Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-08
ARMY TRANSPORTS
ALL THE REPORTS SENT TO THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Facts Brought Out by the Different In
vestigations of the Pacific
Ocean Service.

Secretary Root today sent an answer to
the House resolution adopted on the 10th
of March calling upon him, so far as COM
patible with the interests of the public
service, to inform the House of any and
all facts that have come TO his knowledge
as to the conduct of the transport service
between San Francisco and the Philippine
Islands," 1t appears from the Secretary s
letter of transmittal that, as part of the
answer, he has sent in the reports of In
spector General Chamberlain and Lieut.
Col Maus, the Withholding of which from
the Senate military committee subjected
the Secretary to criticism by the minority
members at yesterdays meeting. 1t ap-
pears that the Secretary held that accord
ing to the exact language of the Senate
resolution, these reports We're not called
for. The Senate comnlittee did ask for re-
ports from the officers named relative to
the transport of private goods between
San Francisco and the Philippines but
there was nothing in either of these re-
ports relating to that subject. and the Sec
retary consequently did not submit them
with the other correspondence to the SEN
ate committee.
ALI the Facts Furnished.
But the House resolution was in general
terms, calling for "all facts that have come
to his knowledge as to the conduct of the
transport service" so the Secretary has in
cuded these two reports in the vast mass
of papers submitted to the House today.
Because of the quantity of this matter,
the Secretary, in his letters of transmit
tai, states that he finds no other way of
informing the House than by transmitting
the ofhclal reports, and SO extensive are
these that 1t has not been found possible
TO copy some of them, and the originals
are used. Secretary Root includes in his
letter a copy Of an instruction sent out by
General CCrbn at his direction to the com
mandlnS general, Department Of California.
ordering "a thorough investigation into all
that relates to the transport service on the
Pacific coast, beginning with it's organiZa-
ton 20 the present. The investigation was
to be absolutely thorough, entering into the
minutest details of the conduct of affairs
in the operation of the transport service. 1t
is stated that nothing in the order is to
be construed to. indicate that any COM
plants have been made, or that. the de-
partment has any misgivihgs concerning
the administration of the transport service,
but the fact is that the Secretary simply
wants to be fully advised,
The Secretary's Statement.
Summarizing the results of this investiga.
ton, and in concluding his letter. the sec
retary says:
4 transmit herewith the original report
of the board of which Gen. Bates was
president, dated June 3 1906, together wit
the testimony and exhibits accompanying
the report; copy of. the port by Lieut..
Col. Maus of his investigated at San Fran
cisco, dated February 25, 1901: copy of
the report of Col. Sanger ef his investiga-
ton at Honolulu. dated April 20 1901; a
copy of The report of Col Maus Of his in
vestigation at Honolulu, dhted May IA,
1901, and a copy of the report of Lieut..
Col. Chamberlain of his investigation at
San Francisco, dated July II, 1901 together
with supplemental report made by him
dated August y, 1901.
Il transmit also copies of the statements
made by the officers of the transport serv-
ice regarding the subject matter of the
above mentioned inspection reports, and OF
all action taken thereon; and | also trans
the transport service and exhibiting the
method in which the business thereof is
conducted.
1T is believed that these documents will
place the House In full possession of the
facts, which have come to the knowledge
of the Secretary of War, as to the conduct
of the service mentioned in the resolution.
Although it is very inexpedient to publish
inspection reports which are.in their nature
confidential, it is deemed more for the pub
lie interest to take this course than to give
the House the necessarily imperfect view of
the facts which would be fcdnd in extracts
or condensed statement. Some of these
documents are voluminous that it has
been impracticable to make copies without
unduly delaying my response to the res0-
luton Of inquiry. The originals are there
quest that they be returIed to the War
Department after such examination as may
be desired, or after printing, In case they
shall be printed