The times., 1899-03-30


counsel for General Miles.
Major Lees first question was:
General, you stated in your examina-
tion in chief that you made the contracts
for beef to be supplied to the Army in
Cuba and Porto Rico ! would ask you If
you exercised your own discretion in the
matter of making these contracts or II you
received suggestions from the Secretary of
War;
Eagan-I exercised my own discretion.
When | had examined the bids and deter
mined upon who was the lowest RESPONSE
BILE bidder | made the award to Swift &
Co. | submitted this in the form Of
recommendation TO the Secretary of War
and he approved the award.
Major Lee-On what was your preference
for refrigerated beef based?
Eagan-On my experience.
Major Lee-State what experience you
had.
Eagan--My experience with beef in Ari
zona was that to- serve beef to the troops
before the animal heat was thoroughly ex-
PEELED from the flesh induced sickness
among the men.
Major Lee-Did you ever issue refrig
Grated beef to troops in Arizona?
Eagan-No, sir. They were served with
beef on the block.
Major Lee-In the negotiations preced-
who were present?
Eagan-There were many beef men at
different times. / don't recall their names.
l would not know them if | were to meet
them. / don't know who were the repre-
sentatives of Swift or who the representa-
tiyes of Armour & Co. l remember but
one of the beef men in particular. His
name was Gardiner. He was an expert in
refrigerated beef and he made an impress
cir g hnxu I tn
his name.
Major Lee-Did these men represent that
their beef would remain pure for seventy
two hours after removal from the refrig-
orator?
Eagan-Mr. Gardiner believed that the
meat would endure for seventy-two hours
with proper care. Other beef men thought
differently.
Major Lee asked the witness if he had
any previous experience in supplying re-
frigerated meat to a campaigning army in
the tropics.
Eagan replied: mo, sir: but that cut no
figure with me. Because thing has not
been done before it does not follow that 1t
cannot be done Every commissary OIL
Ger had money and authority TO buy what
ever was necessary for the health and COM
fort of the troops. Where they could be
served with refrigerated meat they were to
IL
used when the troops were tired of bacon
and there was no fresh beef which could
be had.
Major Lee-I want to ask you if you dis
cussed the letting of the beef contract with
the Secretary of War before that contract
was signed?
Eagan-I saw the Secretary of War.
showed him the bids and told him OF the
award / had made He approved of my
action. Cuba and Porto Rico being in no
military department, l made the contracts
myself and submitted them for approval to
the Secretary of War, just as | would have
done to a department commander had
been chief commissary in a military de-
partment.
Major Lee-Did you confer with the Sur
geon General on the matter of beef that
would last seventy-two hours?
Eagan-I do not expressly recall having
done so. In the presence OF the Secretary
OF War the Surgeon General expressed a
preference for refrigerated beef.
Major Lee-Did the Secretary of War
authorize or suggest that you make con-
tracts with Swift or Armour?
Eagan-The Secretary of War gave me
free hand. He made no suggestions as TO
these contracts. AS | told you, sir, and
repeat it. sir. the Secretary OF War ap-
proved my awards.
Under cross examination the witness de-
MED that he had anything to do with any
processes other than treatment by cold air
He said that Armour had submitted bid
for process beef which had not been con-
sidered. The proposal called for chilled,
frozen. or refrigerated beef and only bids
TO this proposal were given consideration.
Produce the Bids.
Counsel agreed that this bid should be
produced in court Eagan defended his ac
ton in supplying the army with canned
roast beef 1t was not intended that men
should eat this when fresh meat was TO be
had, and they were not to eat it when they
preferred bacon. 1t was ''makeshift,
said Eagan to be used when nothing bet
ter was available. All the canned roast
beef that was bought would feed the army
but twenty-four days. When it was found
that this part OF the ration was not sais-
factory. the purchase of 1t was stopped.
General Shafter and his chief commissary
had six million rations to draw from at
Tampa II they took along canned roast
beef. it was because they considered it
good article of food.
Major Lee asked Eagan if he had ever
had conference with anybody at VIII ch
conference Senator Hanna was present
The witness said ne did not know Sena-
tor Hanna and had never spoken TO him.
Il was thought that General Miles would
appear before the court yesterday, but this
plan miscarried. 1t is likely that he Will
take the witness chair today.