Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-08-09
Bringing Shaiicr's Army North.

The prompt action of the war depart
ment in ordering the whole of General
Skaters army att Santiago to b.
brought North to Montauk Point,
Long Island. can only win widest COM
mendation The safety of our regular
army demanded it. 1t was necessary
step which might well have been taken
before. Enough lives were sacrificed
in capturing Santiago, without keep
ing the victorious heroes there to die of
fever like sheep in pen. Colonel
Roosevelt's Rough Riders and several
other regiments are already on the
transports, Northward bound, and the
rest will follow at once.
This army must be moved at once or
perish" That brief strong sentence
stood out with startling clearness in
the round robin addressed to General
Shafter by his officers of divisions and
situation in Santiago de Cuba before
the people of this country in a way
that could call forth but one response.
demand that the army be brought
home as fast as ships and money could
be made to do it.
By this prompt withdrawal of the
forces under Shafter to a Northern
camp of recuperation thousands of
lives Will be saved that would be need
lessly sacrificed through further delay.
One point upon which the medical Off
GERS are reported to be of unanimous
opinion is that unless the army that
conquered Santiago be brought away
at once it will never be able to come at
all. To keep it there means its destruc-
ton. Upon this proposition all the
doctors are agreed. The officers
memorandum is emphatic, also, in its
declaration that there will be no peril
to the people of the United States in
fering and debilitated heroes They
are not afflicted with yellow fever. 1t
is a malarial disease that has sapped
their vigor and made them unable to
resist the more dreadful diseases that
must destroy them by thousands in
August and September unless they are
quickly transported to a more northern
latitude
The general commanding acted wise
ly in making public the letter of Colonel
Roosevelt as well as the commune
cation signed by eight responsible otli-
GERS. The public has a right to know
the truth, however distressing it may
be. The plain duty of the war depart
ment was to remove all of Skaters
forces at once from territory where
they are threatened with death by dis
bullets. No military advantage that
has been gained Will be lost by this
retreatf fever. The regiments of i'm
munes that have been ordered to Cuba
are ample in force to hold the territory
that we have gained and the material
of war that has been surrendered. The
war department has acted with COM
mendable promptness in ordering the
relief of General Skaters troops from
further duty. Nearly 5000 of these inn.
pcriled men are being shipped now
from Santiago, and other transports
will quickly be found to bring home the
remainder, The Porto Rico expedition
can we'll afford to wait till Shafter' 5
army is saved. If necessary, vessels
of the navy should be used for this
purpose. Our engines of war could be
put to no better use than the salvation
| of the army. Every man brought
safely away will be an evidence of the
| appreciation of the country for the
| heroes who have served its interests
! with devoted courage. Every mile put
| between them and the danger thar
threatens annihilation will add to the
good repute of the war department.