The record-union., 1899-02-13

towns and cities and nine. camps. It
had also received many hundred letters,
communications and newspaper clip
pings from persons living in all parts
of the country. Examination Of pumer-
Pous officers and enlisted men had been
made as to the quality and condition of
the meat issued to the troops. The tes-
timOny, with some exceptions, showed
that the refrigerated beef issued was
pure, sound and wholesome.
"On the 21st day of December last
Major General Nelson. A. Miles, upon
the written request of the Presiden~
of this commission, appeared before it.
He refused to be sworn, as all other
witnesses had been except one. who af-
firmed, stating that he would make his
statements without being sworn, and
was responsible for what he said He
proceeded, and for the first time in the
history of this investigation the allega-
ton was made that refrigerated beef
issued to the troops had been cnem-
ically treated.
In the statement, revised by him
self, General Miles said: There was
sent to Porto Rico 337 tons Of what is
known as so-called refrigerated beef,
which I might call embalmed beef
HE proceeded to read a communica-
ton from DIR. w. H. DAILY, Major and
Chief Surgeon, U. S. ", on his staff,
bearing date of September /, 1898,
wherein DR.. Daily stated: In the sew
eral inspections I made in the various
camps and troopships at Tampa, Jack
sonville, Chickamauga and Porto Rico
I found the fresh beef to be apparently
preserved with secret chemicals, which
destroyed it's natural flavor, and which
I also believed to be detrimental to the
health of the troops
Although DR.. DAILY swears that he
informed General Miles about the 1st
of August, 1893, that he suspected that
the refrigerated beef was chemically
treated, it does not appear that the
General informed you or the War De-
partment that an officer of his staff had
made this discovery, nor does it appear
that he at the time ordered any of the
officers under his command to probe to
the bottom an allegation which. If
true, concerned the health of 215,0O0
soldiers in the army. 1t appears from
the report of Dr. DAILY, which he handed
to General Miles October 21st last, that
he then specifically stated that the re-
frigerated beef furnished to the troops
was apparently chemically treated 1t
does not appear when this charge was
made, October 21st, it having been al
ready made to him in August, 1893.
that General Miles communicated to
you or the Secretary of War, or to the
Commissary General, the belief or sus-
picion entertained by him that refrig-
Grated meat, dangerous to health, was
issued every day to the troops, in the
failure to do which there was derelic-
ton of duty. 1t is true that on Sep
tember Goth he had directed that an or
der should be issued asking for reports
relative to meats issued, but the order
specifically mentioned canned fresh
roast beef and nothing else; and it
was the reports received in answer to
this that were printed in abstract oy
the General at the time of his appear
ance before the commission and since.
In his report Dr. Daily does not make
the all-important statement that he
had already chemically analyzed any
meat, although he suggests that an
analysis should be made. He does state
that in the several inspections made
at Tampa, Jacksonville, Chickamausa
and Porto Rico he found the fresh beef
to be apparently preserved with secret
chemicals He said that at Ponce the
beef he examined was also of the same
character, being apparently preserved
by injected chemicals
For months, as it appears, DR.. Daily
concealed the commission of a crime af-
fecting men under his charge. whom,
as an officer and physician, he was
bound to protect"
The report, then after quoting from
the regulations Of the Agricultural De-
partment prescribing the manner in
which inspections are made (and no
packing house in the country is al
lowed to do business without Govern
mental inspection), after detailing the
processes pursued by our officials and
showing the practical impossibility OF
putting impure meat upon the market,
goes on to say: ''The commission mas
not confined itself to merely verbal or
written proof Immediately upon hear-
ing the testimony of Mr.. Daily on the
Goth of January, kilograms were sent
to all issuing commissaries in Cuba,
Porto Rico and at the various home
camps occupied by troops, asking that
samples of refrigerated beef be at once
taken, placed in glass jars, securely
sealed and forwarded to the commits
sion. These samples were to be of one
pound weight from the outside and one
pound weight from the inside of
quarter. In response to this request
many samples have been received ana
later sent to the chemists of the Agri-
cultural and Interior Departments for
careful chemical examination.
1.-The result of the analysis
reported to us will be seen by the re-
ports appended; in no specimen ex-
arnined has either boracic or salicyilc
acid or other deleterious chemicals
been found.
I'm view of the facts above set forth
the commission is of the opinion that
no refrigerated beef furnished by con-
tractors and issued to the troops DUR
ing the war with Spain was subject TO
or treated with any chemicals by the
contractors or those in their employ.
CAN MEATS.
I'm considering questions concerning
canned meats it is not the duty OF the
commission to inquire into the char
acter. kind and condition of all the
canned meats that may be in use IN
this country. Our specific duty Is 10