Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-08-04
HEALTH CONDITIONS.
Col Roosevelt Speaks Out i'm Meeting. and
Tells Fearful Truths.
BRING OUR BOYS HOME AT ONCE.


Copyrighted )-SANTIAa DE CUBA
Aug. 3.-Summonsd by Major Genera
Shafter, meeting was held here thil
morning, at his headquarters; and In
the presence of every commanding and
medical officer of the Fifth Army
Corps, Shafter read cable message
from Secretary Alger, ordering him al
the recommendation of Surgeon Gen.
eral Sternberg, to move the army into
the interior, to San Luis, where 1t i.
healthier. As result of the confer
ence, Shafter will insist upon the i'm
mediate removal of the army north
within two weeks. As an explanation
of the situation the following lettel
from Col. Theodore Roosevelt, COM
manding the First Volunteer Cavalry
to General Shafter, was handed by the
latter to correspondent of the Ass0-
ciated Press:
In the meeting of the general and
medical officers, called by you at the
Palace, this morning, we are all, as you
know unanimous in view of what should
be done with the army. 10 Keep US
here, In the opinion Oh every ofncel
commanding a DIVISION or a brigade
VIII simply Involve destruction OF
thousands. There is no possible reason
for not shipping practically the
ENTIRE COMMAND NORTH
at once. Yellew fever cases are very
few in the cavalry division, where
command one OF the two brigades, and
not one true case of yellow fever has
occurred in this division, except among
men sent to the hospital at Slboney,
where they have, l believe, contracted
it.. But in this division there have
been 1900 cases of malarial fever. Not
man has died from 1t, but the whole
command is SO weakened and shattered
as to be ripe for dying like rotten sheep
when the real yellow fever epidemic,
instead of q fake epidemic like the
present, strikes, as 1t is bound to do if
we stay here at the height OF the sick
ness season-August and the beginning
of September. Quarantine against
malarial fever is much like quarantin-
ing against toothache. All of us are
certain, as soon as the authorities
at Washington fully appreciate
the condition OF the army, 10 be sent
home. 1t we are Kept here, 1t Will Ia
all human probability mean an appall-
ing disaster; for the surgeons here es-
innate that over half OF the army, II
kept here, during the sickly season.
Will ole.
This Is not only terrible from the
standpoint OF indlvlauai ilves iost, Dus
II means rum Iroin the ssanupoiat ol
mihtary euiclency, OF ,ne mower oI Ihe
army; TOT tne great puik OIL tne fegu-
lars are mere WIN you. Inc SIGN cao ils.'
large thougn IL Is, eAceee'ng 4,uuu, Al
Iords put Ialnt inoeA " tae ueoiiita-
lion Oh lne army; Nos ~ pci cens' alo
NJ Ior active wofk. PIX wsess on ,.a JUG
nortn Maine coast Ior instance, vi eise,
where, where ysiio" IeveI germs cahhot ~.
possibly pfopaga.e' woulu haks US an
nj as ngnung COCKS, aole as we are
eager, 70 TAKE leauiug par. in tLe tle
great cam paigu agaihst Iiasana IA tno
Iaii, even II we arc hos aalowea 70 .ly
Iuerto nico. we cau pe h1veu nos.n,
II moved at once, WIN aosoiute saIe.y
10 the country, ailaoush VI course !.
wouiu nave ceel i.lnnleeiy oe.'1r p - "o
So pico D two weaks ago IF thsra were
ano .o, nb;oct in Isar;nc ns bara so we
dHy OuJeSs IL ASSPip6 80 ~, y, W ~