The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-05
ALL WANT TO COME HOME.
Skaters Officers Make Strong Appeals
I'm Behalf of Their Men.

Skaters Officers Make Strong Appeals
I'm Behalf of Their Men,
Copyright 1885, by the Associated Press)
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Aug 3, $50 D. m
delayed in transmission. )-Summoned bv
Major General Shafter a meeting was held
here this morning at headquarters and in
the presence of every commanding and med
ical officer of the Fifth Army Corps Cen
eral Shafter read a cable message from
Secretary Alger ordering him. at the recon-
mendation of Surgeon General Sternberg
to move the army into the interior, to San
Luis, where it is healthier AS a result of
the conference General Shafter will insist
on the immediate withdrawal of the armv
north within two weeks. AS an explana-
ton of the situation, the following letter
from Col. Theodore Roosevelt, commanding
the First Volunteer Cavalry, to General
Shafter was handed by the latter to the
correspondent here of the Associated Press
for publications:
Major General Shafter:
''Sir-In meeting of the general medical
officers called by you at the palace this
morning, we were all, as you know, unan-
imous in view of what should be done with
the army. To keep us here, in the opinion
of every officer commanding a division or a
brigade will simply involve the obstruction
of thousands. There is no possible reason
for not shipping practically the entire COM
mand north at once Yellow fever cases
are very few in the cavalry division, where
command one of the two brigades, and nor
one true case of yellow fever has occurred
in this division, except among the men sent
to the hospital at Siboney, where they have.
J. believe. contracted it. But in this divi-
hoxy hrOr,
fever Not a man has died from it, but the
whole command is so weakened and shat
tered as to be ripe for dying like rotten
sheep when a real yellow fever epidemic.
instead of a fake epidemic like the present,
strikes US as it is bound if we stay here at
the height of the sickness season-August
and the beginning of September.
Quarantine against malarial fever is
much like quarantining against the tooth
ache All of us are certain as soon as the
authorities at Washington fully appreciate
the conditions of the army, to be sent home.
If we are kept here it will in all human
possibility mean an appalling disaster, for
the surgeons here estimate that over half
the army If kept here during the sickly sea-
son, will die. This is not only terrible from
the standpoint of the Individual lives lost.
the military efficiency of the flower of the
American army, for the great bulk of the
regulars are here with you. The sick
list, large though it is. exceeding
4OO0. affords but a faint index of the
debilitation of the army. Not 10 per cent.
are fit for active work. Six weeks on the
north Maine coast. for instance or else
where, where the yellow fever germ cannot
possibly propagate, would make us all as fit
as fighting cocks, able as we are eager. to
take leading part in the great campaign
against Havana in the fall, even if we are
not allowed to try Porto Rico.
I'VE can be moved north if moved at
once, with absolute safety to the country,
although. of course, it would have been in
finitely better if we had been moved north
or to Porto Rico two weeks ago. If there
were any object in keeping us here we would
face yellow fever with as much indifference
as we faced bullets. but there is no object
In 1t. The four immune regiments ordered
mere are sufficient to garrison the city and
surrounding towns, and there is absolutely
nothing for us to do here, and there has not
been since the city surrendered. 1t is i'm
possible to move into the interior. Every
shifting of camp doubles the sick rate in our
present weakened condition, and anyhow,
the interior is rather worse than the coast
as | have found by actual reconnaissance.
Our present camps are as healthy as any
camps at this end of the island can be.
Il write only because ! cannot see our
men, who have fought so bravely and who
have endured extreme hardships AID danger
so uncomplainingly, left to destruction with
out striving. so far as lies in me- to avert a
doom as fearful it is unnecessary and
undeserved. Yours respectfully.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Colonel. Commanding First Brigade"
MUST MOVE OR PERISH.
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the in
itiative. all the American general officers
united in a round robin, addressed to Shaf-
ter. 1t reads:
I'VE the undersigned officers, command
ing the various brigades, divisions. ETC.. of
the army of occupation in Cuba. are of the
unanimous opinion 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, where it can be
encamped without danger to the people of
the United States: that. though yellow fever
in the army at present is not epidemic. there
being only a few sporadic cases, the army
is so disabled by malaFial fever that its effi-
cheney is destroyed and that it is In a con-
dition to be practically destroyed by an
epidemic of yellow fever which is sure to
come in the near future.
"We know from the reports of competent
officers and from personal observations that
the army Is unable to move into the i'm
terror and that there are no facilities for
such move II attempted. and that II could
not be attempted until too late. Moreover.
Continued ON Fifth PngeJ