| Show WHITWASH LAm GOOD AND THICK f Alger and the Beef Contractors Contrac-tors Vindicated k COMMISSION REPORT JUST AS EXPECTED r Alser Is Praised and General Miles Is Condemned 4 t Neither the Commanding General Nor Anyone Else Who Testified to Army Abuses Was Considered Worthy of Belief Miles Severely Criticised and AlgerCommended For His Conduct of the War Found No Embalmed Beef 4 Washington Feb SThe war investigating inves-tigating commission has now completed com-pleted its labors and its report will bIn b-in the hands of the president tomorrow The committee held a session today that extended well into the afternoon going over details Tomorrow the members mem-bers of the commission will meet at their old oflices attach their signatures signa-tures to the formal documents proceed in a body to the executive mansion inform the president that they have completed their mission and present their report The commission then will cease to exist The commissions quarters quar-ters will be vacated immediately and will be taken possession of by General Kennedy and Major Watkins who hold the newly created offices of advisers to the war department on colonial affairs The report of the war commission is a voluminous publication of 150 printed pages Each member has been supplied with a printed copy to retain and arrangements ar-rangements have been made so that the president will have as many printed print-ed copies as he wishes when he makes the document public The report makes an important feature fea-ture of the beef issue and dismisses asa as-a general proposition the charges that have been made against the beef furnished fur-nished the army It finds it is understood under-stood that most of the beef was such as could be properly furnished as an emergency ration pointing out that the evidence showed it never was intended to be anything but an emergency ration ra-tion It says there were only two witnesses wit-nesses who really testified against the beef General Miles and Major Daly the chief surgeon who made the report re-port regarded as the most sensational forwarded to the commission by General Gen-eral Miles As to the testimony of these two witnesses > the commission it is understood under-stood goes on to point out the mass of evidence submitted to the contrary as offsetting this testimony As to sucn of the canned beef as vas found to be objectionable the comnvssion points out the effect of the tropical climate in producing liquefaction of the fat in the meat and the consequent rendering render-ing of the contents unpalatable Most of the beef though is found to hae been satisfactory for emergency ue where fresh beef or beef on the hoof could not be procured The strictures of General Miles made public on the beef and his pJbic expressions ex-pressions in other ways it s understood under-stood are subjected to a severe criticism criti-cism The methods and manner of loading the transports in General Siia rs Cuban Cu-ban expedition are also discussed and responsibility placed for the results The report finds that the statements of chemical treatment made by General Miles on the authority of Major Daly are not borne out by the chemical experts ex-perts who were placed on the stand It quotes from Major Dalys testimony and then takes up the testimony of Chemists Clark and Bigelow who examined ex-amined the analysis of the b submitted sub-mitted and found as chemical experts that Major Daly is not supported by other chemical authorities and that therefore his testimony is regarded as not worthy of credence There are also said to be some recommendations rec-ommendations as to organization of certain branches of the army but it Is stated the recommendations are not radical As to the administration and condut t of the war the conclusions are understood under-stood to be that everything possible was done by the department in the lim ited time it had at its command in making its preparations for the war and the report says that the conduct of the war not only worked out successfully suc-cessfully but in such a way as to be worthy of great commendation The report says that the evidence before the commission shows that Secretary Sec-retary Alger exercised proper diligence and supervision and that his subordinates subordi-nates also were efficient experienced and faithful The commission is a unit on its report and there is no minority report At the outset the commission divided di-vided itself into subcommittees for the separate consideration of designated branches of the main subject of inquiry The subreports will be added to the principal statement of conclusions EAGANS LIGHT SENTENCE Will Draw Commissary Generals Pay During His Suspension Washington Feb SAn Interesting factor in connection with General Ea gans suspension from the army Wag developed today on inquiry at the war department Although General Eagan has been suspended without rank or duty he still remains commissary general gen-eral of the army drawing the pay of that office and there is no way in which he can be displaced until he is retired In this the army differs from the navy In that branch of the service ser-vice such staff appointments are made for a term of four years at the end of which time the incumbent may be changed or reappointed In the army the appointment is for the remaining term of service This was decided in the case of Judge Advocate General Swaim a number of years ago Though suspended from the army for twelve years he continued to be the judge advocate general although his duties were performed by Acting Judge Advocate General Liebel the present incumbent of the office and this state of things continued for n1n years during which time Genera Swaim continued to draw full pal while his deputy drew only the pay corresponding to the lower rank General Gen-eral Eagan is still in Washington and the acting commissary general Colonel John Weston is sick to New Tack I never having been able to ttfc his I place in Washington 1 |
