies Numerous
Statements OF zen. Miles and Charac-
terizes hem as False and Their
Author AS "Liar."

W ooiilh Npis bhhs -ptus al
statement yesterday furnished the
sensation of the war commissions his
tory and was regarded by old army
officers as one of the most remarkable
attacks ever made in the history oil
the service. Gen. Eagan's statement
to the commission was n bitter per-
1onal attack upon Gen. Miles, so en-
tirely unqualified as to scope aud Ian
guage that the war commission on
hearing its conclusion ordered brief
executive session, after which the
doors were opened, the witness was
recalled and business resumed in the
usual way.
The subject in controversy was Gen.
Miles already famous 'embalmed
beef testimony and the letters and
documents supporting it. Gen. Miles
had charged that the canned and re-
frigerated meats sent to the army in
Cuba and Porto Rico were unfit for
use, that they were preserved by the
use of chemicals and that they had
"been bought and sent to the army
under pretense of an experiment"
This reflection upon both the ability
and honesty of the commissary de-
partment had angered Gen. Eagan and
caused him to request to be recalled
to reply to Gen. Miles charges.
That his statements concerning the
commanding general were not the re-
suit of sudden outburst of passion
was clearly shown by the fact that
Gen. Eagan read his remarks from a
carefully prepared typewriter copy.
| Not the least remarkable phase of
| Gen. Eagan's statement was the lam
guage in which IL was couched. There
was scarcely "A phrase that would not
have been characterized aud sensa-
tional in ordinary official utterance.
Gen. Eagan, after the hearing was
over, refused to say whether he had
any further move in prospect in forcing
an issue between himself and Gen.
Miles 81 have said all | intend to say
for the present." he replied, land il
anyone wants to bring the matter to a
court-martial am ready for that, too,
as | have already stated before the
| commission"
As soon as the nature of Gen. Eagan's
statement became known, attention
was directed to army headquarters to
ascertain what move would be made
by Gen. Miles. The latter, through
Col Michler, his chief aid, beyond
saying that he had stood for the
soldiers, declined to make any state
ment, saying that now was not the
time for talk, and that before taking
any action IL would be only proper
and necessary to wait until he had an
opportunitv to receive through the
regular channels and to consider the
testimony furnished by Gen. Eagan.
Gen. Eagan referred to Gen. Miles
testimony that he had photographed
the department from Porto Rico for
complete and proper rations.' and said
that II the commissary generals otfice
had received any such message he
should have considered it the request
of IL very ignorant and ill-informed
person"
Newspaper statements emanating
from Gen. Miles that 100, 900 pounds OF
the beef were condemned at Porto
Rico are absolutely false. No such
quantity was condemned there or else.
where"
that the beef was apparently infected
with chemicals to aid in preservation
was IA falsehood and he made it out
of whole cloth" lie denounced the
assertion that chemically prepared
beef had been issued anywhere and
said he did not believe Surgeon DAILY
had that belief then, since or now.
Gen. Miles, he continued, in his tes
timony, refers to the beef as sent Out
under pretense of an experiment. Thi;
implies corruption; a serious charge
not to be made lightly. Already the
press almost wholly has accepted this
view and some have demanded my dis.
missal. 1t was not an experiment MOI
pretense thereof. Gen. Miles lies il
his throat, in his heart, In every part
of his body. He should be drummed
out of the service and imprisoned.
wish to force the lie back in his face
Unless he should prove his statement Is
he should be avoided by every body,
should be barred out of every club"