Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-13

WuCiG
Witness said Surgeon Daly's report
that the beef apparently was infected
I with chemicals to aid in preservation,
was "falsehood and he made II OUT
OF whole cloth"
This" continued the witness, lis a
! scandal, calculated to ruin thousands
of people and discredit and put in In
fanny one Of the greatest industries IN
| the world.
Continuing. Gen. Eagan said: when I
was commissary general, In May last.
Gen. Miles had already selected for his
STAFF as chief commissary one or the
ablest commssaries of the regular army.
Maj II. B. Osgood. Judge OF my sur
prise when one day, Gen. Gilmore. the
adjutant general for Gen. Miles, told me
| it was Gen. Miles wish to have Maj.
John ID. Black recently appointed from
! civil life as volunteer commissary.
made his commissary on his stan. l ex-
pressed my surprise that the senior Off
| Ger of the army should so select volun-
teer officer, totally devoid of experience
| in the subsistence department ana there
fore incompetent for such an important
duty.
Shortly after and about June I. Gen.
Miles sent "A very ordinary commonplace
telegram to the adjutant general at
Washington, inquiring what subsistence
stores the subsistence department had at
Tampa and somewhere else, some SUCH
similar inquiries 10 the quartermaster
general and the chief of ordnance.
Il made a formal written reply to this
and to my amazement, the next morning
tn, Af a
country that Gen. Miles had sent or had
found il necessary to send a serious rep
rimand to the quartermaster general, the
commissary general and the chief of ord
nance for conditions that he found there.
No such reprimand was ever received ana
Gen. Miles has no authority in his COM
mission or his position under the law or
regulations to send reprimands to me.
This uncontradicted story of repri-
mand to the heads of three of the most
important departments of the army aided
as much as anything in exciting the yell
low journal press, the knaves of so-called
journalism. to harass and vilfy and
libel the conscientious. able and hard
working officers on duty in Washington.
''Since asking that an investigation be
made to learn who gave out this garbled
and alleged reprmand. | have instituted
inquiries to lind my request with the
newspaper clipping enclosed. The adju-
tant generals department should have
reported their inability to find it
Gen. Egan, referring to newspaper
attacks, asserted that the secretary o.
war had nothing to do with the fur
nishing of refrigerated meats or tin
ned meats. Nor had he attempted to
control the contracts, awards or pur-
chases. In heated language, the gen
eral attacked three New York news
papers and their editors and proprie
tors whom he said should be indicted
and tried for treason, as having given
aid. comfort and information to the
public enemy for the sole purpose of
gain
Were l a man of MEANS he said. Il
would take this subject up myself. I
would put journalistic knaves. purloin-
ers of the secrets of the government
behind the bars where they belong.
Gen. Eagan vigorously attacked the
inspector generals department in con-
nerton with this investigation. He
said the principal officers of that de-
partment took their positions and let
tIit IISp-tllOHS VI
were never needed so much as during
the war. go, so far as they were con
cerned, for personal aggrandizemen..
They took volunteer rank with increas-
ed pay and now at this late day, thai
department was suddenly endeavorins
to get ex parte views in a manner not
authorized by the secretary of war
the proper authority-a5out things
that were passed.
The senior major general of the
army and the inspector general of tn
army he continued, do not seem to
be content that with perfect propriety
and within the law, and as contem
plated by regulations, samples o.
everything furnished the army, now i'll
existence. can be obtained, examined,
analyzed and every statement for o.
against the food furnished verified.
| have not felt at liberty to object to this
method of procedure for Hhe reaso,
| that my objection, however we'll found
| ed. | feared would be given to the
world as an evidence that | and my de
partment feared an inspection and this
! too, when and while l and the Who'll
| department courted it. But we did no.
| court eX parte reports made at the in
| stigation of people we'll known to b'
! hostile. parties whose actions ALREADY
| and whose statements here before your
| commission show Gout too plainly what
| game is behind it all.
! Referring to Inspector General
| Breckinridge's investigation. Gen. Ea-
| gan pointed out various reports of Off
| GERS that have been published anf
| quoted telegram he received. Jan.