The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-29

: Chittenden OF Yale and Professor W. O.
: Atwatcr of WESLEYAN University as well
as Doctor W. Il. Bigelow. a chemist i'll the
Bureau OF Animal Industry i'll the Depart
ment Of Agriculture.
The Court of Inquiry visited several or
the large packing-houscs, accompanied by
Dccto- GircloTy. The results OF personal
examinations and OF the Investigations by
the experts employed conclusive!y showed
that there was not one jot or little of evi-
dencs CT excuse for the statement that
canned fresh beef WAS the pulp after tho
! beef extract had been removed.
'The imputations with respect to canned
{ fresh beef were most carefully and thor
: oushly examined and reported upon by two
! impartial tribunals oEe being composed OF
| eminent cIizeI = cx-soldiers and dist n
! guished general officers OF the regular army
{ Il refer TO the War Investigation Commits
sion). the other. the Court of Inquiry. CON
| sisting wholly OF officers of the regular
! army OF high rank and unimpeac liable in-
! this question. There was no subject 20
which the Dodge Commission devoted more
/ time or more thoroughly investigated thar
! the assertions OF the senior Major Genera.
! What did these tribunals find? That
! there was no foundation for the charge th n
canned fresh beef was not part OF the
I ration. or that il had been furnished as the
| pretense of experiment.. or tina, ii WAS the
| pulp from beef.
''ihe Court OF Inquiry properly found that
canned fresh beef was an unpalatable ra-
. tion without condiments, when not cooked.
and when not served with vegetables. In
the haste under which the Santiago eXpedi-
ton left Tampa proper ovision Tor cook
ing the food of the men on the transports
seemed 10 have been either neglected or I'M
possible. account OF the tack of time.
General Miles arrived at Tampa on June ].
for the purpose OF rendering such assistance
, To the commanding Ge: eraI OF the Santa Sc
expedition as his military experience and
high rank could give. He Was the special
representative of the War Department del
egated to overlook that expedition and as
SiSt in its preparation and emb4 rkation. If
General Miles DID not look into the question
as culpable as though he had failed to IN
spect all other important matters. There
was no shortage In vegetables.
THE unexpected delay of eight days or
the transports of TAMPA resulting from the
fright OF the ghost fleet. prolonged the use
Of the canned beef on the transports and
created by improper cooking facilities and
lack Of accessibility to the vegetables.
MfLES'S ACCUSATIONS
STARTLING AND SCANDALOCS.
''Besides finding that canned fresh beef
was unsuitable when not cooked with
vegetables. the Court of Inquiry also ex-
million dns bT he
General. during the first TWO months of the
war with Spain. was colossal error, fol-
, which there is no paiiiation.
This. of course, is question for juds-
ment as between the Court OF Inquiry and
General EEan.
The ration was not a perishable article,
and l do not think that the expression
colossal error, as applied to this purchase.
: NSS NoEfdUstl. moreover, tne Navy De-
| partment purchased annually so 600 pounds,
! or $1,000 rations. of this same canned beef
Again. the War Department is now sending
! to the Philippines lee.elo rations of canned
4 fresh beef a month for force of less than
| l1Go This Is the rate of approximate
2.o0e0Oo raiions year for force about
one-fourth the size Of the army for which
| General Egan provided 100000 ra,ions dur
| ing the war with Spain. when he expected
! TO feed, and did feed. also our Cuban allies,
besides many starving Cuban recoucen-
! General Miles's charges with respect to
refrigerated beef were much more serious
than his imputations regarding canned beef.
His allegations, in substance. were that
I the beef furnished the army had been ar
, tifcially preserved by injecting into II
chemicals which were Injurious to health:
that he had overwhelming proof that this
'embalmed beef had been treated with
chemicals. II is significant 10 observe that
the War Investigation Commission says:
'Ot the witnesses examined by this COM
mission. General Miles and Doctor Daily are
the cny ones who make this charse.'-of
chemically treated beef
'As strange as this statement may seem.
General Miles did not base his allegations
upon personal experience or submit any
proof In support OF them. His startling and
scaEdalous accuse tions appear to have been
based entirely upon the verbal statements
OF Doctor w II. Daily, q volunteer Major.
ard surgeon upon his staff during the war
with Spain. and upon single letter SUBJ
sequentiy sent him Ivy this volunteer.
YET MILES IS ADVANCED
AND sHAFTER IS NOT
"The allegation that the food furnished
the army was the cause OF much sickness
seems to have been as little Investigated or
to have had as little warrant for its utter
ance as the other disp:oved charges"
In conclusion, eX-Secretafy Aiger says:
"The army had won its battles in Cuba
ard the Philippines: Porto Rico had peace
fully come into our hands after few skir-
mishes; the protocol had been in operation
for over four months. and even the treaty
Of peace had been signed at Paris. Then
comes the Major General. commanding the
! Army Of the United States. with his
charges.
while the allegations OF General Miles
were not based upon fact. and were con-
c!uSively disproved by two separate tribu-
mails, unimpeachable in their composition
and methods Of Investigation. the irrepar-
able damage had been done.
"A brave honest and faithful officer.
suffering under the lash of cruel. unwar-
ranted and unjustified impu;atiOns. while
exonerated from the heavy odium Of those
charges was as result OF them. sacri-
feed on the altar of his own passion,
righteous In It's existence. but ineXcusable
in its expression.
Besides this a false impression had been
created throughout the country as to the
food furnished the army. which may never
be removed.
.'The charges Of General AIiles-tw!ce
proven false In spirit and substance-are.
therefore. the more heinous In their effect.
Yet tic present Congress promoted Gen.
eral Miles TO Lieutenant General and has
thug far failed to give General Shafter the
rank of Major Ge- eral to retire upon in
his old age. and this after his magnificent
campaign at Santiago, as well as his for
mer distinguished services