New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-08
ping. The Court does not therefore, ignore .nis
paragraph. but treats 1t as part OF the alie-
cations which are under Investigation
THE CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION.

cations which are under investigation
THE CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION.
Summing up the results of the Investigations
of the chemists employed by the Court, the Court
says:
Tho contants Of all the cases which consisted
of boiled rather than of roast beef. were 1ouha
10 be perfectly sweet. with an door Oh coohe1
meat The beef in nearly all the cans appea i,,',
10 have been softened by exposure 10 neat. ~. ~.
apparently without injurious erect as 10 I've
quality: apart from this the meat contents vi i
found to be in good state OF "a ,,.ra
every case No traces of preservative ACIDS were
found in any of the cans. lhere Is h9
testimony to the effect that any OF the canneu
roast beef supplied to the suos ass cnsmcaily
treated or subjected TO the action OF preserVa--
tives Of any kind, save as small quaptities OF
common salt have been aaoeu as sea'o'e -
the product OF certain packers.
Detailing the numerous Investigations made
Of the keeping quality of the canned roast beer.
the Court concludes that 'in no case did the
number of swelled or tainted cans discovered
greatly exceed in amount of 1 per cent of the
entire number examined.
Several pages of the report devoted to
the consideration Of the allegation made by
General Miles that the refrigerated beef was
treated with preservatives. but the statement
is made upon the threshold Of this question that
but little testimony was submitted by him In
support Of this contention. The inference
drawn by the Court from the absence OF such
testimony is adverse to the existence OF the
practice alleged to prevail by the Major-General
commanding.
Attention Is then called TO the fact that the
testimony bearing upon the Decentralization OF
the beef deals with 1t only at the time of Its is-
suance to the troops and analysis of this
testimony is made with the result of showing
considerable difference of view as to the sub
stances used and the mode Of their application
DALY's TESTIMONY DIsCREDITED.
Considerable attention is given to DR.. Days
testimony concerning the refrigerated beef on
the transport Panama. and also to ms report
concerning the beef supplied to the lmmunes
stationed at Chckamauga Referring 10 the
doctors analysis of residuum from beef secured
on the transport. the Court calls attention 10
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 incident the
Court says:
The testimony shows that the beef treated by
tho Powell process which was declared by Or.
DAILY to contain borc and salicync aclds, was
in fact treated by fumigation and the ma
terals employed contained neither boric nor
salicylic acid The beef from which the prom
was mode on the Panama has not been posi-
lively identified as refrigerated beef, ana the
connection between the residuum OF the sam
pie taken from the ship cauldron and that ana
lived by DR.. Clark has not been established 10
the satisfaction of the Court
A chapter of the report is devoted to the con-
sideration of the cause of the sickness in the
Army in the Santiago campaign but the Court
frds it impossible to conclude that either the
canned fresh beef or refrigerated beef appeared
TO any apprecable extent causes Of intestinal
disease"
NOT ADAPTED TO HOT CLIMATE.
Speaking of the ration as a whole. the Court
says:
As to the effects of the food supply having regard
TO both suffciency and quality 1t seems to be clear
il established that the Army ration supplied
without modification, to the troops serving in the
West Indies by no means we'll adapted for use
in a tropical climate. II this be true, the unit
ness Of the ration should have manifested itself by
its failure to keep the troops who subsisted upon
It, in the best possible condition for service in hot
climates This in the opinion Of the Court. is
fully established in evidence. The insuffciency OF
the food supply in Cuba and the rregularity at
tending upon its distribution. due, primarily. TO
marked deficiency in transportation facilities and
the condition OF the weather and the roads, ap-
peared to some extent causes OF disease among
the troops who were thus insufficienIy and irregu
larly subssted.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COURT +,
The report closes with the following state
ment:
The Court with a deep sense OF the response
bilities devolving upon it, has labored zealousy
to bring out the truth, and believes that 1t has
fully covered all the matters referred TO 1t for
investigation. That the calling OF more wit
nesses from the large number suggested by the
Major General commanding. including all those
who have taken part In the operations Of the
war would only have resulted in additional
without throwing further light upon the ques
items involved. Several witnesses duly SUBJ
ppnaed 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 II possible TO punish witnesses who refuse
TO testify before court martial or Court or
Inquiry the Court took no steps to compel their
attendance
The document is signed by J. F. Wade Major
General United States Volunteers. president;
George B. Davis. Lieutenant Colonel Deputy
Judge Advocate General recorder.
The foregoing report having been submitted
with the proceedings to the President the fol-
lowing are the orders thereon
Executive Mansion.
Washington. D. c.. May g. 1890
The findings OF the Court Of Inquiry ap-
proved. WILLIAM MKINLEY.
The Court Of Inquiry. Of which Major General
James F. Wade. United States Volunteers. is