New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-19
PRICE THREE CENTS.
WAR INVESTIGATORS HERE.
THE COMMISSION HOLDS A SESSION AT
THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL
MEMBERS or THE sEvENTY-FIRsT REGIMENT
RELATE THEIR EXPERIENCES IN CUBA AND
AT CAMP wIKoFF COLONEL ROOsE-
WELT EXPECTED TO TESTIFY.

The War Department Investigating Commits
sion began to hold sessions In this city yester-
day. and it probably will continue to meet here
all next week. Many requests 10 testify before
the Commission have been received by General
Dodge. its chairman, from discharged soldiers
and civilians Of this city and the Commission
also desires TO examine the heads OF several
departments whose offices are in the city. II Ia
expected that Colonel Theodore Roosevelt the
Governor-eect. may be witness before the
Commission some day next week Among the
witnesses examined yesterday were Colonel
Charles r. Greenleaf assistant surgeon general
Dr. Frank Donaldson. who was an acting assist
ant surgeon in the army in Cuba, and several
men Of the list Regiment
When the Commission met, at 10 a. m. yester-
day in Parlor DIR Of the Fifth Avenue Hotel
there were present General Grenville NJ. Dodge.
Colonel James A. Sexton. Captain Evan r
Howell. Ex-Governor Urban A. Woodbury., Brig
adier-General John NJ. Wilson ex-governor
James A. Beaver Major-General Alexander
Med. McCook DR.. Phineas S. Conner and Lieu
tenant Colonel F. b. Jones. the disbursing ON
GER Colonel DENLY remained in Washington
with Richard Weghtman. the secretary, and
Major Stephen c. Mills. the recorder. Only onS
witness was permitted to appear at a time. tho
1
| until their testimony desired.
COLONEL GREENLEAFS EVIDENCE.
Colonel Charles r. Greenleaf was the first
witness yesterday. He the chief surgeon In
the field IN the staff Of General Miles. In reply
to questions by DR.. Conner he said that Camp
Algor was good place for a small camp, al
though the water supply was poor and the re-
gion was malarious At times there were not
enough nurses or physicians or medical sup
nlies for the sick Dr. Conner turned the In
quily to the lack Of tents ard medical supplies
in Cuba. and the testimony proceeded as fol-
| lows:
Q-Who delayed the Landing Of supplies ae
Sihonev? Al don't know.
O-Who finally unloade those supplies A.
did 7 captured some pontoons and took tho
law irto M own hands.
O-You unloaded in thirty-slX hours supplies
! tba. had been lying in the harbor for two
weeks Why did not Dr. Pope. chief surgeon
~ General Skaters corps. land them witnin
those two -...s? II suppose he VAS at the
front attending to the wounded .,..
Q-Dld Dr Pope take care Of one wounded
man? Al not say I am sure that DR..
Pone did 10 best h. could had fell author
itv from General Miles 70 d what | thought
hcst snnoose Or Pope had authority from
General Shaner sufficient TO enable him 10 un-
load tho supplies 9- SihOrey as d'd
drcadfully ~ fault Can't YOU help Us to hnd
out who it was? Al cannot.
Colorel Greerleaf in reply TO other questions.
said that it was usual in time of war 20 an
ticlpate the wants Of wounded men and to ex-
pect that there would be s'r1e wounded men.
He could not tell if I'll proper arrangements
had been made in CT "a. but he knew that the
stores had not been landed. HI Believed that
the first expedition took plenty Of supplies.
He declared positively that h found no evidence
Of any neglect or incOmpctency on the part or
anv medical officer. Questioned as to the con-
ditf-n Of affairs on the transports. Colonel
Greenleaf said that he did not personally in
spect the transports at Cuba. but those leaving
Porto Rico were inspected carefully
CAMP wIKOFF PRAISED.
Camp Wikoff at Montauk Point. was an ideal
place for a large camp. IN many respects. Colo
mel Greenleaf said. Lack OF train service he
considered A petty discomfort lie told OF the
methods Of granting furloughs from the hos
pitals at Montauk and Of the influences brought
70 bear on the surgeons 70 grant these fur
loughs He said If man to whom leave OF
absence was granted died at his home the sur
geons were blamed for letting him leave the
hospital. and where leave was refused IL the
man died there. his friends declared that home
nursing would have cured him
taken to the battle line. and the witness said
NO Mr. Beaver asked why so much stress
was laid on the fact that medical supplies
were taken 10 the front. unless 1t was usual
to send medicine TO the men and not men to
the medicine. Colonel Greenleaf said that sup
plies should have been at the battle line for
the men taken sick there.
Colonel Greenleaf said that in his opinion
Camp Miami, in Florida was fitted only for a
quarantine hospital and should not have been
used camp for ten thousand men await
ing transportation TO Cuba. He could not speak
from his own knowledge CT the lack OF tents,
ambuances and other supplies at the front
Ex-Governor Woodbury-Is II proper 70 crfti-
else the War Department for not having en-
ployed female nurses sooner than IL did?
Colonel Greenleaf-I think not General Stern
berg and | do not believe that the firing limo
is the place for a woman. In the hospital the
women nurses rendered excellent service. but.
at the front there was no place for them.
ovERCROWDED TRANSPORTS
General Dodge asked about the condition oe
the transports leaving Tampa for Cuba, and Dr.
Greenleaf said they were dreadfully over.
crowded. He told Ex-Governor Woodbury. that
he could not say that the overcrowding was not
a military necessity. but he said. Il don't think
any military necessity justiies the sacrifice OF
mems lives by unsanitary transportation"
David j. Goss, a private Of the list Regiment
who acted as COOK 'or his company at Camp
Black. told OF the supplies issued to the troops
in camp He said they were good and ample
At first the company cooks did not know how 10
make soup and stew and bread. and they fried
their meat and flour. but later when they met
the Regulars at Lakeland they learned how to
treat the rations. and found they had more than
they could eat Goss could not tell OF the ex-
perence OF the regiment at the front. because
he had been left In the rear TO help care for
some sick men. He had slight attack OF yell
low fever in Santiago. and later, returning on