Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-08
DIED OF HOMESICkNESS
Secretary Alger Reviews the Condition of
the Volunteers.
Soldiers Have Neglected Sanitary
PrecautiOns-Omcer Will Be Held
Accountable for Their Men.

Secretary Alger will leave here tonight
on tour of inspection of the army camps
throughout the country, going first to
Camp Meade, Middletown, Pa, and thence
to Detroit. He has made statement in
regard to the military situation, in which
he says:
The regiments that nave been ordered
mustered 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 SIS we have mus
tered out 100000, more or less. we shall re-
organize the army-every brigade. division
and corps-and put them into comfortable
camps until such OF them as are needed
are Withdrawn for service in Cuba Porto
itlco and the Philippines. In these camps,
With experience of the past TO guide us.
sanitary conditions will be strictly
forced. 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 COM
ranGins regiments and companies will be
held strictly accountable for the sanitary
conditions of the camps. They are the
ones who should be held responsible. Dur
lns the war many of these officers dsre-
garded the specific instructions that had
been given looking to the proper care Of
their men. Now it is time for them 10
take this work upon themselves, and with
the knowledge that they are to remain in e
their best energies to the work. Where
men are incompetent to discharge these
duties they must give way to competent
men, for again l wish to make it clear
that these company and regimental officers
are to be held to account for the welfare
of their men.
Now a word as to the feeding of these
troops The army ration is all that is
necessary for a soldier. l hope that there
will be less food given to the from
outside sources the dainties gratifed the
tastes of the men, but they are of no real
help, and only tend to breed dissatisfac-
ton where they Go not actually destroy
the health Of the men. The army ration
today, as it has been, and as it will be in
the future, is a sound health diet.
THE principal difficulty we have had to
contend with is the recklessness of youth.
In the Vigor of sound health the young
men who went to make up our army could
rot 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 impuni.y.
When regiment is designated to Re
mustered out no further appeals will be
allowed to influence the department to
change its program. That order is going
to be strictly observed until the President
decides that he can make a further reduc-
ton in the army When such reduction is
made there will be no discrimination in re-
leasing the troops. 1t is not possible to
maintain the exact ratio, because to do
would be to divide regiments. but the pur-
pose will be 10 treat all states fairly and
as near alike possible.
The great complaint of the soldiers is
inconsistencies, and great deal of this has
been caused by the inconsiderate publica-
uons 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 officer knows that a
great many men died of homesickDess.
Following the depression that ensues upon
inconsistencies come other maladies to which
the homeSick soldier falls an easy victim
and it is impossible to check their course
Now, TO my mind the American people
should try to brace up these men: to en-
courage them and cause them to remember
that they are soldiers and are expected to
meet a soldiers duties The people of this
country should not be given the impression
that they have sent into the army a lot of
boys unfit to withstand the unavoidable
vicissitudes of camp life. Some of the COM
plants that have been published are cal
culated to make the American army ap-
pear in a Door light to the eyes of the
American people and also to those of the
nations of the world
Governors Relied Upon.
The following bulletin has been posted at
the War Department:
In response to the request of the gov
ernors of some of the states for the muster
cut of their entire volunteer force the
President replied in substance as follows:
Answering your Geographic request for
iIle muster out OF your regiments, | have
already directed that one hundred thousand
of the volunteers shall be mustered out of
the service. This because in my judgment
that numbeg can be spared. About one
hundred thousand will remain, as the gov
eminent now requires in Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippines a larger army than the
regular military establishment affords The
muster out, like the muster in, will be as
nearly as possible according to the popula-
ton of the several states. The suggestion
to muster out all of the volunteers from
your state cannot, therefore, be entertain
ed. The Secretary of War has already in
CURED of the governors of the several
states what regiments in their Judgment
can with the least Inconvenience remain in
the service Their advices will, so far as
consistent with the public interests. be
complied with -