The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-09-29


for these things were not honored,
and men were forced to borrow fever
thermometers to take the tempsra
ture of the sick, and the same
instrument had to be used from one
regiment to another. These things
are responsible for the wretched
state of affairs now confronting
you.
ALGER SEEKS THa WHOLE TRUTH
Secretary Alger replied quickly:
Il want TO get at the bottom Of
the whole matter We don't care if
somebody's feelings are hurt. We
want to find out who is to blame
But what we were to consider at
this meeting is whether we are TO
go back to the regimentaI hospitals
or to continue the division hospitals.
or shall we have both
Colonel Leonard opposed the divi
sion hospitals, saying it was cei tain
death in many cases to seni men
there When DR.. Heidenkoper's al
vocates would try to put in a word
for him Colonel Leonard and Gen.
Wiley, who led the fight on him,
would break in and abuse him. Gen.
Sternberg came to the defense of
his department and eaid:
1--WE have had difficult problem.
No acquisitions came to Washington
which were not honored. We hon
ored them all promptly, and tried to
secure the best, regardless of cost,
as Secretary Alger had instructed
US to do If the medical officers
failed to do their duty, they should
have been reported. II their requi-
sitions were not honored, complaints
should have been lodged against the
proper persons"
SCORES THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
General Wiley could stand this
kind of talk no longer, and he cited
! many instances where there was no
response to demands for articles
absolutely essential to the welfare Of
the soldiers. Addressing General
Alger, he said:
"You worked the men to death at
Chlckamauga Why, sir, these men
were drilled from five to six hours
each day in the hot sun, and when
they fell there were no stretchers or
litter bearers to carry them away,
nor were there any ambulances at
hand in many cases, and the poor
fellows were forced to lie in the
broiling sun without attention. 1t
was cruel to them, aud it was Grim
inal negligence not to have a suhi
cient number of litter bearers and
stretchers. The reason these men
were not on hand is because every
available man for the doctor or the
nurse had been taken away from
their commands and placed in the
division hospital. I am not in favor
of abolishing the division hospital
but am in favor of both division and
regimental hospitals Keep the men
in camp and send them to division
and regimental hospitals when their
symptoms are fully developed. Then
get trained nurses to run the divi-
sion hospital"
General Sanger agreed with him.
General Sternberg admitted he was
right. Secretary Alger closed the
meeting by saying:
Il want one more word with you
/ shall hold each and every one OF
you personally responsible for the
sanitary condition of your camps.
Any officer failing to report any
negligence in camp to his superior
officer shall be held accountable,
and any higher officer failing to cor
rect these things will be severely
dealt with. Have every man in bis
> place. With the light of the expert
ence we have had we ought to per
feet our camps and keep sickness
down TO minimum. Make our mer
:, feel that they are being cared fol
, like we did in the civil war, and
will assure you that there will be nc
:, trouble"