New-York tribune., 1900-12-29
ALGER ATTACKS MILES.
:. ElIBALMED BEEF" CHA RcFc
DLSPROVED. He SAYS
THE LIEUTENANT-GENERAL AccrsEn
OF DISHONESTY. INSINCERITY AND
IGNORANCE. = EAGAN UPHELD
AND SHAFTER PRAISED

he
testified before the War InvestfEation c.
mission that improper food wa. snn,r,as q
the Army ne charges General Miles with dis
honesty. inslncersty aad Ignorance 90 g.
Army regulations. He SAYS the con.m
charges. "twice proved false in .,,r,t -
substance, are therefore tho more betnon~
u their efect,' and have done ,r-.nn--r,
harm.
General r. a. Alger was Secretary of yv., s,,-
ing the Spanish-American War. General Alser
has written book that war. in which one
chapter is devoted 70 the famous .'cmbalmea
Beef" controversy. The substance of tbat cbsr-
ter is embodied il article prepared for the
January number Of The North American Re-
view" In ii he says:
The Commission appointed by the Presfdan. ~
my request 10 investigate the conduct of the
war Depat Ithent IN the war with Spain, COM
monty known as the War Investigation or the
10 e 6oca1sr nst on September "a 1898
raken testimony in seventeen towns and cities
and in many different camps, granting, where
ever II went, to the citizens, soldiers or er-soI
diers opportunity TO appear for Complaint or
testimony Of any kind regarding the conduct OF
the war. The Commission visited numerous
camps in which there were stii NAM tbonsaods
Of soldiers, both Regulars and volunteers who
were invited TO give their evidence without re-
gard 10 rank or service. On December 21 the
Ma1or-General commanding the Army of the
United States appeared before the Commission
then sitting in Washington, and made his state
menIs with respect TO the canned fresh and re-
figerated beef furnished TO the Army during
the war. General Miles refused to be sworn or
sfnrfneos as every other Of the 495 witnesses 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
cusable and more unsoderly still, during all
those months, with this pretended knowledge of
facts which, II they existed, should have been
made known to the Secretary of War for the
protection OF the Army-General Miles never
mentioned the subject. Nor did I ever hear a
rumor OF chemically treated beef being pur-
chased for the Army until the Generals testi-
Tnony was given before the Commission. These
allegations are as follows:
Captain Howell-I want TO ask you. General, is
General Miles-It was made part Of the ration
Rico. as I say. nearly two hundred thousand
Q.-I mean by that. was it fixed by Congress
as part Of the Army ration?
Q.-Who fixed it. then, as a part Of the Army
A-You Will have TO ask some one here in Wash
Q.-l want to know how it became part OF the
referring to General Miles,?
A.-You had better ask the Secretary Of War
or the Commissary-General;I think they tell
you know it was sent TO the Army as food.
and the preenSe is that IT WAS sent af as an Rc expert RI
tons Of what is known as or called refrigerated
Now If you want TO ascertain the cost TO the Coy
baImed beef-take the original cost . do
not know what may have been Injected into
1T The o sei Is that this IS is a1 Ts be
that they are still sending the stuff down there:
expedifion in this country or any other, with such
e. do not think that beef such as was
sent 10 Cuba and Porto Rico would be good in
Tbey could get some bacon but that is not con
sldered suitable food for the tropics You
ask about food. In my judgment that was one
81 the serious causes of so mucA sickness ana
distress the part Of our troops.
THE MILES INTERVIEW.
Not content with these grave and scandalous
charges. thus made public for the first time be-
fore the War Investigating Committee, Gen,
eral Miles permitted himself to be interviewed
the following day. at Cincinnati, Ohio, when
he made these charges.
The part OF my testimony of yesterday of 337
tons of refrigerated beef and lssoJo pounds OF
canned fresh beef which was unnt mt Ior 70, @ 1000 fo Is
in Porto Rico. How much more was sent 90
10 Try it on his own stomach; but to feed an
army. that was more than an experiment
As ] stated in my testimony believe the action ion
of these chemicals was largely responsible for the the
sickness in the Army. have medical authority
for ;his statement. and believe IT to be true.
General Miles was given an opportunity to off,
ciaIly deny this interview, but he did not do so.
His written and official reply was eVaslve and
eQuivocal When he appeared before the Court
of Inquiry he was unable TO repudiate that IN
teTTiew under oath.
The allegations that unsuitable tocd not
part of the legal ration. had been furnished to
the Army under pretence Of an experiment, ana
that refrigerated beef. treated with poisonous
Chemicals had been and was being supplied 10
our ARMY Of 275.000 men, were indeed serious,
Implying as they did, criminal incompetency on
the part OF the Commissary Department, II not
wilful neglect and dishonesty.
Upon Commissary-Ciener Charles T. Eagan
the charges fell with the suddenness and sharp.
ness OF a blow from an assassin's knife out OF
the dark General Eagan had been an offcef OF
the Regular Army for thirtysix years He had
risen from a second lieutenancy to the hlghest
rank in the Commissary Department 10 WIlch
his ambition could aspire. Gallant and fearless
on the batrlefelds of the Civil War and the
hostile Indian plains Of the West, ne had
record for soldierly qualities of which any orncer
might well be proud with energy hoIesly aIu
zeal he had administered his Department our
ing the war with Spain, a fitting climax TO
long and honorable career in the service OF h's
country.
10 other supply bureau of the Army had ex-
ceiled the COmmissary Department IN PIoLit!P. P1!
ness efficiency and successful adminlstratlon
dr5r-pe the war 1 never entered the War De
partnlent whether early in the day or late az
night and called for the Commissary- y-General
that he did not report et once. never gave
out ~ the letter Indeed. his zeal and anxiety
for the soldiers in camp and field were SO great
that his efforts in their behalf during the Iohe
and weary DAYS and nights of the nor summer
nearly resulted in his prostraton from over
work The charges of General Miles, mace SO
publicly and so positively. and the manner IN
which they were for the first time made known
seemed to General Eagan. in ms nervous COIL con.
6ition, the magniheo ana nofTIpi e. CPoi, i
hearing them. he pitifully exclaimed, General
Miles has crucifed me upon a cross of falsehood
and misrepresentation
THE ALLEGATIONS REPEATED.
General Miles seemed TO be pleased with the
notoriety which his startling statements peIore
+bs co,.v,sseson and in his subsequent news