Virginian-pilot., February 21, 1899, Image 1

About Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911

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VOL. II?NO. 121.
NORFOLK, VA., TUESDAY, ITEttKUAHY 21, 1S99?TWELVE PAGES.
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ADMIRAL SCHLEY
DEFENDS HIMSELF
Resents Charges Recently
Made Against Him.
SAMPSON WAS UNGENEROUS
lit All t hill lie III?! aw Nccoutl III Com*
1:111 ntl ol Hie Norlli * 11 nit; ic Squntl
roil IIo Obeyed Orders I s on. III?
? U|?rrlora?A l>|i|?iiicb From Nniup?
?011 Wit held From lMibliclty Lo?
cution oi (orvcm'a Fleet ? Sum?
mitry <>r Fact,.
(Uy Telegraph to Virginia-Pilot.)
Washington, D. C, February 20.
Rear-Admiral W. s. Schley.havlng been
granted permission to answer the
charges made against him in the com?
munication recently sent to the Senate
to-day handed to the Committee on Na?
val Affairs Iiis statement, in which he
disclaims any purpose of controversy
with the Navy Department. The letter
of the Department, he says, so far as it
relates to him, can be summarized un?
der the following heads:
"The delay off Cionfuegos; the al?
iened slow progress toward Santiago do
Cuba from Cienfucgos; the retrograde
movements on the 26th and 27th of
May; the battle of Santiago, and the
destruction of Cervora'a fleet."
The Admiral says his orders from
Sampson on May 19th were to blockade
Cienfucgos, which ho proceeded to do.
On his arrival he sent Commander Mc
Calla, of the Marblehead, ashore to es?
tablish relations with the insurgents,
the result of which was made known
to him at :!::!(( on May 24th. Then for
the first time he learned definitely that
the Spanish licet was n.it at Cienfuc?
gos. Within two hours he started for
Santiago.
ACTED UNDER ORDERS.
"What possible ground of criticism,"
lie says, "adverse to me there can be
in all tills, i do nol see. 1 was on the
JB.U9i_.? v Upg...UUltlW. OOieUSt'. whv,;h ,gaye
me entire discretion, and j>cl clothed
me with the responsibility of going to
Santiago,* only after 1 was satisfied
that the fleet was not at Cionfuegos.','
He quoted from the dispatch of Samp
Boll ol* May 20th, in which the latter
says Schley should "hold his fleet off
Clenfuegos. if the Spanish ships have
put Into Santiago, they must come eith?
er to Havana or Cienfucgos to deliver
the munitions "f war which they are
said to bring for use in Cuba. I am,
therefore, of tl opinion that the best
chance to caj : those ships will be
to bold the tu tits, Clenfuegos and
Havana, with all the force We van
muster, if later It should develop that
these vessels are at Santiago, we can
then assemble off that port, the ships
best suited for the purpose, and com?
pletely blockade it. Until we, then, re?
ceive more positive Information we
shall continue to hold Havana and
Clenfuegos."
WITH ELD FROM PUBLICITY.
Admiral Schley adds:
"This letter Is not printed either in
the appendix or executive document c,
but 1 leceivcd it on the 2'id, and it
shows that 1 was expected to hold my
squadron oi"C Cienfucgos."
As to slow progress toward Santiago
on account of the Eagle, he states that
s'n ? was a part of the rbTctr which Ad?
miral Sampson und seen lit to send him,
and lit! had no right to abandon her.
Speaking of "the petrogade move?
ments," which the Secretary, adapting
the language of Admiral Sampson,
characterizes ns reprehensible con?
duct," Admiral Sclllcy nays that in i'2
years' service "never was such lan?
guage used to characterize conduct of
mine, and I see no reason for it now."
He adds.
LOCATION OF CERVERA'S FLEET.
"Acting In accordance with my best
judgment, In view of the circumstances,
without certain knowledge of the
v. hereabouts of that Spanish fleet, after
having been Informed by the scouts
commanded by mich officers as Slgsbce,
Jewell, and Wise, that although they
had teen f)rr Santiago for a week, they
had seen nothing of it, and know noth?
ing of us whereabout**, since it had left
Curacoa, after having been assured by
Slgsbee, that he did not believe it was
in Santiago, and by the emphatic dec
laratli n of the pilot Nunez, and know?
ing that as the sea and weather then
were, it Would lie impossible to coal my
squadn rt off the port, I deemed it best
to take the action I did, the final re?
sult of which was the location of the
enemy's Reel in Santiago harbor."
As to the battle of Santiago, Admiral
Schley fays tho facts of that contest
epeak for themselves. He quotes from
his official report to Sampson, in which
ho congratulated the commander of the"
squadron, and said the "victory seems
big enough for all of us."
CONTRAST WITH SAMPSON ASKED
He asks the committee to contrast his
reports to those of Sampson, containing
references to himself, nnd continues:
"As to all tills criticism of my course
pr.or to the discovery by me on May
2Dth of Cervera's fleet, whether from
Adnvral Sampson or the Department,
none of it has ever been made by
either to me; and I never heard of a
word from any one, until after the bat
tic with that fleet, although more than
five weeks had passed since the alleged
'reprehensible conduct' bad occurred."
SUMMART OF FACTS.
Admiral Schley then submits a long
detailed statement of the facts he
summarized in the foregoing, which is
in reply to a request by chairman
Hale, of the Naval Committee:
"The commanding officer of the Har?
vard reported that ho did not have coal
enough to reach any home base and
could not steam beyond twenty-four or
thirty hours, which, the Admiral says,
forced him to send the .Harvard to
Kingston; the Yale and Minneapolis
could reach Key West, and the St.
Paul could remain at most oft the port
for but two days. The Brooklyn, Iowa
and Massachusetts were fairly well ^IT
with coal, but the Texas. Marblehcad
and. Vixen were considerably reduced.
The projecting sponson of the Texas
and Marblehead made it dangerous to
coal them alongside the collier with
any swell on the open sea.
"It was this situation." says the
statement, "coupled with the conclu?
sion that the Spanish squadron might
have touched and then moved west,
as reuorted at Cienfuegos, and rein?
forced by the fact that Slgsbce had
not seen them, and that the pilot
Nunez was strongly impressed with
the doubt that this squadron could
enter the port, which occasioned my
telegram of May 2711) "
A DECISIVE CONFLICT ORDERED.
Captain Slgsbce Is quoted its con
firming the opinion as t.> the difllculty
of coaling oft Santiago. He gives the
details of the absolute local ion of the
Spanish squadron inside the harbor on
May 29, which discovery was. the Ad
I mlrul says, the result of a determina?
tion to satisfy himself fully before
leaving for llie west, (in llie Hist ho
made a reconnassaince to develop the
enemy's position und incident 1y to in?
jure or destroy, if possible, the <"'don
moored well up in the harbor.
Admiral Sclllcy quotes the depart?
ment's dispatch of May 2'J in these
words:
"The department looks to you to as?
certain the fact of the presence of the
enemy, and that the enemy, if in the
harbor at Santiago, does not leave
without decisive action." Commenting
on this the Admiral says:
"In obedience to the above order and
without any further order or instruc?
tion front any one. T did ascertain the
fact that the enemy was at Santiago
and the enemy did not leave without a
decisive cunlUeU^
CLOTHED WITH RESPONSIBILITY.
Detailing the events connected with
the battle of duly 3d, he says thai at
SMS of that day Admiral Samps in made
signal from his flagship. "Disregard
movements of the Commandcr-in
Chlcf," and steamed eastward to
Siboney. "This." says Admiral
Schley, "left me, tho senior of?
ficer present and necessarily clothed
me with the responsibility of the com?
mand." Continuing, he declares that
when the enemy's vessels came out of
the harbor signal was made from the
Brooklyn this flagship) to tin- licet lo
"clear ship for action." Then followed
tin- signal "close action," and this by
tlie signal, "the enemy escaping to
westward." Following the appearance
I of the Spanish fleet there was a. general
inward movement of the American ves?
sels, closing in and engaging It.
MOVEMENTS OF THE VESSELS.
Explaining the movements of the ves?
sels of both fleets he says tho Spanish
'tlttTt??wa:? frbWlhiS westward under high
speed and "changing course more to
westward brought the Brooklyn head?
ing eastward to meet it, into a posi?
tion where she would have blanketed
the fire of the eastern vessels of our
force now changing their courses to the
westward and between them and the
Spanish vessels."
"Instant decision." he continues."was
therefore necessary lo avoid interfering
in any way or cutting oft any of the lire
of our vessels, as would have occurred
If she had turned toward the Spanish
fleet now approaching the Brooklyn.
Turning outward h ft the enemy's ships
unmasked by the Brooklyn and exposed
them to the concentrated lire of our
squadron. The result of this manoeuvre
was that In thirty minutes from the
opening of the combat four of the
enemy's vessels were on fire and riddled
with projectiles.
??*?*?????
SAMPSONS LATE ARRIVAL.
At the final capture of the colon at
1:15 n. in. the Brooklyn was nearest,
Hit? Oregon next and then the Texas
and Vixen. The New York arrived at
J:2:t p. m. and the commander-in-chief
assumed command of the squadron.
Signals were made from the Brooklyn
to the squadron until all signal hal
yards were shot away, and then by the
?Myers army code."
DECIDING FEATURE OF COMBAT.
In conclusion. Admiral Schley con?
tends that the turn of the Brooklyn
in the battle of the 3d was "the crucial
and deciding feature of the combat and
of decided advantage."
Furthermore, he says it is a mis?
take to say that the vessel's distance
from the enemy was increased lo the
[ extent of SOO yards, and adds:
"Though this may not be of record, il
is a fact nevertheless." He cites the
fact that the charts of the Board of
Navigators shows that the Brooklyn
was the nearest when it emerged from
the harbor, nearest at every stage of
the battle and nearest the Colon when
it surrendered, and given many con?
firmatory details of his flagship's ac?
tive and effective participation in the
bnt tie.
He says he made no report of his
menneouver in his report of the bat?
tle, as Its effect upon the battle was
never a question with him. His last
paragraph reads:
SAMPSON CONTRADICTS HIMSELF
"On Mny 31 I received a telegram
from the commandcr-ln-ehlcf congratu?
lating me on my success In locating
and blockading the enemy's fleet at
Santiago if it was worthy of com?
mendation at that time I nm at n loss
to understand how It could have grown
Into 'reprehensible conduct,' as sug?
gested by Admiral Sampson in his let?
ter of July 10, 1S9S, some six weeks
' later."
fivw sJccret.'iry ??l tlie I tiler I or.
(By Telegraph la Vlrglnian-PllOt.)
Washington; Feb. 20.?Mr. Ethan Al?
len Hitchcock, of Missouri, recently
United States Ambassador to Russia,
to-day took the prescribed oath and en?
teis upon his duties as Secretary of
j the Interior.
OTHER TELEGRAPH PAGE 6.
j CLASSIFICATION OF NEWS.
BY DEPARTMENTS.
Telegraph News?Page I.
Local News?Paces 2, 3, 5 and 6.
Editorial?Page 4.
i Virginia News -Patres 8 and o.
I North Carolina News?Page it.
i Portsmouth News?Pages lOand II.
Berkley News?Page 6
! Markets?Page 12.
j Shipping - Page 12.
COMPENSATION FOR
THE PHILIPPINES
Lively Debate in the House
of Representatives.
BROWN-SWANSON CONTEST
I'MMfCof BUI to l*ity Spain Ttrciiiy
Minion* or Dollars-Mr. Wheeler,
or Kentucky, Vtiju Ilia ttmnccw
to i in< Administration - l'nsml MM*
ii ! h Considered in ili? Hcnitte
rubllo Uu tiding For Mclma,
(By Telcsrfiph lo Virctnlan-rilot.)
Washington, Fob. JO.?This was sus?
pension day in the House. Some minor
business was transacted by unanimous
consent.
Tbc Senate amendments to a number
of private pension bills were adopted.
Mr. Grow (Rep., of Pennsylvania)
asked unanimous consent for the con?
sideration Of a bill to p ay the heirs of
Samuel Tewksbury, of Scranton, Pa.,
$5,697 for a war claim, and when con?
sent was refused the Speaker recog?
nized him to move Its passage, under
suspension of the rules.
?Mt. Maddox (Dem., of Georgia) op?
posed ilic bill on the ground that it
was an unjust discrimination against
a similar class of claims in the House.
Th'.? bill was defeated 128 to 77. two
thirds not having voted in the affirma?
tive.
EXTENSION OF MAIL SERVICE.
Mr. Loud tltep., of California) moved
the passage under suspension of the
rules Of the Senate bill to extend the
Uses of tin: mail service. The bill is
to legalize the use of the return cn
velope and postal cards of the United
stait s Economic Postage Association.
This bill was also defeated TJ.'i to 97,
two-thirds having again failed to vote
to suspend the rules.
Thursday was set aside for the con?
sideration of District of Columbia bus?
iness subject 10 appropriation bills ana
the contested election of Brown vs.
Swan-son, which Mr. <"rumpaeker niPjf.,'
of Indiana) gave notice he would again
call up on that day.
STATIC WAR CLAIMS.
Mr. Ma hon (Rep., of Pennsylvania)
moved the passage under suspension of
the Senate bill to reimburse Governors
of States for expenses incurred by them
In tlie organization of volunteers for
service in the war with Spain.
Mr. Mahon said there were claims
from the various States for this work,
aggregating over $3,000,000. Under the
existing law only $i;?0.ooo of these
chums had been liquidated. The pas?
sage of this act was necessary for the
settlement of the remainder. The
Elouse amendment, lie said, would com?
pel Ihe Governors of the States to pro?
duce detailed vouchers and the reim?
bursement would be made through the
government's accounting offices.
The bill was passed, l?? to lf>.
PAYMENT FOU PHILIPPINES.
Mr. Cannon, chairman of the Appro
print ions Committee, was then recog?
nized and by the direction of his com?
mittee, moved the passage, under Bus
pension of the rules, of the bill for the
payment of 120,000.000 to Spain.
Mr. Dockery (Democrat, Missouri)
asked unanimous consent to offer an
amendment declaratory nf the policy
of the United States relative to the
Philippines.
"Regular order," "regular order."
shouted a dozen members on the Re?
publican side.
"By direction of the Appropriations
Committee,"' said Mr. Cannon. "I am di?
rected to decline to accept that amend?
ment. I could not if 1 would, and 1
would not if I could."
Mr. Wheeler (Democrat, Kentucky)
demanded a second, which was ordered.
1(17 to 11.
This permitted 'JO minutes for debate
on each side. Mr. Cannon called atten?
tion to the- fact that a few days ago.
when the appropriation was stricken
from the Sundry Civil bill, he had pre?
dicted thai a way would be found with?
in tho rules to pan it. In Iiis opinion
nine-tenths of the members of the
House fa.vorcd it.
Mr. Dockery again naked unanimous
consent fur the consideration of his
amendment, which, he said, was a com?
bination -of the McEncry and Bacon
resolutions. Again Mr. Cannon object?
ed.
Mr. Clayton (Democrat, Alabama)
said be did not think the President and
the Peace Commissioners had been wise
in insisting upon the cession of the
Philippines, but sine,, tin- treaty was
concluded, he had believed there was
hut one thing to do?ratify the treaty
(Republican applause).
WRONG AND INFAMOUS.
Mr. Wheeler, Democrat, of Kentucky,
upon whose objection the appropriation
went out of the sundry civil bill, d( -
clarcd he would vole against it with
great pleasure. He was opposed to it
because he believed it wrong in princi?
ple and infamous In oxe< ution. He was
not afraid of giving offense to some
effete and decaying monarchy of the
Old World. He declared the Adminis?
tration was a soldier of fortune. [I
lacked the nerve and pluck to declare
its purpose. Micawber-llko, it was
waiting for something to turn up. The
war begun for humanity had degener?
ated into a war of bloody extermina?
tion, that would disgrace the pages of
history. Mr. Wheeler criticised the
methods of the Appropriations Commit?
tee and in conclusion declared he would
stand by what he believed to be right.
Mr.cannon concluded the debate with
a brief speech, emphasizing the Idleness
of a declaration Of policy at this time,
when our troops were fighting to pre?
serve order. When the authority of
the United States was acknowledged,
then with due regard to our own H tlf
r es pect, having in mind on own best
Interests, as well as those of the Fili?
pinos, we could decide what to do.
The vote was then taken by ayes and
noes upon the demand of Mr. Wheeler.
The bill was passed?219 to 31.
EMBALMED BEEF
NOW ON TRIAL
The Miles Court of Inquiry
Begins Work.
COMMANDING GENERAL HEARD
lie Informs Ills Interrogators Why
llc noil Mat Report i<i Hid Comutts
Nnry Ucucrnl-Dora >ot consider
tiunicd Beel* .Hont-oilier Oftleer?
Testily Hint Kcrrlsjorator Ueel
IVns |r?Irly Good, lint tlae tu mini
Article IVna Worthless.
(By Telegraph to Virgtnlan-Pllot.)
Washington, d. Februaty 20.?Tho
M lea court of Inquiry to-day made a
g..id st.ir; on Its work. The court wan
comfAitu bly quartered In the eld mfct
ing loom of the War Investigating
Comm sslon, In the Lemon building,
with accommodations for representa?
tives of the press associations and the
local payers. calls of ceremony on the
President and the general coiamundlng
the army occupied a large part of th.:
forenoon and immediately thereafter
General Nelson A. Miles appeared as
the first witness.
He and three other army ofl.cers sutn
mcned as witnesses were examined and
disposed of lief..re the court closed its
scrsion, at 3 o'clock.
A CONTRAST.
General Miles appeared in fatigue
null. riii. rath r striking In it.? contrast
with tho display of scarfs, bullion and
but torn, ot the full dress uniforms >'f
the court. He submitted to the qucs
llonlng of Colonel Davis, recorder of the
com:, with equanimity, except for a
Hash ot mingled Indignation and irony
when be informell the recjider that lie
was not compelled i>? "report"' t" Hie
Coininlsrary General of '.he Army. This
was in reply lo a question as to whether
or no: he had reported n the Commis?
sary 1 opart Hunt the fact that com?
plaints had been made to him as to the
quality of meal being Issued Jo the
. troops-. An instant later General Miles
resumed 1 Is cool and i'ttriifuliy consid?
ered replies to the Inquiries of the
court.
MILKS IS SLOW AND careful.
General Miles was very slow and
careful in his replies to the recorder's
questions on ibis point. He called at?
tention to the fact that In both In?
stances he was credited In the inter?
views with refusing t?i answer certain
questions, and insisted that these re?
fusals should be given due weight in
considering the questions to which he
did reply, lie raid in the case of the
interview of February l that he had a
letter from the man who wrote the
story offering to swear that General
Miles hud refused to be interviewed,
and that the whole story was made up
in tlie ofllce from iho writer's general
[knowledge of the facts. Notwithstand?
ing this, when his llnnl answer was
asked as to the authenticity of the in?
tor view, General Miles did not specifi?
cally deny it. but merely said that it
did in>: quite fairly represent his own
opinion In tlie case. The same qualified
denial as to tile Journal interview of
December S3 was made, leaving tin'
witness on record as not assuming any
responsibility for the newspaper state?
ments, but tacitly admitting that there
was a good deal in them with which
ho agreed.
tiik TREND OK questions.
The trend of finest ions put to the
otiir-r witnesses of the day Indicated
that so long as they agreed with Gene?
ral Miles as to the quality of the meat
furnished the troops in the field, the
only criticism of their position the
court had to make was ?/hy they had
not taken some official s:c;.s to have
the matter remedied at the time. In
every instance tlie reply was that the
circumstances in which tlie army was
placed in n sickly foreign country, with
a large amount Of lighting ami a great
scarcity of transportation on hand,
precluded the possibility of any such
action. In each the question v. as
pushed no further on this line.
an erroneous interview.
General Miles during his testimony
as t > the Herald Interview, pointed out
that the interview was erroneous in
that where- it represented him to have
said that he had overwhelming evi?
dence that ihe refrigerated beef was
treated with chemicals, the fact was
that his only evidence was what was
contained in the reports of officers ami
statements of men who claimed that
the beef had the ...lor of an embalmed
body; that they had seen fluid Injected
Into beef, and other Indications of
chemical treatment.
Colonel Davis, recurrlpg to the state?
ment of General Miles before tin- War
Commission, asked him what his Idea
as to the beef supply for the army
was when war broke out.
usage: of a century ignored.
Replying, General Miles said while
his attention was occupied with
weightier matters of mobilization and
of equipment of troops, he felt confi?
dent that tin- usage of an hundred
years would be followed, and cattle
herds would be shipped to the army in
the tropics and killed there, just as
they had been through the South dur?
ing the Civil war?In Arizona, Texas
and in Mexico, where it was so hot that
a soldier could not sit upon the rocks.
He understood Cuba and Porto Rico
were excellent grass countries, and cat?
tle could be shipped and kept in prime
condition. He reviewed his action in
cabling the Department to send no
more refrigerated beef to Porto Rico
"While he was there. Unding It possible
to use beef on the hoof.
STILL SUPPLYING KM HA KM KD
beef.
Genera! Miles said that he under
8 to id that our troops In Porto Rico
were still being supplied with a form
of refrigerated beef, although the coun
try was as good a grass country as in
any In the world, and the cattle there
? ere plentiful.
"Do you think.*' continued Colonel
Davis, "that the native beef would keep
.i" well as the refrigerated beef in th?
absence of cooling apparatus on
shore?"
"1 am quite sure it would, unless the
refrigerator beef was chemk ally-treat
ed with preservatives. If it was treat?
ed so as to keep for 72 hours after dom?
ing out of the coolers, of course it had
the advantage of the native beef so far
as keeping goe*."
THE FIRST INQUIRY.
General Miles said the first com?
plaints on the canned roast beef he
heard nt Tampa from some of the
Rough Riders, and then again aboard
the \.;'.o. when the men declared they
could not eat it. Again he heard com?
plaints of it In the trenches at Santla
G ? What finally drew Iiis attention
seriously to the matter was the reports
of officers that the whole Fifth corps
was weak and prostrated. This was In
August, w hen the question Of a parade
through New York was broached. Gen?
eral Rates at that time reported that
onh about one-fifth of the men at
Montauk Point wer.- in condition to
march through New York. General
Miles said this seemed to him remark?
able, as theto was no yellow fever at
the Point, and he thought the men cer?
tainly ought to be over their malaria,
lie. therefore, ordered an inquiry into
the beef about which there bad been
so much complaint.
"Did you report this matter at the
time to the Commissary General's of?
fice?" asked Colonel Davis.
A Fl ?RCEFUL REPLY.
General Miles leaned forward, draw?
ing his brows to a furrow, and replied
forcefully:
"I em not required, sir. to report to
the Commissary General."_
"Well, did you report It to the Sec?
retary of War." asked Colonel Davis,
pleasantly.
General Miles. In reply, went at some
length Into an explanation of the rou?
tine of army headquarters, showing
why be preferred to conclude his In?
quiry so that be might have something
tangible to present to the Secretary.
Finally he issued his orders to officers
to i ??port upon I be natality of beef fur?
nished, lie did not report directly to the
Secretary of War because under a rule
of ISsO the order should go from the
Adjutant General to the Secretary.
Ills attacks upon the canned and re
frlgerated beef before (be Wer Com?
mission were then taken up specifically.
Colonel Davis reading testimony of the
Commanding General. In which be re?
ferred lo It as "embalmed" beef, nnd
said It bad been sent as "n pretense of
experiment."
CA NN KD BEEF NOT MEAT.
Gencrnl Miles was naked If he knew
when war began that canned roast
beef was a part of the army ration.
This question brought out a partial ex?
planation of Ills using the phrase "pre?
tense of experiment." He said be did
not know that canned roast beef was a
part of the army ration, though In
1SSS an onler had been issued, including
canned, corned or fresh beef. He did
no I understand the canned beef now In
question w as meat. When his attention
was Dually attracted to the canned
roast beef, recently Issued, he assum?
ed, he declared, that "It was being Is?
sued ns an experiment," since it was
not understood by him that canned
roast beef was a part of the regular
ration.
NO IMPUTATION OF FRAUD.
I Continuing this explanation in an?
swer to n question <?f Colonel Davis.
General Miles sahl he thought his use
of "pretense of experiment" was un
I fortunate and he disclaimed any inten?
tion to Impute fraud to anyone.
"So far os indicating fraud." he said.
"I wish to state that no such Inference
was intended. It was perhaps an un
fortunntc expression .and had my at?
tention been called to it I might have
amended it to say "on the theory of an
experiment." Ai matter of fact It
was nn cxpcrln t and a very costly
one."
TUR FIRST COMPLAINTS.
Replying to a question General Miles
said he first heard complaints against
refrigerated beef at Ponce. The first di?
rect statement thai It had been treat?
ed chemically came, he believed, from
Dr. Daly, who prscnted it late In Sep?
tember, and appeared subsequently be?
fore the War Commission.
He said he did not recollect whether
Dr. Daly's report was volunteered or
I whether he had been ordered to inves
' tigate and report oh the meat.
It was general talk among the officers
at I'.nice. General Miles continued, that
i the refrigerated beef must have been
subjected to some chemical treatment
to make it keep for seventy-two hours.
CHARACTERIZATION OF ARMY
M EAT.
General Miles then read a long sum?
mary of loo letters received by him at
army headquarters, giving the various
terms In which the army meat was
characterized- These Included "em?
balmed." "decomposed," "injected,"
"poisoned." "spoiled" and the like.
In addition he showed a summary of
reports on refrigerated beef con?
demned and thrown overboard from
transports. C. C. Yeamans, from the
Yosemlte, reported tin- condemnation of
S.000 pounds; Lieutenant Colonel O'Nell,
of the steamship ?'bester. 4.000 pounds;
Colonel James Hamilton Lewis, 10,000
pounds.
Colon- ! Gillcsplc took a hand in the
inquiry when General Miles finished de?
scribing th.> nauseating qualities of the
I canned and refrigerator beef.
"Dili you. General, ever eat any of
this Ik i Colonel Gtllespie asked.
"I presume 1 did. about the lime we
were at Ponce." said General Miles
with some hesitation. "Yes, I presume
I did "
"Then." said Colonel Gillespie. "it has
not such characteristic qualities as
would Dcrmlt you to detect it off
hand?"
"No. sir."
COL VAN HORNE'S TIOSTIMONY
c; ifta! Miles then left the witness
.hair and Lieutenant Colonel Van
Home, "f the Thirteenth Infantry, was
sworn. He said he was at the out?
break of the war major of the Twenty
second Infantry and was through the
entire cui>.m campaign.
Witness said he hud used all kinds,
canned, ? orned, refrigerated and canned
I roast beef. He said the criticisms of
the canned roast beef began early and
were made Often. It was objected to on
the score of its lack of nutriment, its
taste and its appearance.
(Ccntlnucd on Sixth Page.)
LIVELY TIMES IN
SPANISH CORTES
A Protest Against Ceding
the Philippines.
THE MINISTRY DENOUNCED
I lie ?.:i 11 erica Applaud Urclnrntion
Iii >i l ihn fir n cm la i n;iisnl In ilio
IVnr In 4 nbn Wore Fiillnrcs-Blau*
ro Accepts Kcaponslblllly For
Kveitis iinrius: in* t'ontiiiniid?or
?irrnl lo Murrender iiibn-IVby
UniiinitfO Wit* Attacked.
("fly T'Oecrieh to V"lrginan-Pllot.>
Madrid, Fob. 10.?The Cortes reassem
bled to-day. Tho galleries In both
chambers were htronged with an ex
pectant crowd. The Senate was very
full, hardlj a single genera) being an
Fcnt.
Senor Montero Itios, i>resldent of the
Senate, in opening the proceedings, pro
nounceil an eulogy upon M. Faure, and
a resolution of condolence with France
was adopted unanimously. >
Senor Sngasta. the Premier, then
.-Proposed to refer tiie bill provldlng-fo
the cession of the Philippines to the
United States to a special committee,
but this the Conservatives protested
against, declaring that the bill ought
to be conscientiously discussed, and Se?
nor Sagasta withdrew his proposal.
CONDUCT OF GENERALS.
Count d'Almenns then brought up the
question of the conduct of the generals
engaged in the war in Cuba, declaring
that-General Prlmo de Rivera. General
Wcyler, General Rlanco, Admiral Oer
vera and General 1.innres had proved
failures. This declaration elicited much
applause' from the public naileries, In
consequence of which several of the
spectators were expelled from the
chamber.
GENERAL UPROAR PROVOKED.
Observing that lie would deal with
the "shameful capitulation of Santia?
go," Count d'Almenas^isked the house
whether ho should proceed, and was an?
swered wdth cries of "yes" and "no,"
nnd a general uproar ensued. A repeti?
tion of tlie query provoking still great?
er tumult. Senor Sagasta rose and de?
fended the government, and its Span?
ish Peace Commission. The Prlmler
criticised America's "unjustified con?
duct." and said that everything might
be discussed concerning the war. be?
ep use the cases of tho generals were
still sub-judicc."
A SANGUINARY VIEW.
count d' \lmenns resumed his attack
upon the Generals, and complained that
"five month.- had elapsed, and not a
single General had been shot." This
gave rise to another tumult, and Count
d'Almenns w as called to .order. Again
he asked why the Generals who capitu?
lated had not been executed. It la
quite true, he declared, that the army
is an army of lions, led by asses. Cap?
tain General L'lanco's administration in
I'll!) i wai deplorable, he said, but he
was not respi nslble for the surrender of
Santiago.
Recriminations continued between
f mnt d'Almcnas and Lieutenant Gene?
ral Correa, the Minister of War, and
there v.ai renewed disorder. Then Gen?
eral Prim.i de Rivera arose and de?
nounced count d'Almcnas us a "con
temptihle caluinitiator."
BLANCO ACCEPTS RESPONSI?
BILITY.
General Rlanco followed, defending
the Generals and accepting full -re
sponslbllit;' for events In Cuba during
his command in the Island. General
Marges also denounced Count d'Alme
naa a calumniator.
After a promise on the part of Count
d'Almenas t > produce proofs of his as?
sertions to-morrow tho Senate ad?
journed.
In the Chamber a resolution of con?
dolence with France over the death of
President Faure was unanimously
adopted.
Senor Sllvola, leader of the Dissi?
dent Conservatives, moved a vote sign?
ed by the Conservative Deputies, cen?
suring this government for its Indiffer?
ence to the country's troubles.
Till: .ministry DENOUNCED.
Senor Annix, in seconding the mo?
tion, denounced tho Ministry for ac?
cepting the war through fear of the
Carlists, and declared that the coun?
try was now suffering the consequence
of the government's pusillanimity. He
proceeded to detail the lack of prepara?
tions nnd of war materials, and
charged the government with responsi?
bilities for the surrender of Santiago,
"which they ordered, although the gar?
rison there numbered -?.000, and there
was BUfllclent provisions in the place
for three months." This declaration
created a sensation.
SURRENDER OF CUBA ORDERED.
In proof that hte government was re?
sponsible for the surrender of Cuba,
Son r Annlx read telegrams from
Senor Sagasta and Lieutenant General
Corrca General Rlanco, ordering tho
surrender of Cuba as a means of sav?
ing Porto Rico and the Philippines,
and preserving order in the peninsula.
He also read General Blanco's tele?
gram n reply, opposing the surrender,
but agreeing to obey the government's
order.
WHY SANTIAGO WAS ATTACKED.
Senor Annix added that President
McKinley had tolegrapmed to General
Shatter that the surrender of Santiago
[had been nrransed with the Madrid
. ; ? ? nment and. therefore, he must
intlkc a sort Of sham attack.
Captain Aunon, Minister .of Marine,
(btcrposed at this point, saying ho be
He- 1 this story to be Incorrect, where?
upon Senor Annix repeated the state?
ment that Premier Sagaata had ordered
the surrender of Cuba in oidcr to save
[ibc monarchy.