After the ship Maine exploded near the port of Havana on the night of February 15, 1898, the United States of America made the decision to intervene militarily against Spain in the Cuban War of Independence. The objective was to put an end to Spanish presence in this region, which was located just a few hundred kilometers away from the coast of Florida.
Approximately three and a half months later, Washington successfully eliminated Spanish influence in the area, coinciding with their acquisition of the Philippines through a negotiated agreement with Madrid. Amidst the ongoing American-Spanish war, the administration of US President William McKinley faced a major setback due to the scandal involving spoiled and adulterated meat. American soldiers, while stationed on the front lines, consumed food that consisted of rotten meat, resulting in various diseases.
Rotten meat
The outbreak of war near the American coast caught the American army off guard, leaving them ill-prepared. In a rush, US Secretary of War Russell Alger hastily struck a deal with local institutions to supply his soldiers with meat in exchange for a small sum of money. However, these institutions took advantage of the situation and deliberately compromised the quality of their products to maximize profits.
As a result, the American forces stationed in Cuba received poorly preserved and canned beef that was riddled with preservatives. This tainted meat posed a serious health risk to the soldiers, leading to a wave of dysentery and food poisoning. Tragically, some soldiers even lost their lives due to the excruciating pain caused by the spoiled meat affecting their digestive systems.
To make matters worse, the American soldiers also had to contend with other prevalent diseases in Cuba, such as yellow fever and malaria. The similarity in symptoms between these diseases and food poisoning initially masked the true cause of the soldiers' suffering, leaving the American experts perplexed.
Scandal and resignation
In September 1898, an American surgeon uncovered the true nature of the spoiled meat. Drawing from his extensive experience in catering and nutrition during the Civil War, American General Nelson A. Miles exposed the poor quality of the canned meat. Faced with this revelation, General Mills wrote to Secretary of War Alger, urging him to procure local meat from Cuban peasants to feed the army.
However, Secretary of War Alger chose to disregard General Mills' pleas. Instead, he allocated more funds to local companies to continue producing the tainted canned meat.
Subsequently, American newspapers highlighted the issue of spoiled meat, which resulted in the illness and death of numerous soldiers on the front lines. Simultaneously, a committee from the US Army launched an investigation into this scandal, which severely shook President William McKinley's administration. The committee accused the administration of negligence towards the soldiers who were sent to defend the interests of the United States of America.
As a result of the investigations, many military personnel involved in the spoiled meat case were arrested and dismissed. In an attempt to appease public anger towards his government, President William McKinley compelled Secretary of War Russell Alger to resign in early August 1899.
