Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-08

from f04 nbGeuce ~ such testimony ~
adverse to the existence of practice ~
legged to prevail BY the MAJOR General
commanding.
Attention is then called to the fact
that the testimony bearing upon the
Standardization of the beef deals with
it only at the time of its issuance to
/ the troops, and an analysis of this tes-
timony is made with the result of show
ing considerable difference of opinion
as to the substance used and the mode
of their application"
Considerable attention is given to Dr.
Days testimony concerning the re-
frigerated beef on the transport Pan
anna and also to his report concerning
the beef supplied to the immunes sta
toned at Chickamauga. Referring to
the doctors analysis of residuum from
the beef secured on the transport. the
court calls attention to the fact that he
approved the finding of the board Of
survey, and that notwithstanding there
were other medical officers on board,
no reference was made by him to his
suspicion that the meat had been
CHEMICALLY TREATED.
Referring to this and TO another in
cident, the court says:
The testimony shows that the beef
treated by the Powell process which
was declared by DR.. Daily to contain
boric and salicylic. acids. was in fact
treated by fumigation and the mater
ials employed contained neither boric
nor salicylic acid The beef from
which the broth was made on the Pan
anna has not been positively identified
as refrigerated beef and the connection
between the residuum of the sample
taken from the ship Cauldron and that
analysed by Dr. Clark has not been
established to the satisfaction of the
! court"
A chapter of the report is devoted to
the consideration of the cause of the
sickness in the army in the Santiago
campaign, but "the court finds it inn
possible to conclude that either the
canned fresh beef or refrigerated beef
appeared to any appreciable extent as
causes of intestinal disease"
Speaking of the ration as whole,
the court says:
las to the effects of the food supply,
having regard to both sufficiency and
quality, it seems to be clearly estab-
lished that the army ration supplied
without modification to the troops
serving in the West Indies was
BY NO MEANS WE'LL ADAPTED
for use in tropical climate. If this
be true the unfitness OF the ration
should have manifested itself by its
failure to keep the troops, who sub
sisted upon it, in the best possible con-
dition for service in hot climates
This, in the opinion of the court is
fully established in evidence. The in
sutnciency of the food supply in Cuba
and the irregularity attending upon its
distribution, due primarily to a marked
deficiency in transportation facilities
and the condition of the weather and
the roads, appeared to some extent, as
causes of disease among the troops
who were thus insufficiently and regu-
larly subsisted."
The report closes with the following
statement:
he court with a deep sense of the
responsibilities devolying upon it. has
laDoTed zealously to bring out the truth
and believes that it has fully covered
all the matters referred to it for inves-
tigation. That the calling OF more
witnesses from the large number sug-
gested by the Major General COM
handing, including all those who have
taken part in the operations of the
war, would only have resulted in addi-
tional testimony on the same lines as
those pursued without throwing fur
Their light upon the ques lions. involved.
Several witnesses who were duly sub
poenaed to appear before the court did
not obey the summons Some of these
were called at the instance of the
Major General commanding, others at
the instance of the court. Having
knowledge of the fact that the statutes
did not make it possible
TO PUNISH WITNESSES
who refuse to testify before a court
martial, or court OF inquiry, the court
took no steps to compel their attend
ance."
The document is signed by J. F.
Wade, Major General IT, s. ", Presi-
dent; George B. Davis, Lieutenant Col
onel, Deputy Judge Advocate General,
Recorder.
The foregoing report having been
submitted with the proceedings to the
President, the following are the orders
thereon:
Executive Mansion
Washington, d. c., May s, 1899
THE findings of the court of inquiry
are approved.
(Signed) ''WM. MCKINLEY"
The court of inquiry, of which Ma
jor General James F. Wade, U. S. v, is
president, is hereby dissolved.
BY order of the acting Secretary of
War. H. c. CORBIN,
"Adiutant General"