The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-03
AFFAIRS At SANTIAGO
General Skater Says Climatic
Conditions Are Horrible.
O THAN YELLOW JACK
Low Fever of the Plateaus Is Deadly.
Cervera's Men Assisted at San
Juan-Santiago Is Now In a
Fair State OF Health.

New York. Sept. 2.-The World prints
an interview with General Shafter in
which he is represented as saying:
AT Santiago we had 70 deal with
shings as they were. not as they should
have been. OF course there was Sick
ness. II was inevitable IN the summer
campaign. but nobody WAS neglected
The doctors were carce at first, u
we had boatloads OF them as soon a.
they could get here. The doctors got
sick like the rest. They were over
worked and exhausted, but their abil-
tty was unquestionahle. Look at the
low percentage Of deaths from WOUNDS.
II never was lower in any war. why,
a. the civil war | Law on the battlefield
mvself until maggots developed In my
wounds and that was right nearby,
not down in a malarial, suh-tropical
country far away.
"The men who ordered n ummer
campaign in a fever-infested country
are responsible for the natural and IN
avoidable consequences. None OF our
wounded were allowed 10 lie on the
battlefield. 1t was the heat that was so
deadly. and the rains. Right in the
midst Of the most torrid heat a shower
would fan. II would drench every
body without cooling the air. In a rev
minutes. under the sun again, every
man would he steaming. Men Of the
strongest constitutions succumbed.
sOur first case Of yellow fever devel-
oned al Tl Caney. But the army was
ripe for IL, and IL spread like a prairie
ERE. Many a man had yellow fever
who never will know II. And. 10 tel
the truth. II Is not so dangerous a.
heat attacks that unacclimated nei
have in the malarious regions OF CUBA
why? 1t is a common thing for q
mans temperature TO rise from a nor
NAL state TO los in a few hours. n
means death in most cases.
TT can give cards and spade TO vel,
low fever in game Of death.
would rather have yellow fever. ] tel
ycu. when a man burns up inside Their
Is little hone for him. Our men wer'
all unacclimated They never ha'
faced a constant sun. Many of then
had never slept outside before the!
went into camp. How could they h
moulded into proper material for sue
a climate and such a campaign? ]
could not be done. These men you SC
coming back with thin bodies and tn
yellow fever are suffering from the par
asite OF the low fever Of the Santiag
plateaus. However. the cool air an
good home care will cure them. W
had to choose the lesser of two evils
60 ship the men north TO q healthy 81
mate. not wanting 10 keep them wheI
they must die.
I'VE at the front did not want 10 l,
the fever have fits run, We wanted I
save life. Now the problem was I
save the most lives possible. We hay
never had a foreign war since 1S12-l
The United States has no hospiti
ships. II was not "A question Of usin
what was best. but what we had. w
used the transports that brought III
troops down. II we could have had
few weeks TO equip the hospital shiI
the conditions would have been bette
If the war had continued we woul
have stayed right there, fever or =
fever. The sudden ending of the wa
was unexpected. I made Il an IN
variable rule 10 g home % per Gel
less on a transport than she ha
brought south. that was a fair vie
10 take.
II am satisfied with the Santial
campaign. When il Is fully undo
stood. with all its difficulties. II will r
ceive its just place I'm military histor
We were hurried off TO Cuba. We Ian.
ed and could not have gotten our stor
back on board II we had wanted !
When the invasion was planned IL "
obvious that II must be a rush sul
as IL was.
And II was a success-eomplete Al
unequivocal. Many things were dor
II is true. that were forced upon US
n exigencies of the hour, but I
means employed even under su
stress proved 10 be wisely chosen,
vas compelled 10 do a great ma
things that under different circul
stances would not have been consl
cred. ] sized the S~paniards up 90
rectly. For example. at san Juan
was sure they would not come @
from their works and attack us. 7
I'll Caney fight / hoped would be {