The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-27
CRITICISM.
Sharp Letter to
w ar Board.
RINGING WORDS.


New Yor, Nov. 26.-The war investi-
cation commission concluded it's
session here today. The first
witness to appear before the board was
DR.. Terry surgeon of the National
Guard of the state. He was asked to
tell what he knew about the various
camps he visited. Dr. Terry began with
Camp Alger.
The site was a good one, and every
thing appeared to be in good condition,
the water was clear in appearance, but
it had a bad odor" It was analysed,
but with what result he did not know.
Dr. Terry then went on to detail the
Conditions of Camps Thomas and
Chickamauga. He found the camp of
the Eighth New York in an unsanitary
condition. The camps of the Ninth and
Twelfth New York We're in good condi-
ton.
Mrs. L. w. Quintard, who was at
Camp Willoff from August II to Sep
TENDER Is, in charge of the paid trained
nurses at the general and division hos
pitfalls, testified as to such conditions
at the hospitals as had come under her
observation.
At first she said there were not suf-
ficient nurses, but later, when the eX-
tent of the emergency became appar-
ent, there were plenty.
Mrs. Quintard said that many dis
comforts experienced by those in hos
pitfalls was due to the rapidity with
which the sick poured into the hospi-
tails.
DR.. Chmeldic, acting assistant sur
geOn in the army, who was assigned to
duty in the hospital at West Tampa,
testified that everything possible was
done for the sick soldiers. There were
4l6 sick and nine women nurses. At
West Tampa, the witness said, "Most
of the sickness was due to the inexperi-
ence of the officers, the ignorance of
the men, and the fact that all of them
had more money than was good for
them"
W. Baldwin, Jr.. president Of the
Long Island railroad, who had con-
tract with the government for the
transport of the troops between Long
Island City and Monlauk said there
was nothing in the contract to limit the
goVernemtn's right to carry its men by
it's own TRANSPORTS
Mr.. Baldwin told of interviews
with the officials of the war depart
ment On the proposition to establish a
recruiting camp there, The capitalists
of the Mortauk company, who had in
tended to make a summer resort of the
district, were opposed to the scheme,
and it was not until June shat it was
decided t. let the government lease the
ground for a hospital camp Mr.. Bald
win declared that there was no real
scarcity OF water. The scare to that
effect he said, was started maliciously
by a newspaper reporter, who, he add
ed had since boosted of having made
the government hustle.
Capt. Howell read a letter addressed
to the commission by Robert Roosevelt
secretary of the committee of the Soci-
ETY. for the Protection of Soldiers. The
letter was in part as follows:
"To the Commission of Inquiry:
have noticed in the morning press that
one of your members criticizes the wit
nesses who have testified at the request
of the committee formed in this city to
protect the soldiers, for the reason that
while establishing the fact that much
groundless and ineXcusable suffering
was inflicted on the army, they do not
fix the responsibility nor show who is
to blame. If the views Of our commits
sioners are correctly reported, there
seems to be a misunderstanding be-
tween us. We supposed that all the
witnesses had to do was to prove the
facts and that the commission would
fix the responsibility; indeed was APP
pointed for the express purpose of fix
ing the responsibility.
THE heroic boys may forget their
sufferings; may even refuse to testify
to them; but their mothers will not,
and their fathers viii not, nor will it do
to take refuge behind the errors of the
civil war. There followed blunder after
blunder, disgrace after disgrace but
there was no Intentional cruelty such
as seem to have often prevailed in this
war The sick men were not starved.
Sick men were treated with all possible
attention and kindness. Water was not
sold to fever-racked sufferers at ten
cents a glass; food WOs not sold to
starving men at % cents for a sand
with, 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 ambulance, no pack
trains or transportation to carry food
to the front, nor half sufficient medi
cines nor DOCTORS nor proper hospitals.
and that men with freshly-tr
wounds should be left to lie in the mud
on a blanket-if they had one, without
if they had none-nor even why mid
winter Undertaking should be sent to
Cuba and midsummer gauze under
suits to Montauk?
"The witnesses have established
monstrous incapacity. That they nave
not full confidence in the power of your
commission, no matter how good It's
will, to meet all the requirements the
public demands of it, is only echoing
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 will
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 out
who gets the difference between the
liberal rations allowed by the govern
ment and the meagre bareback, bacon
and green coffee served to the soldiers.
The witnesses are the books and the
rolls in the public departments, to
which you have full access.
1--WE have furnished you the facts,
shown you brutality cruelty, neglect,
IA, AZ efaranpa. how mon whom the gov