The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-21
His Testimony Given Before
the Court of Inquiry.
MODIFIES. REFERENCE TO EAGAN
Statement that Use of Canned Beef Was
''Pretense OF an Experiment" Qualified
Why Complaint Was Not Made Earlier
of Bad Meat-Gen. Miles Was in Favor of
to Beef Not Based on Personal Knowlege,

| The Miles court Of inquiry yesterday
| made a good start in its work. The court
| was comfortably quartered in the old
| meeting room Of the War Investigating
! Commission in the Lemon Building, with
| accommodations for representatives of the
| press associations and the local papers.
I Calls of ceremony on the President and
| the General commanding the army occu-
| pied a large part of the forenoon and i'm
mediately thereafter Gen. Nelson A. Miles
| appeared as the first witness. He and
| three other army officers summoned as
| witnesses were examined and disposed OF
| before the court closed its session at
! o'clock
Gen. Miles testimony, of course, was
the feature of the days proceedings. Col
Frank Michler. his chief of staff, and a
gentleman in cidzen's clothes who took a
seat Dy the fireplace and gravely watched
the course of proceedings retiring with
the General as silently as he had come
accompanied the General to the court
room Gen. Miles appeared in fatigue uni
form, rather striking in its contrast with
the display of scarfs, bullion. and buttons
ON the full dress uniforms of the court
lie submitted to the questioning of Col.
Davis, recorder Of the court, with equa-
nimity. except for a flash OF mingled in
clgnaton and irony when he informed the
recorder that he was not compelled to
report to the Commissary General of
the army. This was in reply to a dues-
tlOh as 10 whether or not he had reported
70 the Commissary Department the fact
that complaints had been made to him as
TO the quality of meat being issued to the
troops. An instant later Gen. Miles re-
sumed his cool and carefully considArad |
replies to the inquiries of the court
Limited Scope of Inquiry.
AS indicated by a letter Of the Adiutant |
GeLeral, read by the recorder for the in
i' ioi a1loh OF the court, the scope of the |
inquiry was limited to the ALLEGATIONS of |
Cen Miles before the War Commission as
10 the quality of the army beef. 'aId tine |
matter puIporting to have been furnished |
10 the pubic press by the same official"
ohly TWO interviews were called up by /
the court, the first an interview with a |
new YORK Journal representative early
III lhe Deef controversy, in which Gen.
Niles was quoted as charging that GER
tam chemicals were used in the preserva-
tloll OF the army meat, and another OF the
New York Herald, under date of Feb
ruary l. covering about the same ground
zen. Miles was very slow and careful
In his replies to the recorders questions.
on tnls point He called attention tc the
faet that in beth instances he was cred
lied in the interviews with refusing IL
answer certain questions, and insisted |
that these refusals should be given due |
weight in considering the questions tn |
which he did reply. He said in the case
OF the interview of February l that he
had letter from the man who wrote the
story onering to swear that Gen. Miles
had refused TO be interviewed and that
the whole story was made up in the Office
from the writer's general knowledge of
the facts.
Notwithstanding this, when his final an
sWer was asked as to the authenticlty Of
the interview, Gen. Miles did not sDe-
cifically deny it, but merely said thar it
did not quite fairly represent his own
opinion in the case. The same qualified
denial as TO the Journal interview Of De-
cember q was made, leaving the witliess
on record as not assuming any respon-
s.Dlilty Tor the newspaper Statements, but
2citly admitting that there was a good
zeal IN them with which he agreed.
Trend of the Questioning.
The trend of questions put to the other
witnesses Of the day indicated that 60
ong as they agreed with Gen. Miles as ,
20 the quality of the meat furnished the ,
CEltlCiSm of
-heir position the court had TO make was
Why they had not taken some official :
steps TO have the matter renedied at The \
ime. In every instance the reply WAS
hat the circumstances in which the army .
Vas placed in a sickly foreign country 7
With a large amount of fighting and a.
great scarcity of transportation on hand.
)recluded the possibility of any such ac-
ion. In each the question was pushed
20 further on this line.
II was said after the court adjourned
hat DR.. Daily. whose original "embaim-
ID beer report was the genesis Of the
neat controversy. probably would appear
II to-day's session.
The court Of inquiry assembled at the \
lemon Building shortly after 10 O'Clock q
preparatory to its first formal session. +
Brig. Gen. George w. Davis and Col. .
Teorge L. Gillespie, members OF the '
ourt, and Col. George B. Davis, Record G
r and Judge Advocate, were first to ar q
i've. Maj. Gen. James r. Wade, Pres U
dent Of the court, came later, and at 9
O:35 the court, in full-dress uniform. pro-
eeded TO the White House. where IL paId II
IS respects to the President, and then TO :
he War Department, where il called
pon Secretary Alger and Mai. Gen.
iiles.
The court returned at 205 from fits VS.
IS OF courtesy and after two photograph
rs made pictures OF the court Col. Da-
IS announced readiness to proceed and
cad the orders convening the court and r
5 instructions. q
Instructions from the President n
Following the reading Of the order, h.
'hich has been published already, Col. b
avis read letter from Adjt. Gen. Cor Vi
res TO D ~.
Wade. President OF the court, explaining 70
lore specifically the lines along which | q
he court was expected TO investigate.
ne Adjutant Generals letter reads:
Al. Gen James F. Wade United s.stss yohln-
tseFs President Court d Inquiry. waskinstoa.
D. c:
Sir have tie h0aer 70 ackn01ie9ge r.cesvt O.
gr letter Of Inquiry Of the I7th instsat II rsul F
-rttO an eirscsrI By the Secretary o. War 70 I fr
that tAs President holds that the speciac al hi
cation refsTes 10 tAe curt Q, inaalry fr inyes .,
cation are Indicated by marginal lines in ne ssae- a.
eut s1buitof By the Major GeasF4I Commanding =
the e0Inissioa sDDolnisd BY TIE PTssaent 10 n a.
stig@te he eoaeact Of tie War Dep4rteat IL ss -
n With spain. and In TIE matter D1rportink u -
We 0een furnished 70 the Pa5lie yrezs b that o.
er, all Q: ss.eh l. Transmitted hsrs~iLA zzrxes
closures a. 2. and C. respectively.
Tas President zso directs special iuye.-,gstts, ,,
lee TO dsterins II The beef fc-nish-a he a., IF
a @hoiszo@s and Of good quality zaA Essaru, =
sati,y, sna % iHqv.ss vitA care iato tie afsx. "
"a that IL Nsa treated vita .ei4z o. eA-zeals b in
9 contr2eiers, or othsrz. Or In AR way rnsd. tr
.sisrioas 70 The health q tie eo2saz--s n tb,r-
. bad Hs-i issued % tas tEOosS tAs respsaslbl 's
for II zast oe nxs1 via : Yle4 70 fur-h.y a. 50
"a fsss saSSs1s-ssJ' II. G CoRBIN
hslgt.Ht General da
Maj. Gen. Miles Sworn In. ig1
uuzs I )
en- Nelson A Niles was presented q ~ ~
y Hr.f .rlr - ~