Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-12-05
Profiting BY Experience.

Profiting BY Experience.
There has been a marked improve
ment in the health of the army within
the last two months, as shown by the
latest reports to the surgeon general
from the field and the general hospitals.
This is encouraging intelligence and
shows that even the airing of soiled
army linen before the presidents COM
mittee of investigation has taught a
useful and instructive lesson. AS fur
Their proof of this, the reports state that
the hospitals at Chickamauga, Lexing-
ton, Ky, and Jacksonville, Fla, have
been emptied and abandoned. More
over, the hospital train that has carried
nearly 1000 patients from the camps to
the general hospital is now lying idle
at Washington. The general hospital
at Fort Mcpherson, Ga, has only 200
patients. and 423 beds are vacant, and
the general hospital at Fort Myer, Va,
has $50 vacant beds and but 1872 pa
tients. The hospital at Fortress Mon
roe has 400 vacant beds, and the hos
pital at Fort Thomas, KY, has 81 pa
tents and 103 vacant beds.
The gist of the situation is that after
these seven months of hard experience,
the volunteer troops especially are
learning how to live in the field, their
cooks are learning how to properly at
tend to their duties, how to prepare
food so that it can be properly digested.
Moreover, the soldiers are learning the
necessity of got erning their habits ac-
cording to the requirements of camp
life, they are more abstemious, realize
more the necessity of keeping them
selves clean, how to draw their rations
and to otherwise so observe the hy-
gienic condition of success in preserva-
ton of health as to reduce sickness to
its lowest terms. The agitation and
publication of abuses by the press.
though often grossly exaggerated, have
made both staff and line appreciated how
necessary it is to learn and carry out
the natural requirements of army life
in the mess room, and in the police du-
ties Of the camps. as well as using good
horse sense in location of camps, pro-
viding them with good water, and so
regulating drainage as to leave the men
in undefiled surroundings. A disturb
ing factor largely removed is the de-
crease of inconsistencies and a heartier
realization that the calls of country de-
mand self sacrifice for the time being.
Discomfort has, too, been a factor in
producing sickness. Men enlisted with
the expectation of Immediately engag-
ing in conflict. In stead Of that, the
vast bulk of the volunteers were herded
in great camps, where the inexperience
of the volunteer staff gave the troops
the best of reasons for fault finding and
discomfort. Comparatively few volun-
teer commands have seen fighting, and
the sudden disappointment of hopes
raised to a high pitch had undoubtedly
it's d~eteriorating effect Oh the moral aid
physical condition of the men.
While there is a disposition to criti-
else u~nfavorably the work of the COM
mission, it has brought to light condi-
tions that would otherwise have re-
manned concealed, and the lessons to be
learned from past mistakes have not
been overlooked. In the first place, the
army staff needs thoroughly overhaul
ing, it needs a judicious wedding out,
the situation demands that only those
officers who are proficient in their du-
ties shall be retained, and a reorganiza-
ton on the best models offered by the
long established armies of foreign ma
lions. An immense amount of trouble
would have beer avoided in the begin
ming and many valuable lives and
much property saved had not the sons,
brothers, cousins and uncles of
prominent and influential politi-
clans been turned loose with
commissions to make confusion
worse COMPOUNDED by their lack of mill
tary knowledge in the administration,
or, rather, maladministration, of the
great camps. The increase in the quar-
termaster's and commissary's depart
ments should have been made up Of
promotions from the enlisted men of the
line who for years had been training In
these duties, and could and would have
performed them faithfully and well.
That this policy will be more favorably
considered in the future seems evident,
and the president is certainly doing
all that he can to readjust army admin
istration to more perfect and satistac-
tory basis. A separate congressional
investigation is promised, but it will
hardly do more than bring out more in
detail what has in general been m1'te
manifest by the pres,I.rsial commits
sion of investigation. But no one should
object to having the truth brought out
to the light of day, to The light OF care
full and just scrutiny, AMI the hope is
expressed that the truth may prevail.