Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-08-18
THE SANTIAGO TRAGEDY.

CEimIudi incompetence OF tn0 OuOSiS'
tence and Medical Departments, to
which the feeding and nursing of these
brave fellows was intrusted. There
are times when silence is Gin, and we
feel that to remain quiet in the pres
ministrafion that has added to the
natural horrors of war others that
might easily have been avoided, is to
do positive wrong to the heroes of
Guantanamo, EiCaney and San Juan
The wretched bungling which has
marked every phase of the Santiago
campaign in the Medical and Subsis-
tence Departments Is bad enough,
Heaven knows, in itself, but when the
Secretary of War deliberately proceeds,
for reasons best known to himself, to
whitewash the department, he not on
ly betrays a callous Indifference to the
army whose suferings have been
aggravated by the iDexcusable incom.
petence of his subordinates, bat be
deliberately insults the American PEG.
pie as q whole. A more i'll timed
statement than this apology" or one
in worse bad taste Considering the
time, circumstances, and Mr.. Ayers
responsible position) we do not re.
member to have heard or read in the
half century of the existence of this
journal.
The people of this country have
acquired a reputation for remarkable
patience and long suffering; and we
think that never did they show it in
such a supreme degree as at present.
It was hard fer our citizens to surrend.
or the very flower of our young men
from their homes to be dispatched on
= fatal campaign in one of the most
pestiiential countries in the world.
But the surrender was made with the
loyal response which marks a truly
patriotic people. All thst they asked,
at least that they expected, was that
the men who had volunteered so free.
~ should receive at the bands of the
country every possible safeguard and
support that is known to modern
science. The American people never
doubted for moment that its army
would get the best OF food, the best of
transportation, and the best of nurs-
ing and medical care in the field. In
this expectation they were fully JUST
fed. They had voted lavish funds to
carry on the war, they had gwen the
administration free hand, in fact, In |
the matter of expenditure, and they
had every reason to expect that all |
that the government, of a wealthy, |!
powerful, and resourceful nation could |
do to soften the rigors of war would |
be done.
As matter of fact. they hsve seen
our army Of invasion subject to incon |
venience, hardship, and positive suffer.
ings for which there is not the slight
est excuse, and which were entirely |
due to the amazing incompetency of
the medical and subsistence depart-
ments. Everything, indeed, was favor
able, highly favorable, to the success
full landing OF troops and supplies and |
the keeping open of communication. |
We had the complete command of the |
sea and abundance of ships for trans.
portation; the campaign was being
carried on at our very doors, and the
field of hattie lay but few miles from |
the point of debarkation. Yet, as |
matter of fact, our troops had to go
through the fierce fighting at Santiago
in half starved condition, and what
food they secured was often of the
vilest description. The wounded at |
the front, thanks to the lack of ambu- |
lances, had to drag themselves pain
fully many miles TO the rear, only to
ind = hospital that was without tents
medicine. bandages, ice and many off
even the simplest necessities for first
aid. No "whitewash" can obscure
these facts which first came in the |
press dispatches. and are now daily |
being corroborated ~ private letters
from our unfortunate soldiers them