New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-03
DIR. LESSER'S POSITION.
IF HE RESIGNS IT WILL BE FOR PRl-
vATE REASONS ONLY.
HAS NOT CRITICISED ANY OF THE ARMY MEDI


HAS NOT CRITICISED ANY OF THE ARMY MEDI-
Cal. AUTHORITIES MAJOR HEYL HERE TO
| INVESTIGATE THE CoNCHo's CONDITION.
DR.. A. NJ Lesser. the surgeon-in-chef OF the
Red Cross who for weeks has been conduct
Ing the society's operations In Cuba and was among
the returning passengers the Concho, intends
TO resign his place An interview with him. published
yesterday afternoon. gave the impression that DR.
Lesser intends TO retire because of his experiences
before Santiago and because OF the attitude when
the military medical authorities had adopted Tow
ard MIN and the Red Cross. Or Lesser was re-
ported as saying yesterday that there should De an
investigation the conditions which prevailed on
the Conchc and quoted as saying also; When
resign / shall give my reasons. They will starte
the world
A DISPATCH TO DIR. sTERNBERG
A Tribune reporter saw DR.. Lesser last night at
his home No ~ East Sixty-sixth-st. and. although
he admitted that he intended 20 resign when the
war was over. he denied that he was inhuenceu III
this determination by any treatment to which ne
had been subjected In Cuba because OF any cTitl-
cisms which had been made BY Surgeon-Generai
sternherg on the work o. the Red Cross. In proof
OF this he pointed to the fact that he had sent 'he
following telegram TO General Sternberg yesterday
Every unfayora bic criticism Of persons belonging
TO the regular medical department OF the uh''ed
States Army and Nav published As being my
mo / have only the highest prn,sc for them
pr Lesser went 10 say that 'heie WIS "'
ba sis FOR the interviews purpcrUng TO come rum
him. ins!nuatng thai any differences existed De-
tween him and the military authorizes ana
stated that !. he resigned ii would be due e:'-
trcly 10 tho fact that he could not afford 10
sacrifice further bis private practice TO the w9iK
OF the Red Cross DIR. Lesser added that either
to-day or ,o-morrCw he would submit report o:
his work and observations In CUBA TO inc hc"
Cir1nl Stat
tho condi:io. OF affairs as he found tho''. ana
wo.ld contaia 10 criticisms o: anybod? CT o, any
kind
Major Charles II. Hey. A,,!ng lnspec'cr-Cenerai
OF the Arriy, arrived here yesterday Tor the pu:-
pose o. investigating the condition III which tho
Conch, TO this port. During the morning.
he visited Or. Doty at Quarantine and talked
with some Of the patients who stii! rtmainel on
the transport When he returned TO the Army
Building IN the afternoon. lie said;
Il am here 10 get a, the bottom OF this matter
and 20 make as thorough investigation as pos-
sibe." lie expects to finish ,his inquiries by To-
night and will then return to Washington for the
purpose OF reporting to Secretary Aser.
DIsINFECTINC TIL coNC3o
All day yesterday the dIsinfeclirs-b boat Wsds-
worth lay alongside the Concho ana the WORK OF
clears MS the ship pushed forward as rapidij as
possible Probably three more days will be needed
to make the transport ready for serv-e again Dis
crevlos OF vessel ami there is iiilc possloiiit;
OF any stray germs lingering after Or Doty aAd MS
assistants have got through with their work
There transferred from the Conc--o during
the Afternoon seventy-nine sick soldiers. who were
taken t. SWirhurne Island Among them was Cap
tain William Pauldins OF the 10Th United states In
fsntry. who was placed In a separate room. adjoin-
ing OF the hospital wards Two men were left
on board the Concho. They we're Corporal L. W.
Washington. Company o. 2ith Infantry. who was
Company h. 6th Infantry. who was wounded In the
foot These men are fever patients. and yill be
transferred 10 5. X. smiths innrmary at New
Private James Rogndtree. COMPANY p 18Th In, In
in transit to s~inburne Island on boarq ,ne James
W. wadsworih. An autopsy vii he held this morn
ing to determine the cause OF death
A STATEMENT FROM COLONEL BYRNE.
repor on the condition OF the Concho based
upou the Concentrations OF Colonel Charles g. Byrne
WAS sent to Washington yesterday by the chief
medical officer of tho Department Of the East
The following statement was subsequently given
out by Colonel Byrnc:
The pubic should Dear In mind that the oondi-
ton OF war makes great changes In crcurnstances.
one cannot judge OF the STATE OF analfs nj San-
tiaRe b. what me state OF affairs here IL There
has been. ! understand. scarcity OF medical SUI,
plies in cuba from the beginning When General
SKATERS army finally started from Tampa after
delays and under urgent orders some OF the med
cumstances. left behind 1t was not possible to
unload even all OF the supplies which were taken
On "A rocky coast with great diffculty Many -
the supplies therefore. went back to Tampa In The
transports. for the reason that faoilitics were
lacking Tor the unloading. and because the vessels
needed In Florida waters a. soon as possible
II imagine that when the Concho started from
Santiago the authorities were between the deyil ani
the deep sea 1hey Lad lot OF convaletcents on
their hands. who. they believed. would improve IN
health rapidly when they were once at sed ana Oh
the way nome. II these men were nor prompt V
sent North. the authorities probably reasoned thy
would be almost sure TO contract fever OF sone
kind which would almost inevitably result fatally.
That many the suffered reapses on the
tourney wal. Of course. most unfortunate, hut u
was of those unhappy incidents which cannot
be foreseen. have received no instructions from
Washington looking 10 an investigation OF the
matter. My reOort Washington was substan-
TALLY what ! said yesterday -namely. that saw
no evidences 81 oNercrowdne. bu. that the Corcho
wa without sufficient and proper medical and hos
MT II sfor