Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-28
COMING TO BOSTON.
War investigation Commits
sion Through at New York.
Sharp Letter from the Society for the
Protection Of Soldiers
is Read and Made Public But Will ProbabI,
Pass Unnoticed.

New York, Nov. 27.-The Saturday
afternoon session completed the work
Of the commission in this city. The
members of the commission went to
Boston, by the midnight train Gen.
Dodge asked that the papers announce
that the commission will receive all in
tending witnesses at the Parker House,
Monday morning, at 9 o'clock.
After several witnesses had been
heard, Capt Howell read a letter ad-
dressed to the commission by Robert
3. Roosevelt, secretary of the commit
tee of the Society for the Protection of
Soldiers. The letter was in part, as
follows:
ITO the Presidential Commission of In
quiry:
'Gentlemen-I have noticed in the
morning papers that one of your mem
Eers criticises the witnesses who have
testified at the request of the commits
sion formed in this city to protect the
soldiers, for the reason that while es-
tablishing the fact that much ground
less and inexcusable suffering was in
flicted on the army they do not fix the
responsibility, nor show who is to
blame If the views of your commits
sion are correctly reported, there seems
to be misunderstanding between us.
We supposed that all the witnesses
were to do was to prove the facts, and
that the commission would fix the re-
sponsibility: indeed, was appointed for
the express purpose of fixing the re-
sponsibility.
The heroic boys may forget their
sufferings; may even refuse to testify
to them, but their mothers will not and
their fathers will not. Nor will it do
to take refuge behind the errors of the
civil war. There followed blunder af-
ter blunder. Disgrace after disgrace,
but there was no Intentional cruelty
such as seems to have so often pre-
vailed in this war. The sick men We're
not starved. Sick men were treated
with all possible attention and kind
ness. Water was not sold to fever
racked sufferers at 10 cents a glass;
food was not sold to starving men at
20 cents for sandwich, and dainties
for the dying were not eaten by the
officers.
But suppose matters had been a
thousand times worse in the Civil War.
would that be any reason now that our
men should be sent with arms out of
date, that there should be no afnbu-
lances, no pack trains or transporta-
ton to carry food to the front; nor
proper hospitals, and that men with
freshly treated wounds should be left
to lie in the mud on blanket if they
had ore--without, if they had none;
nor even why midwinter undercloth-
ing should be sent to Cuba and mid
summer gauze undersuits to Montauk.
The accomplishing endurance of
our men has simply been heroic. They
bore wounds, sickness, privations, TO
death even, without a word. 1t was
only neglect, starvation, in fact. and
abuse in the hospitals which called
forth letters, and then only home to
their families; letters which were sent
to me by broken-hearted mothers in
pitiful appeals to try to help their sons.
| wish your commission could have
read them, but as many of them We're
transmitted to me confidentially. can
not even quote from them.
THE witnesses have established
monstrous incapacity. That they have
not full confidence in the power of your
commission, no matter how good its
will, to meet all the requirements the
public demands of it, is only echolng
your own doubts, but in spite of that
they seem to have done their share,
and it would seem that it only remains
for you to do your best, even if that
best is not quite satisfactory to your
selves. If done in good faith, it VIII
teach the soldiers that at least there
is a power which has honestly endeav-
ored to do them justice.
you can direct your inquiries in the
first place to the food supply. Find
cut who gets the difference between
the liberal rations allowed by the gov
eminent and the meagre bareback, ba-
con and green coffee served to the sol
dierS. The witnesses are the books and
the rolls in the public departments, to
which you have full access.
I'VE have furnished you the facts.
shown you brutality, cruelty. neglect,
Indifference; how men whom the gov
eminent was under every obligation
to protect were starved even in the
land of plenty; were uncared for when
sick; left without attention when
wounded: were abused, maltreated-in
ooiiiC CosGS III tIttCclly we
have shown you an Indifference and
belittling of human sufferings which
continue even now.
IF this nation is to become a war
like one. if we are to have an army
which shall be efficient, and to be re-
lied upon, these crimes and blunders
must be corrected, and your commits
sion must correct them. 1t is not
for you to make the feeble excuse that
our committee, a mere voluntary asso-
citation. with no legal existence even,
shall shoulder this responsibility
Gen. Dodge suggested that the letter
seconded the motion. He said:
I'VE have invited all the witnesses to
tell us everything they know. We have
made and are making every honest eff
fort to get witnesses, and to get the
truth from them. l do not see that
Mr.. Rooseyelt's letter needs any
answer. l am ready to stand on the
record of the commission when the
commission has made record, but I
do not need Mr.. Roosevelt or any one
else to make up my mind for me-
Gen. Beaver spoke on the same lines,
and by general consent Gen. Dodges
suggestion was adopted.
The Commission DELAYED BY Storm.