The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-29
ALCER WRITES
CONTRIBUTES AN ARTICLE ON THE
MILEs-EAGAN EPISODE.
Scores the General of the Army for
His Embalmed Beef Charges and
"ssandaIous. Insinuations.
PRAISES THE COMMIssARY
FOR HIS UNTiRING EFFORTS DURING
TIE WAR WITH SPAIN,
Hut Admits He Did Wrong I'm Using
Intemperate Language i'm Re-
plying tn His Superior.
DISSECTS MILES'S CHARGES
AND ASSERTS THEY WE'RE UNwAR-
RANTED AND BAsELESs.
Even Questions the Honesty of the
Commanding GeneraI-Reopening
of u Sensational Army Case.
Hut Admits He Did Wrong I'm Using
Intemperute Language i'm Re-
plying to His Superior.
DISSECTS MILES's CHARGES
AND ASSERTS THEY WE'RE UNWAR-
RANTED AND BAsELEss.
Even Questions the Honesty of the
Commanding GeneraI-Reopening
OF q Sensational Army Case.

NEW YORK, Dec. 2S.-The North Ameri-
can Review in its next issue will contain
an article on "The Food of the Army
During the Spanish War; by former Sec
retary Of War Russell A. Alger. The arti-
Gle says in part:
'The commission appointed by the Presi-
dent at my request TO investigate the con-
duct OF the War Department IN the war
with Spain, commonly known as the war
investigation or the Dodge commission, met
on the 24th day OF September, 1893. On the
21st OF December the major general COM
manding the army of the United states ap-
peared before the commission, then sitting
I'm Washington, and made his statements
with respect TO the canned, fresn ana re-
frigerated beef furnished TO the army our
ing the war. General Niles refused TO be
sworn or affirmed, aS every other OF the
40 witnesses had BEEN, declaring in sub
starsce that he would make his statements
without being sworn and was responsible
far what he said
although the commission had been Sit
ting nearly three months, the charges with
respect to canned and refrlgerated peer
were now made for the first time; and.
stranger and more inexcusable and more
unsoldierly still, during all those months,
with this pretended knowledge or facts
which. IL 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 dld
ever hear rumor Of chemically treated
the generals testimony was given before
the commission. In answer TO inquiries as
to how canned beef became part or the
army ration, General Miles said:
You had better ask the secretary or
war or the oommissary general; 1 think
they can tell you. | know Ii was sent to
the army as food, and the pretense Is that
Il vas sent an experiment There
was scrt TO Porto Rico S27 tons Of what Is
known as or called refrigerated beef, which
you might call embalmed beef
Now, II you want TO ascertain the cost 10
the government OF this so-called refrig-
Grated beef-embaImed- beef-take the origf-
nal cost / do not know what may
have been injected into it, The un-
derstanding is that there Is a secret process
Of preserving beef. 1t may be that
they are still sending the stun down there
/ don't know . II ] furnished
for any expedition in this country, or any
other. with such stuff, l would prohibit the
men from taking it, L do not think
that beef such as was sent TO Cuba and
Porto Rico would be good In any country
in the stomach OF any man. They
could get some bacon, but that Is not con-
eidered suitable food for the troops
You ask about food. In my Judgment that
was one of the serious causes or so much
sickness and distress on the part or our
troops
GRAVE AND SCANDALOUS."
mot content with these grave and scan-
daious charges, thus made public for the
FIRST time before the war Investigating COM
mittee. General Miles permitted himself to
be interviewed on the following day. at Gin
cinnati. o., when he made similar charges.
"The allegations that unsuitable food, not
a part OF the legal ration, had been fur
nished to the army under pretense Of an
experiment, and that refrigerated beef.
treated with poisonous chemicals, had been
and was being supplied TO our army of
275.000 men, were indeed serious, implying.
as they did. criminal incompetence on the
part of the Commissary Department, If
not willful negligence and dishonesty.
Upon Commissary General Charles =.
Egan the charges fell with the suddenness
and sharpness of a blow from an assas-
sins knife out OF the dark. General Egan
had been an officer of the regular army for
thirty-six years He had risen from Sec
ond lieutenancy 10 the highest rank in the
Commissary Department TO which his am
bition could aspire. Gallant and fearless on
the battlefields Of the civil war and the hos
tile Indian plains of the West, he had a
record for soidierly qualities of which any
officer might well be proud With energy
honesty and zeal, he had administered his
department during the war with Spain,
fitting climax 10 long and honorable
career In the service OF his country.
mo other supply bureau of the army had
excelled the Commissary Department In
promptness, efficiency and successful ad-
rrinistration during the war. L never en-
tered the War Department. whether early
AZ the day or late at night and called for
the commissary general that he did no.
report at once / never gave him an order
that was not Immediately carried out to 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
long and weary days and night of the hot
summer. nearly resulted In his prostration
from overwork The charges of General
Niles. made so publicly and so positively.
and the manner in which they were for
the first time made known, seemed TO Gen.
Eagan I'm his nervous condition, the more
n.agnf1ed and horrible. Upon hearing them
he pitifully exclaimed: General Miles has
crucihed me upon cross of falsehood and
MISREPRESENTATION
EAGAN'S MISTAKE.
General Eagan had already been exam
iped by the war investigation commission
when General Miles's hearing occurred. but
when the testimony of the latter appeared
In the newspapers General Eagan imme-
diately requested "A rehearing. General
Eagan read his reply To the war investiga-
tion commission from a carefully prepared
typewriter manuscript. Lashed to the
quick by the allegations contained in Cen
eraI Miles's testimony ana in his subse-
auent interview which appeared on Dec.
- I'm New York newspaper. his indisna-
tion exceeded the limits of his self-controI
and IN his efforts to deny the charges made
his language became vituperative, extrava-
CANT and highly improper. believe that
had General Eagans health not been st.-
riously Impaired by oyerwork and anxiety
the two objectionable paragraphs OF three
hundred words, out OF an aggregate of
two thousands words contained i'm his re-
ply. would never have been written or ut-
tered Even yet, Invested OF its offensive
adjectives in the two paragraphs referred
to. HIS reply 10 General Miles remains un-
answerable Ia It's logic and incontrovert-
fble In ifs facts.
.sThc allegation that l had inspired or
had any knowledge Of General Eagan's in
tended attack upon the statement or Gen.