The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
WHEELER ON SKATER.
Statement That should silence Criti-
cisms on the Latter.

Chicago Post
they are not confined to the sensatio IL and
Jaundiced views of the correspondents of
yellow journals for their Information re-
garding the conduct of the war now so hap
PLY brought TO a successful conclusion. If
there has been any one failure in the war
more conspicuous than another ii has been
the failure of the yellow war correspondents
TO tell the truth or TO do justice to the OFF,
GERS intrusted with the arduous task of or
sanlzinS an army and conducting cam
paigns at the same time. From first to last
they nave failed to grasp the fact that less
than four months ago the United States was
prec1pitated into war with Spain in "A
state of unpreparedness CT which an army
OF only 900 was by no means the least evil
dence In an almost incredible space this
army was swelled. to over 10000 Two
months after the declaration Of war SHAFT
ters army was landed in Baiquiri. Ten
days later the battles of San Juan and I'll
Caney were fought These resulted in Ger
vera S flight from Santiago and the destruc-
ton of his fleet. Twenty-Five days after
Shafter landed Santiago surrendered. with
an American loss from beginning to end of
only 266 killed and 2S1 wounded. So far
as is known only 2O2 American soldiers have
died in Cuba of yellow fever and camp
diseases.
And yet the correspondent of a Chicago
contemporary has the temerity and eff
frontery to write of Skaters Incompetence,
cowardice and big butchers BILL Here is
characteristic passage:
"Carelessness of human life was conspic-
uous in the management of the campaign
from nrSt to last. We advanced through
the country like schoolboys. and when it
came to the crucial fight the4c0mmanding
general was two miles in the rear issuing
orders, which, had they been carried out,
would have brought about a horrible diSaS-
ter. Fortunately we had commanding Off
GERS in front who took matters into their
own hands, and the men themselves adj
vanced of their own accord. and the day was
won in spite of all the efforts of the general
in the rear"
Fortunately for the truth we have the
testimony of one of the braVest of these
commanding officers in 'front.' fatty con-
tradicting this outrageous perverSion of the
truth Here is what General Fighting
Joe" Wheeler writes;
II think the criticisms upon General SHAFT
ter were very unjust. He has had 2 hard
task and has performed it successfully and
well. He is a man of more than ordinary
brain power and administrative ability. The
criticism that he did not place himself on
the firing line is ridiculous as July he was
one at Caney and one at San Juan. tie
had some reserves and had to place him.
self where he could see both fights and man.
age the whole affair, which he did efh-
GENTLY"
Never in the history of the world has there
been war managed with SUCH conspicuous
regard for the humanities. Greater results
have been achieved in this four months war
with less sacrifice of life than in any cam
paign that history records. To-day ii is all
most impossible to realize that armies have
been organized, transported thousands OF
miles from their homes and performed the
miracles of conquering a splendid peace in
plumbers and such comparatively irsgnih-
cant loss of life. We Judge the conduct or
a by it's results. not the emanationS
of yellow war correspondents on picnic.