Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-01-03
SCORES GEN, MILES AND DE-
FENDS GEN. EGAN.
IN A MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Former Secretary Of War Writing for
North American Review Makes
Sensational Statements Concerning
Army Beef Changes Speaks His
Mind Very Freely.

contain an article on Food of the
Army During the Spanish War by
Former Secretary of War Russell A.
, Alger. In the article Alger defends
Commissary General Chas. p. Egan
) and roundly scores Major General Mel.
son A. Miles, and styles the latter's ac-
, ton and charges concerning canned
beef as ineXcUsable and unsodierly.
The former secretary says that Gen.
Egan was retired not as the outcome
Of Gen, Miles charges but as the re.
suit of incorporate and unmiltary
language
The secretary continues. THE nj
legations that unsuitable food, not a
part of the legal ration, had been fur.
nished to the army under the pretensc
OF au experiment and that refrigerated
beef, prepared with poisonous chemi.
calls, was being supplied to our army
OF 275,00d men, were indeed serious,
implying, as they did, criminal incom-
petonce on the part of the commissary
department, II not willful negligence
and dishonesty Upon Commissary
General Egan these charges fell with
the suddenness and sharpness of a
blow from an assassin's knife out of
the dark.
No other supply bureau of the army
had eXcelled the commissary depart
mcnt in promptness, efficiency and
successful administration during the
war. Indeed, Gen. Egan's zeal and
anxiety for the soldiers in camp ami
field was SO great that his efforts in
their behalf, during the long. weary
days and nights of the hot summer,
nearly resulted In his prostration from
overwork. lie had already been ex-
amined by the war investigation com
mission when Gen. Miles hearing oc-
Cured but when the testimony OF the
latter appeared In the newspapers,
Gen Egan Immediately requested "A
rehearing Lashed to the quick by
the allegations contained In Miles
testimony and in the subsequent In
terview which appeared in New York
newspapers. his indignation exceeded
the limits of his self-control and IN his
: efforts to deny the charges made. his
language became vituperative, extrav-
agant and highly improper.
Gen. Miles should have known that
, neither the secretary OF war nor the
, commissary general could legally alter
or add to the ration of the army.
The ration is fixed by law and its
components can be changed only by
tho president of the United States. II
Gen. Miles did not know that canned
fresh beef was part of the army IA.
ton, then he displayed ignorance in
an important matter of his profession
that Is to say the least most remark
able. II he did know canned fresh
beef was recognized part OF the ra,
ton, then his allegation TO the con
trary was SO much more reprehensible.
The allegations OF Miles that canned
fresh beef was not part OF the army
ration and that II was Issued as the
pretense of an experiment. were not
only contrary to fact but were made
, absolutely without a particle Of eyi
, dence or of excuse Fresh canned
beef was preferred over corned
a, canned beef because of the fact that
the salt in the latter produced thirst
, a decided objection In tropical coun-
try, but the timed beef should have
been used only when cooked with vege-
= tables and properly seasoned. In this
statement lies the secret OF the course
OF the complaint about canned fresh
beef. The only fault found with the
ration was that il was unpalatable
. when served without additional cook
, II ing and without vegetables and condi-
, ments.
After these charges were made by
Miles. the most expert and scientific
men in the country were therefore EN-
ployed by the government to further
the investigatlon-su physiological
chemists as Prof r. n. Chittenden Of
Yale, Prof. w. o. Atwater OF Wesleyan
, university az well as Or. w. ID. Bige.
/. low, chemist In the bureau Of animal
? husbandTy In the department OF agfi.
1 culture What did this
. tribunal And? That there was no
2 foundation for the charge that canned
: fresh beef was not part Of the ration,
1 or that it had been furnished as the
p pretense OF an experiment, or that IL
r was pulp from beef,
, Astounding as this statement may
seem Miles did not base his allega-
tons upon personal experience or sub
NIT any proof In support Of them. His
t startling and scandalous accusations
] appear to have been based entirely up.
on the verbal statements OF DR. w. II.
DAILY, volunteer major and a surgeon
upon his staff during the war with
Spain, and upon single letter subse-
quently sent him by this volunteer =
In conclusion. the eE-secretray says:
THE army had won It's battles in
Cuba and the Philippines; Porto Rico
had peacefully come into our hands.
after few skirmishes, the protocol
: MA t.nr Ipnr1tf,r 10 lvor fy.r