Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-23
AT CAMP THOMAS
SECRETARY ALGER PAYS A VISIT
TO CHICKAMAUGA PARK.
PRESENT CONDITIONS GOOD
FAR BETTER THAN SECRETARY En-
PECTED TO FIND THEM.
Gen. AIger Tells Again Why Things
Did Not Run as Smoothly as They
Mipht-Incompetent Are
TO BE Ousted, He
Says.
PRESENT CONDITIONS GOOD

CHATTANOOGA, TENN, Sept. 2e.-Sec-
retary Alger, who arrived last night, was
astir early to-day. About, o'clock the
secretary and Surgeon General Sternberg,
accompanied by Brigadier General Boynton,
left in their special car for Chickamauga
park. where they spent the day in critic
al inspection of the hospitals over which
there has been so much controversy.
The first place visited was Letter hospital,
where about an hour was spent. From
Letter the party went to Sternberg hospital,
where another hour was spent. In both
hospitals General Alger and General Stern
berg spoke cheering words to eacn and
every one CT the many patients and shook
hands with every nurse. One remark he
repeated was Il honor you brave boys as
much as l do any of the wars heroes"
At IL o'clock the visitors got to Lytle,
There they We're met by the entire Sixth
regiment, United States volunteers. The
general reviewed the regiment on dress
parade and highly complmented the men.
A salute of seventeen guns was fired in
his honor by an artillery squad. At noon
the general returned TO his car, where he
spent some time looking after accumu-
| lated correspondence and receiving callers.
| The party returned to the city at $3.50
o'clock.
During the day General Alger would not
express himself on the conditions which
| have prevailed at the army camps or on
any other public questions. He did say,
however, without being asked. that the
present conditions of the hospitals here
are far better than he expected, and prac-
| tically all that he could desire.
Before leaving Chattanooga, General AL
ger said to a reporter:
THE press has been disposed to exagger-
| ate the condition of some of the camps.
and things have been charged against the
4 war department which were untrue and
unwarranted. 1 want the facts and all the
facts TO come out, and have nothing to
withhold from the public.
| THE great trouble has been that the
people have not appreciated the immense
| problem of forming an army OF 25O.OO0 vol
| unteers without arms and without the
necessary equipments. The Spanish war
came on us almost like bolt from clear
sky, and 1t found every branch of the war
department unprepared for the task of
equipping and handling such vast num-
Der of unframed men.
For time there was difficulty in fur
| nishing supplies and equipment for the
| troops, but that was to be expected. The
| department had only a limited supply OF
| ambulances to start with There were a
/ thousand and more details to look after,
and a fairly disposed public will under.
!
war department worked for many weeks
| AS fast as possible supplies and equip.
| ments were sent to the several camps, ano
/ If there had been lack of medicines and
/. necessaries of life the fault is with the
| commanding officers of the camps.
"There may have been some incompetent
officers in charge of some of the camps
and If such is found to be the case they
will be held strictly to account for theil
misdeeds.
IF there are any commanding officer:
who are now incompetent or who fail tc
4 put their camps in first-class condition
and keep them that way, j propose tha
they shall be replaced by men who ar,
competent and who will see that perfec
sanitary conditions are established ant
maintained"
Secretary Alger and party were entertain
ed at a dinner this evening given by prom
inent citizens of Chattanooga. Assistant
other frci q army officers We're guests Genera
Alger stated that he was firmly convinced
of the original healthfulness of Chickamau
temporarily unhealthy by the long occupa
tion of the army. He intimated that tht
soldiers now in camp in this latitude will
be moved further South on the approach
of colder weather.
Colonel Lee replied to charges made b,
Generals Wiley. Sanger and Colonel Leon
| ard and others against his department ant
denied in most emphatic terms every charg
made. He characterized the charges as alb
solutely false as will be clearly shown b!
cordially invited.
Surgeon General Sternberg responded t,
a call and declared that naturally Chick
amauga park was absolutely healthy AM
the water pure, and that the sickness a
Camp Thomas was traceable directly to tn
failure of commanding and regimental Off
GERS TO observe the sanitary regulation
WHICH had been issued on the subject by tn
! medical bureau.
: The. party left for Huntsville at 1913
o'clock ard Will visit Admission. Atlanta an,
! Jacksonville, returning to Washington mex
| Wednesday.