The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-16
He DIDN'T REMEMBER IT
Gilbert Denied Statements At
tributed to Him.
A MERE FOOD PRETENsE
General Breckinridge's Opinion OF the
Roast Bsef-An Easy Task to Land
Live Cattle in Cuba-Rotten
Beef Given to Cubaus.

Washington, April 15-Gen, j. s. Gil
more, adjutant general of the army on
| General Miles staff, was the first wit
| ness before the Wade court of inquiry
| to-day. He was examined with spe-
cial reference to testimony given by
Captain Aspinwall, in charge of the
transport Manitoba, which carried a
| cargo of beef to Porto Rico. Captain
Aspinwall had stated that General
Gilmore suggested to him after the
vessel became stranded in the harbor
at Ponce that the beef should be
thrown overheard, saying that if ne
cessary he would give an order to that
effect. The captains testimony was
referred to General Gilmore.
Il don't remember a word of it, he
said. Il am positive l would not have
told him to throw the beef overheard
because I am not given to making re-
marks. of that kind. In fact I don't
recall any conversation with Captain
Aspinwan whatever"
CO... Charles Bird, in charge of rail
and water transportation in the quar-
termaster generals office ventured the
opinion that the government could have
saved money by buying beef on the
hoof, killing them in Cuba and Porto
Rico and keeping the meat in refrig-
orators of it's own. He had expressed
t4ils Op1ulOU 10 COlOnGI DaVtS OIL Gen
eral Eagan's office while the war was
in progress.
Colonel Bird also gave particulars
concerning the purchase of transports
at the beginning of the war. Referring
to General Miles recommendations on
this head he said:
I'VE felt the need Of securing the
most suitable vessels as sharply as did
General Miles,
He said that while the contract with
Swift & Co. had required that the firm
should build its own refrigerators on
the transports, they had not been re-
CURED in any instance to do so, as all
the transports were equipped with re-
frigerators before the beef shipments
began.
Gen. Joseph c. Breckenridge, inspec-
tor general of the army. also expressed
the opinion that it would have been
possible to land a limited number of
cattle in Cuba after the troops secur-
ed footing there. He thought that the
landing of the live stock about the
easiest task set the army in Cuba, as
they landed themselves. He was also
of the opinion that cattle might have
been held in the island, as grass and
water were plentiful.
1T would have been as easy for the
cattle to carry themselves as it was
for the mules to carry them,'' he said.
laconically.
speaking of canned roast beef, Cen
eral Breckenridge said he had eaten
it and found it to be unpalatable. "To
my mind'' he said, cit was a mere pre-
tense of food. 1 tried giving it away
to others in whom I was Interested but
did not succeed to any appreciate ex-
tent "-'
General Breckenridge also stated that
he was recently present in Havana
when a quantity of canned beef was
distributed among Cuban indigents.
IT felt interested" he said, because
I thought the rations given to those
people should be beyond question. 7
was present at two issues and I found
the canned beef giving out most Of
fensive odor. ! saw the meat myself
and I have no doubt that some of it
was decayed. This was about the
time of the condemnation Of the canned
goods at Havana
Col. A. Smith of the commissary de-
partment was recalled. He said he
had no recollection of having told Cap
tain Pomeroy. depot quartermaster at /
Ponce, that the contractors had a
chemical process for the preservation
of fresh beef for u hours, and he was
confident that he had made no such
statement On the contrary, his inter-
preta ton of the contract was that the
contractors agreed that the meat
should be preserved for only "a hours
after being taken from the ship. Ha
said no canned beef had been issued to
the troops when fresher beef was avail
able. A recess was then taken,