The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-20

clemency by the president, based per-
haps upon the courts recommended
ton.
MILES CALLS ON CABINET OFF,
GERS.
Just prior to the cabinet meeting,
General Miles made a rather unusual
call upon two of the members of the
cabinet, Secretaries Hay and Long. He
had just returned to the city from New
York, and when spoken to with refer
ence to the Eagan case, adhered to his
original declaration that this was not
a time for him to act, if at all, leaving
the implication that if the commission
did not act or the administration, it
would then be time for him to take
some step.
The commissary general was on duty
as usual at his office and business was
apparently going along in the usual
way, although it was noticed that there
were more callers upon General Eagan
of the official class; namely, offlcers or
his own corps, than is usually the case.
Prior to the cabinet meeting he said
that he was prepared to accept Loyalty
whatever action the president mlSnl
decide 10 take.
The war investigation commission
| today made public the amended state
ment filed by COmmisSary General Ea-
gan yesterday. The commission per-
mitted the representatives of the press
to read the statement and it was for
mally to the newspaper
| men hat General Eagan had eliminat-
ed all Objectionable statements and,
therefore, the document would be &C
cepted officially by the commission as
evidence.
AS already stated, the changes made
by General Eagan in the document are
| mainly in the line Of excisiOn, yet the
| - cno1n~u hos ho0n o1Cn a1foraH fro
quently. He refers to General Miles
| as the senior Major Gener Nelson
! A. Miles, and while keeping strictly
within the line of propriety, in the
judgment of the commission, in a mega
tive manner at least, he reSents any
assumption of General Miles superb
ority and asserts that he is as good,
as old and as experienced a soldier as
General Miles. 1t is believed that so
far as the commission is concerned the
incident is now closed.
Another witness was heard today in
the person of Colonel Gibson, the dis
tributing agent of the National Relief
Commission at Santiago. Respecting
the quality of the beef furnished the
troops, he said the canned corn beef
was bad, unfit for use and should not
have been issued. 1t was repulsive in
appearance, stringy and he himself had
been unable to eat it. The refrigerated
beef was likewise bad, being covered
with a green beard, caused by exposure
to the sun avs The commission ad-
journed until tomorrow.
SATISFACTORY NEWS FROM THE
PHILIPPINES.
The session of the cabinet today oc'
cupied about an hour n a half. Ad.
vices were received from Manila tina
the situation on the islands is very
quiet. The despatch was to the wal
department n proved the most graf
flying official news from that quartz
received since the state of affairs in thu
archipelago gently assumed a serious
phase. 1t announced hat the people
who nae moved out of the city Of Ma
Mia, owing to alarming but unbound
ed reports, were returning to thel
homes.
: At Iloilo affairs are progressing suf
: ficiently and a gratifying fact reported
f in the cablegram was that the officer
2 aboard our ships and the individual
l insurgents were fraterniZing freely OF
t shore and that there were n signs o
trouble.
t President Mckinley announced dur
= ing the session that he had final
i passed on the personnel of the commits
. sion to visit and report on the Philip
S pine islands as follows: Messrs. Schur
man, Dewey, Otis, DENLY and WOrces
f ter. Their selection already had be
n come known and official announcement
q shortly will follow.