The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-09-16
ALCER'S STATEMENT
The Secretary of War Wants Atten-
ton Paid to Camp Conditions.
OFFICERS TO Be HELD ACCOUNTABLE
Incompetent Men TO Give Way TO Compe-
tent Meu--rhe Army Ration All Right
Rockiessncss of Youthful Soldiers
About Mastering Out.

Washington, Sept 8. -Secretary AL
ger is now putting his affairs in shape
to admit of his absence from Washing
ton on a tour of inspection of the army
camps throughout the country. He
will leave this evening, going first to
Camp Meade, Pa, and thence to De-
troit Now that the active war opera
tions have closed, the secretary feels
free to express certain views enter
tanned by the president and himself
respecting the plans of the treatment
of the soldiers and touching the per-
sons upon whom responsibilities
should be placed for some of the mat
ters of complaint. In this connection
he says:
The regiments that have been ordered mus
tered out will be mustered out The regiments
that have been designated By the president to
remain In the service will have to remain. As
soon as we have mustered out 100 900 more or
less shall reorganize the army-every
brigade, division and corps-and put them into
comfortable camps until such OF them are
needed are withdrawn from service In Cuba
Porto Rico and the Philippines. In these
camps with the experience Of the past to
guide US, sanitary conditions will be strictly
enforced The men composing the army Will
be treated as soldiers They will be shown
every possible consideration and their health
will be preserved
The officers commanding regiments and COM
panies Will be held strictly accountable for the
sanitary conditions OF the camps They are
the ones who should be held responsible Dur
ing the war many OF these officers disregarded
the specific instructions that had been given
looking to the proper care Of their men. Now
It Is time for them to take this work upon
themselves and with the knowledge that they
are to remain in the service, they will be ex-
pected TO devote their best energies to the
work Where men are incompetent to dis
charge these duties they must give way to
competent men, for again wish to make II
clear that these company and regimental
officers are to be held to account for the well
fare OF their men.
Now u word rs TO the feeding OF the troops.
The army ration is all that is necessary for a
soldier | hope that there will be less food
| given to the men from outside sources The
dainties crafty the taste OF the men, but they
| are OF no real help and only tend to breed lis
satisfaction where they do not actually destroy
the health OF the men. The army ration to-
day, as IL has been and 1t will be In the future,
| is a sound. healthtul diet The principal DIM
| Guilty we have had to contend with is the reck-
| leSsness OF youths In the vigor OF sound
health the young men who went to make up
our army could not be induced to take proper
care OF themselves. They think that nothing
can harm them: that they can violate any and
all OF the laws OF health with impunity.
| When regiment Is designated to be mus
| tered out no further appeal will be allowed To
| influence the department TO change its plans.
| That order is going to be strictly observed un-
| I'll the president decides that he can make a
further reduction In the army. When such re-
ductiou Is made there will be no discrimina-
ton In releasing the troops II Is not possi-
| BILE to maintain the exact ratio because TO do
so would be TO divide regiments, but the pur-
| pose would treat all states fairly and as near
alike as possible
The great complaint OF the soldiers Is home
sickness and great deal OF this has been
caused by the inconsiderate publication In the
sensational newspapers Some OF It Is also
| chargeable to the fact that the men entered the
army with the expectation that their services
would be very short Every experienced on
| Ger knows that great many died OF homesiciS-
ness. Following the depression that ensues
which the homeslck soldier falls an easy victim
and II is impossible to check their course.
| Now to my mind, the American people
should try TO brace these men up, to encourage
them and cause them to remember that they
are soldiers and are expected TO meet sol.
| dlcr's duties The people OF this country
should not be given the impression that they
| have sent into the army u lot OF boys unfit t.
withstand the unavoidable vicissitudes OF CAM
life Some Of the complaints that have beer
published are calculated TO make the American
army appear In poor light TO the eyes OF tn,
| American people, and also 70 those OF the ma
| tions of the world