The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-30
.ALCER makes BITTER
ATTACK ON MILES
Accuses the General of Seeking NOtOricty BY In
demanded Methods In Making Charges
Praises Eagan and Makes Excuses for the Disciplined
COmmSSary-LaudS Skaters Campaign.

New York, Dec. 29.-In his article in
the North American Review on The
Food of the Army During the Spanish
War" Mr.. Alger takes up General
Miles belief that the Dodge commits
sion on Dec. 81 1898. relative to the
beef furnished to the army, and says;
Although the commission had been
sitting nearly three months, the
charges especial to canned and refrig-
Grated beef were now made for the
first time; and, stranger and more in
excusable, and more uuSOidierly SJlli
during all these months, with this pre-
tended knowledge OF facts, which, II
they existed should have been made
known to the secretary of war Tor the
protection OF the army, General Miles
never mentioned the subject Nor ola
I ever hear a rumOr or chemically
treated beef being purchased for the
army until the generals testimony was
given before the committees. The al
legations that unsuitable food, not d
Dart 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 10
our army of 275, goo men, were indeed
serious, implying. as they did, criminal
incompetence on the part or the com
missary department, if not willful neg
ligence and dishonesty.
Eagan Felt Hurt
Upon Commissary General Charles
p F,aean the charges fell with the
suddenness and sharpness OF a bleF
from an aSSassin's knife out OF the
dark General Eagan had been an c.
ficar of the regular army for thirty-sIz
wears He had risen from second
Iieutenantcy to the highest rank IN the
commissary department TO which ms
ambition could aspire. Gallant ana
fearless on the battIefields of the civil
war and the hostile Indian plains OF
the west. he had a record for sOldieTly
qualities of which any officer might
well he proud. With energy, honesty
and zeal he had administered his de
partment during the war with SPAN
a hitting climax TO a long ana nohoI-
able career in the service of his coun-
try" .,.-
General Alger pays a, high tribute TO
the energy and fidelity of General la
gan. SAYING he was almost Frustrated
from overWOrk- He adds:
When the charges OF General Allles;
made so publicly and so positively, ana
the manner in which they were for the
first time made known seemed 10 Cen
eraI Eagan in his nervous condition.
the more magnified and horrible Upon
hearing them he pitifully exclaimed :;
1~pneral
a cross of falsehOod and misrepfesenta-
ton
General Eagan had already been eX-
amined by the war Investigation COM
mission when General Miles hearlng
occurred. but when the testimony Of
the latter appeared in the newspapers
General Eagan Immediately requested
a reheaTing.
Excuses Eagan's Conduct.
General Eagan read his reply TO the
war investigation commission from a
carefully prepared typewriter manu-
script. Lashed to the quick by the al
legations contained in General Miles
testimony and in his subsequent inter
view, which appeared on Dec % in a
New York paper, his indignation eX-
ceeded the limits of his self-control,
and in his efforts to deny the charges
made, his language became vltuper-
alive, extravagant and highly improp-
err I believe that had General Eagan' s