The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-13

dered by Breckenridge to inspect and
report on all meat and request sam
pies. l will without further instruc-
tons decline to recognize Breckin-
ridges authority, but will personally
show all stores desired unofficially.
HSmith."
Inspector Gen. Breckenridge has re-
Gently addressed letters direct to Off
GERS Of my department calling for re-
ports to him about the various articles
Of food furnished during the past year
to the army. He does this without
the authority Of the secretary of war.
In effect we have in these two officers
Of the army-Gen. Miles and Gen.
Breckinridge-who take upon them
selves to investigate matters pertain
ing solely and exclusively to the Sec
rotary Of war; to call for ex-parte re-
ports and to do this directly and with
out the knowledge Of the secretary Of
war or the adjutant general of the
army.
Gen. Breckenridge has also adj
dressed, am credibly informed a sim
liar letter direct to the surgeon gen
eral, and my department is being
tried, not with sworn evidence, nor
with opportunity to confront the wit
ness. still less the opportunity to re-
fute any statements made because they
refer to thing consumed things not
in existence. Every one is given free
license to comment as he pleases, be-
cause the evidence in the case is out
of existence"
Gen. Eagan questioned the right of
Gen. Miles to divert the customs funds
to the purchase of beef when the sub
sistenoe department had over $l00, 900
available. Having traversed Gen.
Miles statements" he said, having
shown him to you to be a liar, and
demonstrated the animus that pervades
this whole matter, now go back to his
statement that, In his Judgment, the
food was one of the chief causes of
sickness and distress among the
troops.
ITO say, to imply, to assert to in
sinuate, that sickness was caused for
such reason in Porto Rico is to make
an assertion wholly untrue, devoid of
any facts, and can only be prompted
by base motive"
Gen. Eagan concluded as follows: 'If
have used harsh language before this
committee in dealing with the subject
l ask the committee to bear in mind
that the grouping together of the state
ments made by Gen. Miles means that
/ furnished or allowed to be furnished
to the army embalmed beef, which had
diseased the soldiers, and that a great
deal of sickness arose from its use;
that ] have furnished meats to the
army under the 'pFetense of expert
ment,' meats that made the soldiers
sick, and this under the pretense OF
experiment, this because OF corruption.
Nearly all the press Of America, be-
cause Of Gen. Miles high position in
the United States army, has accepted
these views, and his statements, and
many of them have called for my dis
grace. court martial and dismissal from
the service.
"Also that these statements OF Gen.
Miles were held back by him, not fur
nfshed to the government for its APP
proprlate action and use, but sprung
upon you and the country at a time
when the country, from the falsehoods
that had been told in regard to starya-
tion and supplies for the army, was in
a state Of excitement and ready to be-
Heve most anything. The subject
have treated here rs a filthy subject,
and you cannot touch pitch without
being defiled; YOU cannot touch base,
malicious. libelous falsehoods, misrep-
reservations, without calling q spade
a spade, ana telling the whole
truth and characterizing things
that has been done by these
statements is believed to be very great,
but / indulgs the hope and the belief
that my statement, when published 10
the country, when read by the repre-
sentatlves of foreign governments here
will offset the statements made by Gen
Miles and will, IN some measure at
least, do justice to others that have
been wronged, maligned and Ifbeled.
For myself. / content myself with
expressing my profound belief that
either Gen. Miles or l should be put
out Of the service. Either he Is right
or / am right either he dishonors his
uniform with his false statements and
hbels, or I dishonor mine in feeding
soldiers with poisonous beef, effecting
tense Of experiment"