The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-08-16
fever The ENEMY
Skaters Men to be Taken
From Santiago.
Climate Has Weakened all the Men,
Letters to the Leader The
Transports.

NEW YORK, Aug SRA Sun cable
from Santiago says: The protest sent
from here regarding the holding of
American troops in Santiago Is not re-
garded as such by all the Generals and
doctors, some Of whom say II was
only simple statement to Washington
declaring that the troops needed a
change to become efficient for another
campaign. The sickness among the
troops affects Is per cent of the whole
number. Most OF the sick men are suf-
fering from malarial fever. There
have been very few deaths.
The Department of Health is doing
everything possible to clean the city,
and already has had the effect of re-
ducing the mortality from seventy-five
per day to fifty.
A Sun special from Washington
says: The Administration has become
SO deeply impressed with the. necessity
OF withdrawing Skaters army from
Santiago at the earliest possible mo-
ment that all the transport vessels
which the Quartermaster's Department
can command have been ordered to
Southeastern Cuba. The expedition OF
eighteen volunteer regiments under
General Wade 10 Porto Rico has been
postponed or abandoned in order that
transportation may be provided to
carry the Santiago troops to Montaux
point.
General. Shafter has appointed a
board to inspect the men prior to en-
barkation.
This is what Col. Roosevelt had
written to Gen. Shafter: In a meet ng
of the general and medical officers
called by you at the palace this morn
ing. We are all, as you know, unani-
nous in view of what should be done
with the army. To keep us here. in
the opinion OF every officer command
ing division or a brigade, will sim
ply involve the destruction of thou
sands. There is no possible reason for
not shipping practically the entire
command north at once. Yellow fever
cases are very few in the cavalry divi-
sion, where ! command one of the two
brigades, and not one true case of yell
low fever has occurred in this division,
except among the men sent to the hos
pital al Siboney, where they have, |
believe, contracted II. But in this divi-
sion there have been 500 cases of ma
larial fever. Not man has died from
it, but the whole command Is SO weak
ened and shattered as to be ripe for
dying like rotten sheep when real
yellow fever epidemic, instead OF a
fake epidemic like the present, strikes
us; and it is bound to II we stay here
at the height OF the sickness season,
nt,I hA lnr All 90
Der.
II there were any object in keeping
us here, we would face fever with as
much Indifference as we faced bullets
but there Is no object in it. The four
immune regiments ordered here are
sufficient to garrison the city and sur
rounding towns, and there is absolute
ly nothing for us to do here, and there
has not been since the city surrend-
cred.
After Col. Roosevelt had taken the
initiative, all the American general Of
ficers in she army in Cuba united in
a round robin address to Gen. Shafter
1t reads, in part:
We, the undersigned officers com.
handing the various brigades, divi-
sions, etc, OF the Army of Occupation
in Cuba, are OF the unanimous opin.
ion that this army should be at once
taken out Of the island Of Cuba and
sent to some point on the northern sea
coast OF the United States; that it car
be out OF danger to the people OF tbs
United States; that yellow fever II
the army at present is not epidemic
that there are only few sporadic
cases; that the army is disabled by
malarlal fever to the extent that it.
efficiency is destroyed, and that it II
in condition to be practically destroyed
by an epidemic OF yellow fever, which
is sure to come in the near future.