The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05
CUBAN CAMPAIGN THE CAUSE.
SECRETARY ALGER THINKS WELL
OF CAMP WIKOFF'S CONDITIONS.


Suffering and Death There Not Due
to the situation of the Camp, Rut
to the Terrible Campaign In Cubn.
Gen. ShRfter Tells of the Obstacles
the Army Encountered There - lie
Was Forced to Press Forward
Rapidly or Have His Men Die, but
Santiago Was Taken Secretary
AIger Hears No Complaints From
Soldiers.
Washington. Sept 4-Secretary Alger
VINO returned last night from New York,
after his inspection tour through Camp
Wikoff at Montauk Point with President
Mckinley and several of the bureau off,
cials of the war department commented
tonight upon the conditions of the camp
and stated the results Of his visit;
II feel certain" he said, after a care
full examination of Camp Wikoff and
thorough investigation of its conditions,
that everything possible is being done for
the men, both sick and well, who are de-
tanned there. The camp is an admirable
one-the best. think ever saw"
The sickness. suffering and death there
are not, the secretary said, the result of
the situation of the camp itself, but of
the terrible campaign through which the
troops have just passed-a campaign that
viii be memorable in the military history
of the world He had, the secretary said.
talked yesterday with Gen. Shafter, who
discussed some of the obstacles which he
had to overcome In the Santiago cam
paign. Secretary Alger continued:
Gen Shafter said that when he ar
rived in Cuba and realized the conditions
that confronted him and his men, he knew
that the campaign must of necessity be
one of days rather than of weeks and
months He had lost nearly all of his
lighters and was thus seriously handicap
ped in effecting a landing of both his
troops and the stores and supplies which
the fleet carried. The. tremendous rains
which set in Immediately after his arrival
rendered 1t next TO impossible for either
the troops or supplies to be gotten for
ward. He felt however. that whatever
the difficulties, he must press forward,
and, If possible, end the campaign In the
briefest time. The climatic conditions
were such that to lose any time meant the
destruction of his command by illness
and the consequent failure Of the expe-
dition. He took no chances on delay,
therefore, but swept his gallant army
upon the Spaniards with such irresistible
| dash that victory was won almost before
| the Spaniards themselves realized what
they had 10 encounter,
! te t,arfactIv aUfdapf Fou fbof bad
| Gen. Shafter waited until his army and
| its supplies could have been sent forward
with ordinary deliberation the expedition
| against Santiago would have failed ut
| terly. In a measure, 1t was his disregard
of military conventonalities that enabled
| him to carry the campaign to a brilliant
| ly successful issue,
During all the time the troops were ly-
| ing In the trenches before Santiago, de-
| spite the immense difficulties experienced
| in getting supplies TO the front, the men
| suffered very little from a lack of pro-
visions. OF course, they did not have what
| they are now receiving at Montauk Point,
| but they had the actual necessaries of life,
Notwithstanding the newspaper reports 10
| the contrary.
"It Is particularly notable" continued
| Secretary AIger, earnestly. that the men
who were actually engaged in the Santa
| go campaign are not complaining of their
treatment. 1 talked with scores of them
i was about to say hundreds-and not
breath of complaint did | hear from any
/ of them"
! Such visit as President Mckinley made
to the camp yesterday. the secretary add
ed, was almost unique in military annals
! That he was reasonably well satisfied with
the conditions as he found them was in
| itself a guarantee that they were not far
| wrong"
| The secretary concluded by saying there
was no intention of abandoning Camp
| Wikoh.