Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-09
Refuses to Place Response
bility for Shortages.
Endeavors to Place the Blame on the
Secretary Of War.
Little Lack Of Medical Stores. No More Than
to Be Expected.

l
he suggested to Secretary Alger the
propriety of making purchases for his
services, 1.-The policy was to wait" DIR
Sternberg also said that typhoid cases
during the war We're largely mistaken
for malarial fever.
Gen. Sternberg's recollection was
that prior to the inspection tour which
was made of the camps by Secretary
Alger Quartermaster Ludington anC
himself, the information in his hands OF
unsanitary conditions at Camp Thomas
was unofficial. He said that with time
it was practicable to secure a fairly
large number of nurses, but their train
ing took time and, he admitted, in war
times, might be at the expense of the
| patients.
| He all acknowledged the services OF
volunteer aid associations and said the
trained female nurses were satisfac-
| tory, though he had received some re-
| ports to the contrary.
Witness admitted real deficiency in
| medical supplies at times. At Santi-
ago the landing was delayed owing to
| exigency of the times, and railroads
| failed to get them through in time at
other points.
He contended, however, that there
had been very little lack of medical
supplies during the war, the great diff
ficulty being that surgeons frequently
preferred other than the field supply
and an unanticipated typhoid fever
| outbreak had also considerably taxed
the field resources.
Purchases, however, had largely been
made from handeto mouth. due to lack
of storage facilities and lack of time
for calling for bids. All the principal
drugs should be available for purchase
in large quantity on demand.
He thought it would save time to
have medical supplies shipped directly
to the surgeon in charge at destination
depots or to the quartermaster .gener-
ais department for transportation as
was now necessary. Delays frequently
had been caused through want Of deliv-
cry to the proper office.
There was an animated discussion
over a delay in Quitting the John
English, which was purchased, May Is,
as a hospital ship. General Sternberg
said that after her purchase there was
lapse of three weeks during which no
work had been done, that she sailed for
Cuba. on the date of the battle of San
tiago and that had she sailed five days
sooner the medical supplies at the bat
tie ground would have been ample. The
witness refused TO say that the delay
was unnecessary or to State on whom
the responsibility should rest.
Asked if it had been officially reported
to him that there We're surgeons at
Montauk untitled for duty because of
bad habits, he said there was one who
drank, who came from Fortress Mon
roe and who was now on duty at JEFF
ferson Barracks.
General Sternberg, concerning the re-
lative merits of division and regimental
hospitals, said that while experience
had taught good deal, the theories of
the department as to medical admins
tration were borne out in the main.
Coming to the history of the Santiago
movement, Gen. Stern'berg explained
that there had been an abundance of
medical officers and supplies sent 70
Santiago and said the trouble. as far
as he could judge, arose in their land
ing and distribution. He said emphat-
ically that he could do no more in his
office than send supplies where he
thought they were needed and respond
promptly to acquisitions. All this, he
declared, most positively, had been
done.
Gen. Beaver asked: Were you at
any time hampered in the discharge of
the duties of your Office by any of your
superiors in the department?
Gen. Sternberg hesitated considerably
and said: NO certainly not to any
appreciable extent s.
There was a pause at this point and
General Sternberg FASTENED to add:
You will understand that one man
cannot do everything at once and there
were occasional delays in getting the
ear of the secretary, but nothing be-
yond this
Then said Gen. Beaver, 1--WE are to
you you had at all times
the hearty support and good will of
those over you in forwarding the work
of your department"
YES" was the reply, "most undoubt-
edly.'
AS to the general condition of troops
in mobilization camps, Gen. Sternbef2
said the trouble could nearly all be
up in the two phrases Meg
ect and sanitary measures and Let
ling the troops remain too long in the |
camp"
You have to do one or two things"
said he. You must maintain your
Of civilized life. or you must |
follow the Indian method and shift |
your camp when you foul your ground. |
But you cannot prophesy as to what !
You can do in any particular case till |
you find out the actual copditions you I
nave to face. / can make rules, which,
+ followed. will insure reasonable i'm
from typhoid, but / cannot in
sure their being followed by the men !
IN the field. Just so. you can boil |
water for camp use, but you cannot !
compel men to drink it. This was a !
requent experience"
AS to new ration for the troops in
he tropics. Gen. Sternberg said he had
yet made no specific recommendations. I
tut had a competent officer now inyes- /
Continued On page 80