The board of survey, from all the evidence submitted to it and obtainable, made the following finding and recommendation, which were approved by Maj. Gen. Adna R. Chaffee, U. S. V., commanding the China relief expedition: The board finds that on the arrival of Maj. H. J. Gallagher, commissary of subsistence, U. S. V., in China, August 21, 1900, large quantities of subsistence stores mixed together in great confusion were scattered on the wharves at Tongku and Tientsin and at the depot at Tientsin; that this was due to a lack of transportation necessary in unloading, storing, and forwarding the shipments of stores being received in China, and further due to the urgent demand for shipment of needed rations and stores to Pekin, Matao, and other intermediate points where troops were stationed; that these shipments were so urgent that it was not possible to stop and check up the stores; that in the necessary hurry many mistakes in invoices were made, and in many cases stores had been lost through unskillful handling by men not familiar with the loading of stores on transports; that in all outlying detachments to which it was necessary to ship stores promptly to avoid suffering, there was but one subcommissary (that at Pekin), and it was frequently impossible to invoice the stores; that in many cases, owing to a similarity of packages containing different stores, articles were shipped that were not invoiced and others invoiced that were not shipped; that a quantity of perishable stores, such as potatoes, spoiled during transportation; that it was impracticable to have them acted upon by boards, and that when possible they were replaced, and that the amounts of such stores can not be fixed; that through the energy of Major Gallagher and his subordinates the command was kept supplied with rations, and that the conditions causing the loss of stores enumerated below were the natural result of the haste and confusion attending the rapid advance of the troops and the necessity of keeping them supplied. The board finds that Maj. H. J. Gallagher, commissary of subsistence, U.S. V., has taken up on his papers subsistence stores to the value of $20,988.46 more than has been invoiced to him, and that there has been a loss and now exists a shortage of subsistence stores, for which Major Gallagher is responsible, amounting in value to $9,139.43. On receipt of the proceedings of the board at this office they were returned to the Adjutant-General with the following indorsement, dated February 18, 1901: Respectfully returned to the Adjutant-General of the Army, with recommendation that before these papers are submitted to the Secretary of War they be referred to the officers of the supply departments in Manila for remark. Attention is invited to the condition of affairs, as pointed out in the certificate and affidavits herewith, particularly in that of Lieut. F. M. Savage, Fourteenth Infantry, U. S. A. The question is asked, to whom these stores were invoiced when they left Manila? It would appear that they should have been invoiced to Lieutenant Savage, although, from the statement of Major Gallagher, Lieutenant Savage was only in temporary charge and had not assumed responsibility for the property. After two and a half years' experience we ought to be able to put stores aboard a ship now and come closer than this to getting them to the party to whom they are invoiced. The reports from the officers of the supply departments in Manila showed that the Ninth Infantry left Manila in June, 1900, with thirty days' rations and a liberal supply of sales stores, invoiced partly to the commissary of the Ninth Infantry and partly to the commissary of the transport Logan; that General Orders, No. 49, Headquarters Division of the Philippines, 1900, directed the shipment of 450,000 rations and sales stores, and practically directed the establishment of a subsistence supply depot in China, with the commissary officer of the Fourteenth Infantry in charge; that these stores were shipped with the troops July 13 to 21, part of them invoiced to Lieutenant Savage and part to the depot commissary at Taku, China, which place they probably reached the latter part of July; that it would seem that for three weeks no one became responsible for them, though the headquarters at Manila had designated an officer for the purpose, and the stores were invoiced to him partly by name and partly by his official designation; that the stores were handled from four to eight times, the landing at Taku being most difficult, and were scattered from Taku to Pekin with no one in charge before Major Gallagher commenced to take stock; that the stores were in charge of Lieutenant Savage when handled in loading; that the vessels were necessarily prepared for departure with the utmost dispatch, and as a consequence stores had to be handled with a much less degree of care than under ordinary circumstances; that rough weather prevailed at the time of loading; and that there was a scarcity of European and American help of all classes, caused by many employees leaving their positions in order to go to China, necessitating the employment of a large number of Filipino stevedores who were inexperienced in handling stores on board ship. The original proceedings of the board of survey, accompanied by these reports, were submitted by this office to the Secretary of War on July 19, 1901, and by him approved on August 28, 1901. COST OF THE RELIEF EXPEDITION TO CHINA. The expenditures of the Subsistence Department in connection with the relief expedition to China were as follows: By the chief commissary United States forces in China... $56,000.00 310, 585. 54 307,562. 28 Total..... 674, 147.82 DIVISION OF THE PHILIPPINES. The operations of the Subsistence Department in the Philippines are shown by the subjoined reports from the chief commissary of the division, the chief commissaries of the departments of Northern and Southern Luzon and the department of Mindanao and Jolo, and the depot commissaries at Manila. HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE PHILIPPINES, The COMMISSARY-GENERAL UNITED STATES ARMY, Washington, D. C. SIR: In compliance with the directions in your circular letter of February 19, 1901, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Subsistence Department in this division during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901. During the first three months of the period covered by this report stores here had, for various causes, become greatly reduced, but owing to the grand response made by the Commissary-General to every call from this office and the energetic action of the purchasing commissaries in San Francisco and New York, this was speedily corrected, and this division was soon supplied as no other army of its size has ever been supplied in the world's history. During the period covered by this report the command to be supplied extended from the Great Wall of China on the north to the island of Borneo on the south and the island of Guam on the east. There were 480 stations in this archipelago, besides the troops in China and the prisoners in Guam. In addition to the 68,000 troops and 3,000 officers in this division, the Subsistence Department supplied the delicacies for the sick, rations for 4,000 prisoners of war, 1,800 marines, many of the stores for the navy, rations for 1,000 civilian employees, and sales stores for the army, navy, and marine officers, Philippine Commission and attachés, and Americans employed by the army and by the Government in its treasury, post-office, interior, and educational departments, metropolitan police, native police and scouts, transports, etc. In other words, nearly 100,000 persons, occupying a country almost destitute of meat and vegetables, and other food supplies suitable for Americans, were supplied largely from a single base, 7,000 miles distant. After the stores reached Manila they had to be landed in cascos and then distributed by steam vessels, one short railroad, by cascos and bancos poled up narrow rivers, by wagon and carabao carts along almost bottomless roads, by pack mules and coolies over mountain trails, often through a hostile country, and some of the posts supplied were more distant, in point of time, from Manila than is the capital of our country. Reports of army officers in China were, without exception, most favorable to the excellent service of the Subsistence Department. An English writer, comparing the troops of the allied armies, said: "The American commissary is undoubtedly far the best of all, and the American soldiers are best fed, both in peace time and in the field." To the colonel of each returning volunteer regiment a letter in substance like the following was addressed: "COLONEL: As you have had an extended experience prior to coming here, and in the Philippine Islands, I have the honor to request that you will please report upon the quality and the sufficiency of the food (rations and sales stores) furnished the troops under your command while serving in the Philippine Islands. "Any suggestions that will be of assistance to the future work of the Subsistence Department will be appreciated." Replies have already been received from nearly all of them, and indicate that the efficiency of the department in China was duplicated here. An extract from one of these, who was a volunteer enlisted man in the civil war, states: "I started from San Francisco June 27, 1898, and the temperature of the place where the enlisted men ate was such that from that day to this I have taken credit for service at mealtime in the Torrid Zone. The Commissary Department from that time to this, in supplying both rations and sales stores, has surpassed the wildest dream of the soldier of the civil war. As to variety and quality of ration elements and sales stores, I think the tendency is on the side of overdoing. I say this after watching for three years carefully and constantly. The Department deserves only thanks." The sale of subsistence stores to parties not authorized by regulations is constantly increasing, and placed a burden upon the Department that is hard to control. Everyone with a vestige of a claim is pressing for the privilege of purchase, and at times this office has suspected that the privilege was abused, but owing to the very nature of the business it is hard to keep accurate trace of, as Americans object to espionage of their households. In theory the sale is to enable employees to live upon their salaries, the price of subsistence stores being from one-half to one-third the market rates, but sales are made to many whose salaries are based upon extra cost of living here. The revenues of the insular government are decreased and the merchants deprived of legitimate business. The sales store in Manila has been efficiently conducted by Capt. F. H. Lawton. The total cost of labor for handling, accounting, selling, and delivering has been 4.9 per cent of the sales, the average monthly amount of which, notwithstanding the restrictions, has been $40,000, and the stores sold embrace nearly every article of food found in a first-class grocery store-spices, sauces, etc.; cigars, tobacco, and pipes; toilet soaps and laundry materials; tailors' materials, stationery, mineral waters, toilet articles, and sundries-and these articles are furnished to posts all over the archipelago. Many articles are supplied that have never been furnished to military posts in the United States. The quantities and varieties furnished were needed, because officers and enlisted men are almost wholly dependent upon the Subsistence Department, and climatic influences cause a capriciousness of appetite unknown in the United States. There is an alternate longing for sweets and acids, necessitating the supply of a great quantity of candy, jams, preserves, pickles, and sauerkraut. The chief commissary, Department of Northern Luzon, supplying 27,000 troops, said: "The sick report since July, 1900, has been reduced about 50 per cent, and is due largely to the unhesitating subordination of the Subsistence Department to the health and comfort of the troops, sparing nothing that would promote an efficient condition of supply." The fresh-meat supply has become one of the most difficult problems with which the Subsistence Department has had to contend. There has been a widespread epidemic of rinderpest, so depleting the stock of native cattle that in many places it was impossible to purchase beef, and in most cases the loss was great where the cattle were shipped in from the outside. As far as possible the use of frozen beef has been extended, no expense being spared to get it to the troops in good condition. Ice boxes are placed upon coast steamers. In places it is taken from refrigerator cars and shipped by carabao carts 60 miles into the interior, and in others 20 miles by pack mules. This beef is brought from Australia by naval supply vessels and is of excellent quality. The Department uses about 15 tons per day, and this furnishes seven-tenths fresh meat for 34,000 men. An improvement of water transportation that would give the Subsistence Department control of three vessels of 600 or 800 tons, with about 75 or 100 tons refrigerating and cold-storage capacity each, would enable the Department to furnish this meat regularly to nine-tenths of the troops in these islands, and with these and ice machines and cold storage at large posts losses will be at a minimum and comfort at a maximum. The Department, when it is possible to obtain it, furnishes 100 pounds of ice per day to each company, using all that it can get from the ice factories here, about 10 tons per day. The new ice and cold-storage plant went into operation about June 13, and will enable the Department to obtain an ample supply of ice, and also render the supply of fresh meat more certain. This cold-storage plant was originally asked for by this Department, but it has been transferred to the insular government, from whom ice is to be purchased and storage rented. The supply of fresh vegetables has been ample when possible to get them to the troops, and considering the perishable nature of these important articles of the ration and the distance from which they must be brought-America, Japan, China, India, and Australia-they are of excellent quality. When it was impossible to ship fresh vegetables, desiccated potatoes and onions have been furnished. A fine article, called beef stew, in one and two ration cans, containing a full quantity of beef and vegetables, has been furnished, and where fresh beef and vegetables can not be obtained it is an excellent substitute. Its perfect keeping quality has yet to be determined. The new emergency ration recommended by an army board, made under the direction of the Subsistence Department, has arrived, and from successful experiments made in the States it is expected to be of great value for detached service and scouting. Nearly every report, contrary to the idea of the theorists, indicates that the present army ration is about perfect for service in the Tropics. The recent addition to the amount of sugar, and the addition of pickles, leaves but little to be desired, although many competent to express an opinion desire more fresh meat; and it is a significant fact that the more abundant the issue of beef the less is the number on the sick report. Unless rice is forced upon the troops, they will take beans seven-tenths of the time and thrive upon them. It was found that the native ration, with its 2 pounds of rice and a little meat, did not keep the native prisoners in as good health as the army ration. The army ration was frequently recommended by the surgeons as a cure for beri-beri. Upon the recommendation of this office a new ration for native troops and one for prisoners was established, resulting in some saving in the cost and giving a variety better constituted to keep them in a healthy condition. During the period covered by this report about 35,000 men have been returned to the United States, and about 18,000 have arrived from China and the United States, and, so far as this office is informed, not a single serious complaint has been received of the food supplied. Under the direction of the present depot commissary, Maj. B. K. West, business is thoroughly systematized, efficiently managed, and, save for a lack of sufficient warehouse room (a deficiency which has existed from the first occupancy), everything is satisfactory. From July 1, 1900, to June 30, 1901, there was received at the depot (net weight): Ration articles Sales stores Total... Amount shipped out of depot during same period (net weight): Ration articles. Sales stores Total...... Pounds. 116, 554, 830 62, 444, 996 178, 999, 826 Pounds. 111,771, 509 57,022, 671 168, 794, 180 When it is understood that every pound of these amounts has to be carried on the backs of men (they will not use trucks) from 50 to 400 feet, in and out, and often piled in stacks more than 40 feet in height, checked twice going in and twice going out, the immense amount of work to be performed and care to be exercised can be appreciated. There has been some deterioration of stores, due to poor storage and climatic conditions. There is an accumulation of some stores, due to radical changes in the nature of field operations, from extended movements on a large scale to numerous short ones from many posts, in small numbers; to changes in the needs and desires of troops, which could not be foreseen, and to the long time (six months at least) that must elapse between calling for stores and learning the actual demand after arriving at posts; but this is being corrected by reduction in the amounts called for. There have been thefts, due partly to petty pilferings by laborers. This office had some bamboo tryers, intended for abstracting articles from sacks, which were taken from natives. There has been stealing on the cascos between vessels and the warehouses, and between warehouses and vessels, and when en route to distant posts. That is, the principal losses occur when the stores are not under the control or custody of the Subsistence Department, and some at the depots, but every effort has been made to reduce all this to a minimum. |