Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-24

or the SOLUTION f6rmaline''
Such testimony rs the above being incon-
trovertible DIT must be clear that, as a Sc
cret chemical process was used with meat
delivered tV troops at that point. similar
use would no doubt be made of such process
at other points, OF for all shipments where
alive of thA refsEerated beef. It is only
deemed necessarN to invite the courts at
tentaon to the fast that the testimony Of
| the bell boyS FNe!sham (p. 25O4), as to see
ing the meet chemically treated in Ar
mour's yard in a gar marked Tampa. Flori-
mony opp. saal, cts
In this connection, the attention of the
honorable court is respectfully invited to
the thorough and impartial report of Lieut.
Col Darlington, inspector general. The re-
port is the result of months of the most
| searching and painstaking labor; and we
believe it to be of great Importance on the
subject of the meat supply of canned and
refrigerated beef.
Witnesses Requested, and Number
Testifyins in Person.
With the liability to slight errors in COM
piiation, We find the major general COM
manding the army submitted the names of
AL witnesses, whose appearance and testi-
mony he deemed relevant and important
Or these 104 were called before the court
and gave their testimony. The number call
ed and examined by the court of it's own
ed to the subsistence department., Is be-
longed to the Agricultural Department, 81
interested in the meat industry and 20 mis-
cellaneous officers and soldiers of the line,
medical officers, eX-officers and soldiers of
volunteers and others.
1t is also proper to note in this connection
that approximately about $40 official re-
ports of officers, submitted by the major
general commanding, have been received
and read in evidence
From the array of testimony of about 26I
witnesses who have appeared In person
before the court, it is for the court to de-
termine just what weight, just what creai-
bility should lie given to such testimony,
just how far their evidence may be infiu-
enced by bias, prejudice and motives of
self-interest. Many witnesses, however
honest, are more or less subject to those
influences which are common to humanity.
in any and all departments of life.
If the subsistence department has,
through error or other cause, furnished un-
suitable food as fresh and canned meats
| to the soldiers, then it is for the court to
weigh the evidence as between that depart
ment and the evidence of the soldiers who
had to endure and suffer the result.
If the efficiency of the Agricultural depart
ments meat inspectors is in any way ques-
toned ian issue which have not raised)
then the testimony of the thirteen witnesses
will. no doubt, be weighed accordingly.
We remark, however, in passing that We
fail to clearly comprehend the direct reia-
ton of that department to this inquiry in
asmuch as their inspections or supervision
do not extend to the curing departments
to determine just what parts of a cow or
steer go into the cans; neither do their in
spections extend to the process of canning
or preserving meats by chemical agencies
or otherwise
Prof. Wuey's Report.
We have however, an extract from a re-
port of Prof. H. w. Wiley, chemist of the
Department of Agriculture, published in
circular of January IS, 1899 and, although
depression here will read it: On the sub
ject Of CHEMICAL Examination of Canned
Meats he says: I'm concluding this pre-
liminary report, again desire to empha-
size the fact that preserved goods, especial
" meats, are mot TO be preferred to the
fresh articles, except in those cases where
it is not possible for the articles in d fresh
state to be Supplied In the second place
(thls deserves ,emphasis) it is highly import
ant that some competent supervising agent
be always preSent-to inspect the packages
when they are opened in order to detect
any failure to complete sterilization in their
preparation, or any evidences of incipient
or advanced decay in their concrete con-
tents. Where these precautions are OBJ
served there is no reason to believe that the
ingestion of preserved meats as an article
of food, in proper Quantities and in properly
balanced ratiops, will in any way interfere
with the health 6H comfort of the person
consuming them = This wise and interest
ing exposition ifI%OlNeS lile presence OF a
chemist, or an expert on canned meats,
with every company and detachment, using
such an article, TO protect the men against
poison and disease. Sad to say, such eX-
perts were not. provided along with the
canned roast beef issued our soldiers in
the late war! We should. however, thank
Prof. Wiley for his valuable warning, even
at this late day.
CredibiIity of Witnesses.
Returning for moment to the subject
of credibiiity of witnesses we deem it
proper to say-but in no offensive sense
that OF all witnesses where seif-interest
stands out conspicuously the fifty-one in
ierested in the meat industry are pre-erni-
nent. Their readiness, zeal and volubility
when on the stand. their eagerness to pal
late, excuse and deny any and every criti-
ciSm or fault found with their meats, must
account for much of the most remarkable
testimony ever given before court. The
officers and soldiers of our army may go
wrong, the people may err other interests
may be full of defects and Irregularities,
but II there is anything strictly honest,
without reprOach, almost perfect, all these
virtues viii be found in Overwhelming
abundance i'll the packing houses of our
country. Pardon me for saying it, but
much, if not all, of such testimony is like
much Of the roast beef complained Of
somewhat overlooked. We certainly be-
lieve that when found contradictory the
court Will throw it out; when self-laudatory
it will receive scant consideration. and
where seif-interest permeates and sur
rounds 1t that it will be sifted again and
again Tor whatever grains of credibility
1t may contain. We have neither time nor
inclination to dwell upon it in detail. We
would, however, ask this: Can such testi-
nony from such source avail against the
testimony of hundreds of officers and of
suffering soldiers in Cuba and Porto Rico.
who carried our flag in signal triumnh in
God-given cause of right?
Chemical Analyses,
There is but little that need be said on
this subject. The learned gentlemen have
testhed at great length and submitted their
Volumlnous reports with an array of fipr,res
ana tables that, We confess, complex the
average mind. We viii state this however.
and we believe the reports the oral testi
mony of Profs. Chittenden, Bigelow, At
water Wiley and Mallet, justify the state
inent that the nutrients protein and what
not, found in the laboratory furnish no
suitable guide as to the suitableness the
Whoiesomeness or the healthfulness of the
material analysed when taken into the
stomach of the soldier under the conditions
of active service or under any conditions
n