The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-01
An Indignant Nation.

just now sweeping over the country
from East to West against the almost
criminal conduct of the war depart
ment officials at Washington has rare
ly been equaled in intensity. The peo-
pie have been slow to realize that a
great and rich nation like this could
be guilty, through it's representa-
tives, Of the offenses the nature of
which has only recently been fully
established. Secretary Alger, so re-
Gently as Monday last, impudently de-
clared that the cutlery respecting the
treatment of our soldiers, both in Cuba
and at home, was all due to the sensa-
tionalism Of the press. He realizes
by this time, perhaps, that the state
ments which the dispatches have been
carrying over the country from the
seat of war and the military encamp-
ments are being verified In a startling
manner.
When our men went into battle at
Santiago, their friends would not have
been surprised. although they would
have been grieved, to learn of their
death They could not deem it posi-
BILE that, through the inefficiency Of
the military department Of the govern
ment, these brave fellows should have
been permitted to starve and perish
in pestridden camps from the GRIM
inal Withholding of food, in the first
instance. and from complete indiffer-
ence to sanitary conditions in the sec
Ond place. They read in the newspa-
pers. and perhaps doubted the state
ments therein made, as to the situa-
ton at Camp Thomas in Chickamau-
ga park, Camp Alger, near Washing
ton, and other localities in which
troops were massed. They experienced
a sense of confidence in the return Of
the men, so long as they were with
held from the front. And yet, when
the roster of the dead comes to be
made up, the fatalities in the battle
of Santiago and the skirmishes at 9TH
er points in Cuba and Porto Rico,
will appear infinitesimal in COM
parison with the deaths from dis
ease and hunger for which official neg
lect is directly responsible. For in
stance, in the camp at Chickamauga
park, 600 men and more have died
since the assembling of the troops at
that point with hospital record Of
over 1000. At Camp Alger more than
$50 deaths occurred before 1t was aban-
doned. At the former place the Fifth
Mississippi regiment. which was sup
posed to be composed of men thor
Oughly acclimated, carried a hospital
roll Of 1913 in one day. These are only
few Illustrations, and the causes
are traceable directly to the nefficiency
or those who were charged, under the
law, with the duty of placing
these men only In fit locali-
ties and providing them with all
the auXiliaries necessary to their COM
Portable and healthfuI existence there.
But the real horror of the situation
did not impress itself upon the people
until the return to Montauk Point,
Long Island, from Santiago. Of the
heroes OF that campaign. The manner
IN which they were transported dis
graceful as it was, was flippantly dis
missed by Secretary Alger in the re-
mark that 1t was too bad, but 1t would
not be permitted to occur again. When
these wretched survivors of a conflict
which will be recorded as one of the
most glorious in history, both in the
manner in which it was fought and
the cause for which the struggle WAS
rendered necessary, arrived at their
Northern destination, in the confidence
that their mtseries were at an end
they went into camp and hospitals
and were permitted in some instances
10 literally starVe because the war de-
partment had failed to make proper
provision for their reception and sus-
tenance Gen. Alger visited the camp
performed a few antics of authority.
gave a number of brief orders. after
the manner in which he would direct
some muleteers or other helpers In a.
lumber camp, returned to New York
stood up to be interviewed, and bland
IL pronounced everything in excellent
shape; expressed himself in a vain
glorious way over the accomplishments
Of the war, declared that every man
connected with the bureaus had per-
formed his duty most acceptably, that
the reports that there would be an
investigation were untrue. and return
ed to Washington.
Now, however, an investigation at
Camp WikOff is to be made, under the
order of Gen. Wheeler, and it Is TO he
believed that, so far as that Camp is
concerned, 1t will be most thorough
But the shame and the disgrace of =
all can never be obliterated, notwith-
standing Secretary Ayers beaming
expression of confidence, that nothing
will be remembered in a little while
but the records of the noble achieve
mentS Of the mast faw ,o,ODtbS