The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-08
rCnrrcsnondents Disngrcc.


The attention of the public and the army
is occupied to a limited extent with the
/ difference of opinion between two we'll
/ known correspondents, Mr.. Poultney Bise-
| low of Harper's Weekly and Mr. Richard
| Harding Davis of the New York Herald,
/ respecting the condition Of the army az
| Tampa and the treatment which the sol
! diers there have received from the
/ government. Mr.. Blgelow"s letter was
written on May p, and Mr.. Davis on June
/ T. Many changes have taken place in the
condition Of affairs since Mr.. Bigelow's
letter was written. The letter, however
appeared in the current number Of Harp
er's Weekly.
The real question is not what the state
of affairs was when Mr.. Davis wrote his
letter, but what it was when Mr.. Bigelow's
letter was written. A great deal can be
accomplished towards putting an army in
shape in two weeks. and it is pretty safe
to say that the army at Tampa presented
a much better appearaA$e and had much
less to complain Of when Mr.. Davis wrote
his letter than when Mr.. Bigelows letter
was written.
There were many reports ten days or
two weeks ago respecting affairs at Tampa
which, if true, would help 10 sustain some
of the statements in Mr.. Bigelow 5 letter,
but would it have been posi-
bic 70 have avoided all the
evils which were complained of at
that time? That is question which
would have TO be answered in the afirma-
81,
taching much Importance to Mr.. BigelOws
letter. 1t is probable that there was a
great deal of confusion among the volun-
teer's, that many of the volunteer officers
were inefficient, not because OF lack of ma
tive ability, but because of the lack of
military education and experience. 1t is
true also probably THAI the food served to
the soldiers was not the kind they should
have had AT that time there was plenty
Of vegetables in Florida, and, therefore.
there was no good reason why they should
have been served with only bareback, pork
and coffee three times a Eday. However,
owing to the disorganized condition of ev-
erything it would have taken extraordi-
nary executive ability to remove the
ground of the complaints at once. No
doubt there was willingness on the part of
the volunteer officers to do all that it was
possible to do to make the volunteers COM
Portable, and at the same time to comply
with the regulations of the army, but many
Of the things which were needed to equip
the troops could not be had because the
factories were unable to meet the demand
upon them. They could not supply the
uniforms nor the guns a once. Since Mr.
Bigelow wrote his letter, however, COM
paratively few complaints have been heard
from the volunteers. Now that they have
received their uniforms and guns and are
given fresh meat and vegetables once in
awhile they are very much better satisfied.
1t was undoubtedly a mistake to send so
many volunteers to Tampa without uni
forms or guns and to feed them there up
on nothing but pork, beans and bareback.
There was no good reason for sending
them there before they were provided with
uniforms and guns and before the commits
sary department was ready to provide the
proper kind of food for them And they
would not have been sent there under such
unfavorable circumstances if there had not
been such an ION TO Havana" clamor The
President and his advisers knew the vol
unteers were not ready for move on
Cuba, and could not be made ready inside
of several weeks. They also knew 1t would
be better for the men to remain at their
camps in the interior until they were pre-
pared for active service, but they didn't
have the courage to defy those newspapers
and politicians that were demanding that
the movement on Cuba be begun at once.
The consequence was a condition of affairs
which appeared to justify such charges as
| Mr.. Bigelow made.
Undoubtedly a great change has taken
| place at Tampa. Officers are becoming
better acquainted with their duties and
consequently the volunteers are gradually
taking on the appearance of regulars.
There has never at any time been any
complaints made in connection with the
regulars All of the complaints and crit
icisms have been in connection with the
volunteers, and, as already stated, these
complaints and criticisms were largely due
| to the fact that the volunteers were sent
to Tampa weeks before they ought to have
| been sent there.
|