Evening star., 1898-09-03
GIVE UP CAMP THOMAS
Gov. Black Says the Ground is Infected With
Disease.
Troops Should Not Be Kept i'm One
Thrive Under Treatment

Governor Black and party of New York
arrived in Washington late yesterday after
boon from a trip to the mobilization camps
at Chickamauga Park. Lexington, KY, ana
Huntsville, Ala AS a result of his invesu-
CATION Gov. Black will suggest TO the war
authorities that the 9th and 14th New York
Re giments located at Chickamauga, be re
lieved from service as soon as practicable.
The 12rh New York. located at Lexington.
and the Goth New York, located at Hunts
Vile are in excellent condition and there
is 10 pressing need in the opinion of Gov
Black for their leaving the service at this
time. 1t is likely that Gov. Black will sug-
gest to the department that the Sd New
York now at Camp Meade, Pennsylvania
also be mustered out of the service.
The conditions of the camps we visited.
said Gov. Black last evening. in epitorniz-
Ing the results of his trip, were better
really than | had expected to find them
that is. they were better than they had
been pictured in the newspaper reports L
had read before visiting the camps. Many
things. doubtless. could be remedied. but.
on the whole, the camps We found to be
not In bad condition. Those at Lexington
and Huntsville are in excellent shape How
long they will remain so depends | take it,
upon the length of time the troops are kept
there. The camp at Chickamauga is the
worst of the three, IL such a comparison
may be made. That has been occupied for
four months by many thousands of troops,
and the very ground hsss become infected
with disease.
My idea Is that the camp ought to be
abandoned, or, at least, the regimental
camp sites ought to be moved frequently.
The whole of North America is ribboned
with railroads and troops can be moved
easily and quickly from one camp ground
TO another. With the thousands of eligible
camp sites in this country at the disposal
of the government it is not necessary that
he he LfaTa a
they become i'll from the effects of polluted
water
with good pure water in abundant sup
ply and such food as l know the men in
the camps l visited are receiving, there is
no reason in the world why a well man
should not continue in good health and act
ualiy thrive. The food furnished the troops
Is ample and of excellent quality They get
fresh beef. ham, bacon, plenty of vege
tables, hardtack and bread In addition,
they have coffee three times a day There
IS no reason why well man should not
live and thrive on that diet. That the food
IS good and well cooked l know, because
ate some of it myself.
A Nismanaged Hospital
''At Chickamauga the rcgimental hospi-
tails are In good condition." continued Gov.
Black They are we'll provided for, and
the patients are receiving careful attention.
In the ID Division hospital the conditions
are not good. In that there are about two
hundred patients. While 1 do not speak as
an expert. / do say that the hospital iS-nnr
we'll managed or adequately supplied either
with stores or with help.
A large majority of the patients are SUI
1erlng from fever. Yet when we were there
they had neither ice nor milk-two requi-
sites, il seems to me. in the trea aIment of
fever cases. The blame for this condition
OF affairs, if blame is to be attached. | do
rot pretend to fix. Criticism of the Secre-
tary OF War for this and similar cOndi-
tioLs in other camps and hospitals is not,
| take it, proper OF becoming. He cannot
be familiar with the condition of every sick
soldier in he United States or be in per-
sOnal touch with all the minute details of
camp and hospital life. When attention is
Greeted to cases ike the one l mention,
the Secretary applies remedy. My idea
Is that some mani do not say who-who
is nearer TO the scene of :he conditions
complained of. is responsible for them. He
ought TO apply the remedy. and If he does
not. theE mis- head should come off.
This is a vast problem the country is
now s0lving-a problem not of war but OF
hfe and personal security. 1t requires the
most careful and considerate attention. We
otlivtous to patent facts. WithaI we must
be just to ALL This war has taught this
country 4 lesson that it has needed for a
long time. That is. with all our immense
resources OF wealth ard population we
cannot pat into the field great army in
few weeks without serious consequences
We ought to main tain army commen-
surate IN some Gegree with our size. With
suCh force at our governments DISPOSAL
We should be able to meet any emergency
because we would be prepared for It."