The Portland daily press., 1900-12-29
Accuses Him of Uttering Cratui-
tous FaIsehoods.
General Eagans Offense COndOncd
Military Investigation Reviewed.

New York, December 2So-The North
American Review In Its next issue Will
contain an article on "The food of the
army during this Spanish war;" by
Former Secretary OF War, Russell A. Al
ger. The article gays in part:
The commission appointed by the
President at my request to investigate
the conduct OF the war department In the
war with spain. met on the twenty
fourth day of September. 1898. On the
twenty first day of December, the major
general commanding the army of the
United States appeared before the COM
mission, then sitting in Washington and
made his statements with respect to the
canned, fresh and refrigerated heef fur
nished Co the army during the war.
General Miles refused to be sworn or
affirmed, as every other of the 495 wit
nesses had been, declaring in substance
that he would 'make his statements
without being sworn and was responsible
for what he said"
Although the commission had been
sitting nearly three months the charges
with respect to canned and refrigerated
beef were now made for the first time;
and, stranger and more inexcusable and
more unsoIdierly still, during all .those
months, with this pretended knowledge
OF facts which, II they existed. should
have been known to the Secretary OF War,
for the protection of the army-General
Miles never mentioned the subject. Nor
did ever hear a rumor of chemically
treated beef being purchased for the army
until the Generals teStimony was given
before the commission.
Not content with these grave and s3an-
dalous charges thus made public for the
first time before the war investigating
commission, General Miles permitted
himself to be interviewed on the follow
ing day, at Cincinnati, Ohio, when he
made similar charges.
Upon Commissary General Charles p.
Eagan the charges fell with the sudden
ness and sharpness of blow
FROM AN ASSASSIN'S KNIFE
out of the dark. General Eagan had been
six years. Gallant and fearless he had q
record for soldierly qualities OF which any
officer might well be proud.
No other supply bureau of the army
had excslIed the commissary department
In promptness, efficiency and successful
administration during the war. Indeed,
zeal and anxiety for the soldiers In camp
and field were so great that his efforts in
their behalf, during the long and weary
days and nights of the hot summer, near
ly resulted in his prostration from over
work. The charges OF General Miles
seemed to General Eagan, In his nervous
condition, the more magnitied and hor-
rible. Upon hearing them he pitifully
exclaimed: General Miles has oruoitieu
me upon GROSS of falsshood and misrep.
resentation."
General Eagan read bis reply to the war
investigation commission from careful
Iy prepared typewriter manuscripts.
Lashed to the quick, his Indignation ex-
ceeded the limits of his self control and
his language became vituperative, ex-
travagant and highly Improper. Even
yet, divested OF its offensive adjeotives,
his reDly to General Miles remains unan-
swerabls in its logic and incontrovsrtible
In its facts.
The allegation that had inspired or
had any knowledge OF General Eagan's
intended attack upon this statement OF
General Miles. is absolutely untrue. 1
never saw the reply, nor did l know Its
character until copy of it was handel
to me by member of the press.
The language of General Eagan could
not be overlooked His court martial was
not the outcome OF General Niles
charges, but the result of intemperate
and unmilitary language, conceived In
an indignstion, pardonabie, perhaps, In