The evening times., 1898-10-10
hLGER'S EVAaVE REPLY
Response to the Army Board
Queries Unsatisfactory.
ANOTHER REPORT NEEDED
Main Points mt Issue Not Met by the
Secretary I'm His answer to the
Boards Series Of Questions Re
Enrding the Abuses Complained
of by Soldiers.

Secretary Alger has sent an answer TO
the War Investigating Commission
which, in the words Of one of the Com
missioners, does not answer"
in the first place" said this Commis-
sioner, I'VE asked who had been infinen-
tial in selecting the camp sites The only
answer vouchsafed is that Gen. Lee se
lected the camp at Jacksonville. l do not
think any other camp is mentioned. But
this omission will, no doubt. be remeoied
In the supplemental report for which we
will call On Secretary Alger.
Secretary Alger's report includes about
three thousand words and, in ad lition to
the Jacksonville camp matter. covers
only these points: The selection of Tam
pa as a point of embarkation; Rear Ad-
niral SIMPSONS dispatch the cause Of
Fastening troops to Santiago; Commodore
Remy's spook dispatch the cause of the
subsequent delay of the troops. Discus
sion of these topics exhausts the report
No attempt seems to have been made to
explain the causes of the hardships suf-
fered by the soldiers in Tampa. The mat
ter is brushed aside with apparent en-
tentment In the facile relation that Tam
pa was considered a good location and
the most convenient point of embarkA-
tion.
Disposed TO BIame the Navy
"what We want TO know" said the
Commissioner. lis why those men SUI
fered, if they did suffer, unnecessarily.
We get no sufficient answer in the re-
port. The defense of Secretary Alger
is logically this:
First, Sampson hurried US up; there
fore, we did not have time to prepare
Second, Remey Immediately delayed US
with ghost stories of a spook fleet;
therefore the men had to be kept
packed in the transports from the 18th
10 the I4th of June, and thus were de-
biiJated from cause over Whlch lhe
War Department had no control
Rear Admiral Sampson dispatch, in
which he said on June I, that Win
l0.Ge8 men he could take Santiago IN
forty-eight hours, has already been
made public.
Ger. Shafter said. on June S, that he
would go the following day. HE dfd
not go but Secretary Alger blames the
DELAY on the alleged spoook feet Gf
Lieut. Southerland. commanding the
Eagle. advices of which apparition
were forwarded by Commodore Remey.
Secretary Alger will be asked for a
fuller answer He will be asked 10 be
minute: 10 tell, ii men were to blame
why he did not supplant them by the
anpointment Of other men who were ht'
TO tell why he was assembling trans
,,orts for a chimerical second eNpecl-
ZION To Porto Rico when there were not
more than half a dozen transports al
Santiago where men were tossing VIII
fever, helpless and forgotten.
In this connection Col. Hecker Will
also be called Col Hecker was a Mich
igan man, who was given the Ute %
colonel
operatfons of Colonel Hecker.
1t is estimated that the second FoFtC
ricap expedition would have cost tht
Government sl2eo0,OVO and this expedi
,ion was abandoned half an hour after tht
alarm given by the Roosevelt round rob-
in Col. Hecker had been busy with
traffic managers and railroad experts lie
il was who hauled camp infected sol
diers 700 miles out Of their way TO New
port News, when Charleston harbor
which had been recommended by Gen
Wilson was the direct route 10 Porto
Rico.
Col. Hecker will be one of the most in
teresting witnesses to be heard by tht
Commission. He has been strange fS'
ure In and out of the War Department
Hobbies He is dear 70 Secretary Alger'
heart. and is q millionaire, il is said
from the same State Duffieid and Shafte!
hail.
The Commission. it is said wants 4
know under what influences each camT
was selected. Mr.. AIger answers only a:
TO jacksonville. There are some ugly ru
mors OF railway influence in the selection
of Miami where the First and Second
Texas. First and Second Alabama, and
First and Second Louisiana regiment:
were stified for a month. Out Of thes'
coo were i'll, and forty-six died within :
month, though they belonged to the Sew
enth Army Corps. which had in Jack
sonville been comparatively free from
Illness
This camp matter. Camp Alger inelud
ed. must be cleared up by the Secretary
The program of the Commission foi
this week is to have no witnesses except
those who may be caught passing
through Washington. The time will b'
spent reading the yOluminOus report oi
the adjutant general. then the report OF
Surgeon General Sternberg, and then the
reports of other heads of departments
Members of the Commission expect Il
Seave for a tour of the camps week
from tomorrow. They may go first t.
Camp Meade before 1t breaks up. They
will go to Jacksonville, where it seem:
Col Bryan will be one of the important
witnesses The tour of the camps will
it is thought, consume about two weeks
The Commission will return TO Washing
GET FLESH.