The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-02
SELFISH ARMY OFFICERS
REPORT THAT THEY OPENED RED
 CROSS SUPPLIES.

DelicacIes Intended for the Sick nt Sam tiago, it Has Leaked Out, Were Put Upon the onicers' Table on the Hos- pital Ship olivette-Work of the Red Cross at Santiago.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courier.)
 Santiago, Aug. 12.-Whenever mall comes in from "the States" our quar- ters are turned into regular post-of- flee, with bags upon bags of letters and piles of newspapers and packages. As many of the names are unknown to us, It Is sometimes extremely difficult to find the owners of the precious words from home; but in every case the strongest effort Is made, although 1t is not legitimate Red Cross business, be- cause we ourselves knew how good 1t is to get news from the world which seems so distant
 The Morse" has brought us beau- tiful cargo of ice-and never was any thing more needed in fever-stricken
 
 Santiago and nowhere to discharge it. Miss Barton offered the whole cargo to Generals Shafter and Wood for the use of the army, but they were equally powerless to provide place. Then she gave 1t to the various transports filled with sick and wounded convalescents going home; and since that blessed day all have been plentifully supplied. The long voyage Is terrible at the best for feeble and dying men, but an abun- dance of ice robs 1t of half it's misery. Thanks to Miss Barton, the Santiago hospitals now have ice galore, to the untold relief of the feverish and delir- ious. Here is something which de- mands attention: The steamer 'Oli- vette," under command of Major Ap- pell (son-in-law of Surgeon-General Sternberg), brought to Santiago the shipment of auxiliary No, 22'' to the Red Cross society. No manifest or mo- tice of it ever came to Miss Barton, Some of her men saw it being unloaded on the Santiago dock, marked plainly American National Red Cross," and with the caballastic sign upon it. As in duty bound, they proceeded to attend to it; when they were roughly told to let that cargo alone, as it belonged to the "Olivette." Some of it was finally stored in a warehouse close alongside other Red Cross property, but by Major Ap- pell's order Miss Barton and her helpers are forbidden to touch it; and there 1t remains, of no use to anybody. Tales leaked out, among those who came on the "Olivette," of boxes bearing the seal of the Red Cross, containing delicacies for the sick, being broken open and used on the officers table.
 Perhaps it is proper for Major Appell to dispose of anything he chooses in his own way, but it is certainly confusing to see portion of our own supplies, with our own mark upon it, handed about before our eyes and we denied the right to say word regarding it's disposition Of course under such con- ditions the Red Cross has no control over anything, despite the sudden friendship which Surgeon-General Sternberg professes. Miss Barton has no wish to rule except in the little mat ter of Cuban relief which she came down to manage. While she is willing and prayerfully glad to put the days of her life as they are passing into the work which our good president has asked her to do, she does feel that there should be some protection for her be- tween the obstacles, the insults and ob- structions of the army. If she could be left free to act under the navy, which has always been respectful and courte- ous and be released from the barbara ties of the army 1t would give little heart hope and strength to the work. "How long she can endure what is dai- ly put upon her, with no arm of protec- tion-nothing between the raw flesh and the army lashes do not know.
 The Associated Press has told you in a brief dispatch how the Red Cross re- lief ship "State of Texas entered San tiago harbor ahead of everything else after the battle, even General Shafter, Sampson and Schley following in the rear; but you can have no idea of the dramatic features of the scene as rela- ted by those who participated in it. There were the two armies, the con- querors and the conquered; the wrecked ships, the starving people. The silence of the grave hung over all-the horror of what had gone before, battle, mur- der, terror and tragedy; and now was coming the first glean of hope to dy- ing people. Said Miss Barton (who, by the way, Is not a member of any church). "Can someboy sing the Dox- ology? Praise God from whom all blessings f1ow' rang rut in quavering chorus from the little band in the prov of the Texas, s,''-taken up and repeated here and there on the battleships and the shore, while strong men wept and the wounded waved their feeble hands. Then America" made the welkin ring.
 ''My country 'tis of thee,
 Sweet land of Liberty,
 Of thee sing
 And thus amid patriotic and religious enthusiasm was Santiago first entered after the battle. It was late on a Sun day afternoon-an in these attitudes, you know, there is no twilight, but darkness falls after the setting of the sun. There were thousands of people i'll starving condition-many literally dying, who had not eaten for days; and there was a shipload of provisions to be distributed. Great difficulties were experienced in getting things started. Ships cannot approach the wharves within half mile or more; there were no lighters, no laborers, no teams to haul goods, no warehouses in fo cfo