A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



tents of which quickly spoil. A carload of canned 

 meats opened in Georgia, with a few burst leakers, 

 would convince any normal person who stuck his 

 nose In the car that the whole car was rotten. When 

 the investigation came there was plenty of testimony 

 from soldiers who had gone stale on roast beef 

 that it was not a wholesome ration. The fault was 

 not with the product but rather with its excessive 

 use. During the investigation I was asked whether 

 I had not discouraged the use of roast beef, and 

 urged the substitution of canned bacon. I replied 

 that I had followed Gen. Weston's thought of canned 

 bacon and my own persistent attempts to introduce 

 it in both the American and English armies, with 

 great success in the latter, but at no time had I 

 ever urged against roast beef. 



I shall not attempt to follow the detail of the 

 investigation, which resulted in a Scotch verdict, 

 and a firm imprint in the public mind that it was 

 unwholesome, with an automatic throw-out from 

 commissary supplies. The startling thing which I 

 wish to record is that while I was in the office of 

 the commissary general, Gen. Weston, some months 

 after the investigation, I was shown a cablegram 

 from Gen. McArthur, then stationed in the Philip- 

 pines, ordering an appreciable quantity of canned 

 roast beef. Gen. Weston replied that, in view of 

 public opinion, he did not feel justified in filling the 

 order. Gen. McArthur replied that a canned, un- 



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