The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-09

Washington, Feb. S.-The war invcs-
tigating commission has now com
pleted its labors and its report will be
in the hands of the president tomorrow.
The committee held a session today
that extended well into the afternoon,
going over details. Tomorrow the mem
bers of the commission will meet at
their old offices. attach their sigma
lures to the formal documents. proceed
in a body to the executive mansion,
inform the president that they have
completed their mission and present
their report. The commission then will
cease to exist. The commissions quar-
ters will be vacated Immediately and
will be taken possession of by General
Kennedy and Major Watkins, who hold
the newly created offices of advisers to
the war department on colonial affairs.
The report of the war commission is
a VoiumlnOuS publication of $50 printed
pages. Each member has been supplied
with q printed copy to retain and ar
rangements have been made so that
the president viii have as many print
ed copies as he wishes when he makes
the document public.
The report makes an important fea-
ture of the beef issue and diSmiSSeS as
a general proposition the charges that
have been made against the beef fur
nished the army. 1t finds, it is under
stood, that most Of the beef was such
as could be properly furnished as an
emergency ration, pointing out that the
evidence showed it never was intended
to be anything but an emergency ra-
ton. 1t says there were only two wit
nesses who really testified against the
beef, General Miles and Major DAILY,
the chief surgeon. who made the re-
port regarded as the most sensational
forwarded to the commission by Cen
eral Miles.
As to the testimony Of these two
witnesses, the commission, it is under
stood, goes on to point out the mass Of
evidence submitted to the contrary as
OfTsetting this testimony. AS to such
of the canned beef as was found to be
Objectionable, the commission points
out the effect Of the tropical climate
in producing HquefactiOn Of the fat in
the meat and the consequent render
ing of the contents unpalatable- Most
of the beef. though, is found to have
been satisfactory for emergency use,
where fresh beef or beef on the hOOf
could not be procured.
The structures of General Miles made
public on the beef and his public ex-
pressions in other ways, it is under
stood, are subjected to a severe criti-
cism.
The methods and manner OF loading
the TRANSPORTS in General Shafter'S Gu
ban expedition are also discussed and
responsibility placed for the results.
The report finds that the statements
of chemical treatment made by General
Miles on the authority of Major Daily
are not borne out by the chemical eX-
perts who were placed on the stand 1t
quotes from Major Days testimony
and then takes up the testimony of
Chemists Clark and BigelOw, who eX-
amined the analysis Of the beef(sub-
mitted, and found as chemical experts.
that Major DAILY is not supported by
other chemical authorities and that
therefore his testimony is regarded as
not worthy Of credence.
There are also said to be some rec
concentrations as to organization of
certain branches of the army, but it IS
stated the recommendations are not
radical.
As to the administration and conduct
of the war, the conclusions are under
stood to be that everything possible
was done by the department in the linn
tied time it had at its command in
making its preparations for the war
and the report says that the conduct
of the war not only worked out sue
cessfuIly, but in such a, way as to be
worthy of great cOmmendation-
The report says that the evidence
before the commission shows that Sec
retary Alger exercised proper diligence
and supervision and that his subOrdi-
mates also were efficient, experienced
and faithful. The commission is unit
on its report and there is no minority
report.
At the outset the commission di-
vided itself into ub-committees for the
separate consideration of designated
branches of the main subject Of inquiry.
The sub-reports viii be added to the
principal statement of conclusions.