The evening times., 1898-08-29
MONDAY. AUGUST 9. 1895.
Secretary Alser's Defense.

This morning The Times published
e.. an interview with Secretary Alger
which it sought Immediately on his re-
turn from the camp on Long Island
having every disposition to give his
side of a scandal that has excited in
dignation throughout the civilized
world. No friend of the Secretary can
regret more than The Times does that
the interview is not more satisfactory
His first great mistake is in assuming
that there is nothing wrong about the
conduct of its part of the war by the
department of which he is the head,
and that the scandals are merely the
creations of the newspapers. His
contempt for the newspapers and his
indifference to their revelations and
comments lead him to dismiss all
charges as unworthy of his serious at
tention.
1t will be noted that he limits his
references to the camp at Montauk
Point, and that his standard OF efficiency
and comparison is the civil war. Wher-
ever the disasters from epidemic dis
eases and short ratiOns do not exceed
those Of the war of the sixties he
maintains that complaints are either
groundless or due to unreasonable ex-
pectations.
That the nation was not ready for
war in the sixties is we'll known to
every reader of history. With great
foresight, most of the army equip
ments had been carried to Southern
points, and the Government had to
build up from the foundation. The
population of the country was nothing
like that of the present, and if thirty
seven years of a high protective tariff
have not developed our industries to
a higher degree of efficiency, the Sscre-
tary must condemn the policy of his
party. However serious may have
been the problem before the War De-
partment in the war with Spain, it
could be nothing like that which con-
fronted the same department in 1861,
to say nothing of the tremendous prog
ress of inventive skill in the interven-
ing years.
That men suffered privations in the
infiictions of 1898. That there was a
high percentage of sicknes and death
in the camps Of that war is no lessen
ing of the responsibility for epidemics
in 1898. For sanitary science has had
its birth and growth in the past thirty
years.
The reports of the entire absence of
t.
tiago. of the failure to provide rations
for the army and the consequent dis
tress, sickness, neglect of wounds and
starvation, from which men brought
North are still dying. did not originate
with a sensational newspaper press
and have been admitted by every other
official except the Secretary of War
The facts are as well established as the
capture of Santiago itself No man
with reputation for truth and COM
mon sense who was in that campaign
has denied them or will deny them.
The War Department alone has affirm
ed that there was no extreme or pre-
ventable suffering on any of the trans
PORTS that brought the army from
Cuba. and its statement of the case
has been contradicted, not by sensa-
tional newspapers merely, but by the
thousands of victims who still bear
the marks of the privations and ex-
rosures, and by the volunteer and Red
Cross nurses who were on some OF
the transports.
The only charges Secretary Alger
gives specific attention in the inter-
view published in this mornings issue
of The Times are those in relation to
Camp Wikoff at Montauk Point. on
Long Island, which place he examined. |