The times., 1898-09-29

A careful study of the questions
formulated by the commission appoint
ed at the request of Secretary Alger
leads The Times to repeat that while
they cover all the essential matters
about which the nation has been so
deeply concerned for so many weeks,
they also involve too much that is irrel-
evant and not in issue. Perhaps this is
imposed on the commissioners by the
words of the request of Secretary AL
ger, who is evidently resolved TO extort
from the commission statement as 10
the vast amount OF work performed by
the War Department. Now, what the
people want TO know. what justice re-
quires, is not what the Secretary of
War and his subordinates did, but why
they left certain vitally necessary
things undone. and what particular Off
cials are responsible for the omissions
and failures, and why the head of the
department was, and apparently still is.
ignorant Of the fatal defects which are
only too we'll known to the unhappy
victims who survive and 10 the Ameri-
can people
We are far from saying an investiga-
tion of the purchases, contracts. char
ters and other acts Of the officials of
the War Department is not necessary.
On the contrary, where the incompe-
tency and neglect are so marked in Ger
tain known directions. ii is almost in
evitable there should be grave defects
and offenses in all other directions, but
10 70 ha 70 ,-E,
tical affairs that an attempt to cover
all the ground relating to faults both
Of commission and omission must fail
TO do justice TO either branch of the
subject.
1t is worthy of note that Secretary
Ayers request makes no reference to
the scandals that have caused such gem
eraI and fierce Indignation. Confronted
by charges Of incompetency and neg
lect in the delivery of supplies to a
starving army almost within sight of
the vessels containing supplies; of the
failure to land hospital supplies and to
establish a medical system for the in
stant care of the wounded; of the neg
lect Of sanitary precautions and of
sending the wounded and sick on long
voyages without potable water or
proper food, in foul ships, and without
doctors, nurses or medicines; and con-
fronted by charges of keeping soldiers
in infected camps where the medical
men-in one case a horse doctor-were
too ignorant to prevent the extension
of disease (see the latest reports of a
medical commission; and of failure to
provide hospital facilities in advance of
the arrival Of the sick; and of the fail
ure Of corps and general quartermas-
ters and medical officials to honor
acquisitions for necessary articles, ETC.,
Secretary Alger says: Investigate ev-
cry bureau in connection with the mus
tering, clothing, supplying and arming
of troops, transportation, the letting of
contracts and chartering vessels and
all expenditures of every kind" He
makes no request for an inquiry into
the scandals mentioned.
So the commission plans its work SO
as TO include these irrelevant. time-con-
suming questions, about which no com
plant has been made-save in the mat
ter Of the Long Island Railway. To do
this thoroughly must of itself take
many tiresome weeks. and though cor
ruption marked every transaction the
commission has no means to uncover
the fact It can only report that the
War Department bought many things.
without, as far as is known, any steal
ings.
But the commission. recognizing the
state Of the public mind, has not con-
fined its plans to the suggestions of
Secretary Alger. If, when the records
of the office have been scanned to no
purpose, there is life enough left in the
commissioners, they viii take up a
number of questions which, If pursued
by persons having judicial authority
and able 10 impose penalties for con-