The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-08-05
ROOSEVELT WRITES
Sharp-p6inted Letter to Gener.
al Shafter and Tells of the
Necessity for Removal
of T-oons.

Santiago de cuba. Aug. B.9o p. mJ-
Delayed In transmission Summoned by
Major General shauer. meeting was
held here this morning at headquarters.
and In the presence OF every command
Ing and medical officer OF the Fifth army
corps. General shafter read cable mes
sage from Secretary Algcr ordering him
at the recommendation OF Surgeon Cen
eral sterubere. to move the army into
the interior, to San Luis. where It is
healthier
As an explanation OF the situation. the
following letter from Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt commanding the First voun-
tcers cavalry. to General shafter was
handed boy the latter TO the correspond
ent here Of the Associated Press for pub
lication:
Major General shafter:
"sir-m meeting OF the genera, and
medical officers. called by YOU az the
palace this morning We were ar as YOU
known, unanimous in view OF what
should be done with the army To keep
us here. In the opinion of every officer
commanding division or brigade viii
simply involve the destruction OF thou
sands. There Is mo- possible reason for
not shipping practically the entire COM
mand north ot once. yellow fever cases
are very few in the cavalry division.
where command one OF the two bril-
gades and not one true case OF yellow
fever has occurred in his division. ex-
at Siboney. where they have. ] believe.
contracted IT, But IN this division there
have been 500 cases OF malaral fever
Not man has died from IT, bun the
whole command Is $50 weakened and
shattered as To- Doe ripe Tor dying like rot
ten sheep when a real yellow fever epi-
demic instead OF fake epidemic like the
present strikes us, it is bound to II we
stay here at the height of the sickncs4
season. August and the beginning Of 5 2-
tember Quarantine against malarai fc-
Yer Is much nl, cumming against the
tooth-achc All OF us are certain as soon
as the authorities az Washington fully
appreciate the condition of the army. To
be sent home n we are kept here It
will. In all human possibility, mean AN
appalling disaster. for the surgeons here
now estimate that half Of the cavalry. II
kept here during the sick season. will
die This IS not only terrible from the
standpoint of the individual lives ios'
but it means ruin from the standpoint OF
the military efficiency Of the flower Of
the American army. for the great bulk
of the regulars are here with you. The
sick list large though IL is, exceeding
1000 affords but a faint index Of the de-
biiation of the army Not ten per cent
are ht for active work Six weeks on the
north Maine coast for instance. or else
where. where the yellow iever germ can
not possibly propag te. would make us
an as NJ as lighting cocks. able as we are
eager. Co take leading part in the great
campaign against Havana iu the fan.
even if We are not allowed 10 try Porto
Rico.
1--WE can be moved north, ~ moved ot|
once with absolute safety to the coun-
trt. .tt.,u.b .f ,,,,r.. A. ,,..,t1 t..,,.
been Infinitely better it We had been
moved north or TO Porto Rico two weeks
ago. 10 there were any object In keep
ing us here. We would face yellow fever
with as much Indifference as we faced
bullets. but there is no object in IT, The
four immune regiments ordered here are
sufficient TO garrison tho city and sur
rounding towns and there is absolutely
nothing for us 90 DO here. and there has
not been since the city surrnedered. Il
is impossible to move into the interior.
Every shifting OF camp doubles the sick
rate IN our present weakened condition,
and anyhow the Interior is rather worse
than the coast. as ! have found by actual
reconnaissance. our present camps are
as, healthy as any camps at this end Of
the island can be.
"G write only because ] cannot see our
men who have fought ao bravely. and
who have endured extreme hardshlps and
danger so uncomplainingiy go 20 de-
snuction without striving so iar as Hes
IN mo 10 avert a doom as fearful as Il s.
unnecessary and uudeserved.
Yours respectfully.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Colonel Commanding First Brigade"
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the
initiative AN tho American general ofh-
GERS uniteI ia round-robln address To-
General shaner Il reads
1--WE the undersigned officers commana-
ing che various brigrtd,si. divisions. et,.
Of the army Of occupation in cuba. are
Of che unanmious opinion that TINS army
should be ut once taken out Of the isllnd
~ cuba and sent 90 Sumo point on tine
northern seacoast o. the United stues
that h can b. done without danger % the
people Of the United states that yellow
fever IN the army al present Is oot eta-
deu.ic. that there are only "a Few H,pra-