Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-08-05
Troops Must Be Sent Home Or
an Appalling Disaster
Will Take Place.
SICKNESS AROUND SANTIAGO De CUBA
Col. Theodore Roosevelt Pictures the
True Situation in Strong Lam
guage to Gen. Shafter.
To Keep the Army at Santiago VIII In
volve the Destruction of Thousands
by Yellow Fever and Other
Diseases-To BE Returned.


Diseases-To BE Returned.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA. Aug. 3.-De-
layed in Transmission) Summoned by
Maj. Gen. Shatter, a meeting was held
the presence of every commanding and
medical officer of the 5th army corps
Gen. Shafter read a cable message
from Secretary Alger. ordering him
at the Recommendation of Surgeon
General Stern berg, to move the
army into the interior, to San Luis,
where it is healthier. AS result of
the con ference Gen. Shaster will in
sst upCa the immediate withdrawal of
the army north within two weeks. AS
an explanation of the situation the
following letter from Col Theo. ltoose-
velt, commanding the lst volunteer
cavalry, to Gen. Snafter, was handed
| by the latter to the correspondent here
Of the Associated Press for publications:
Maj. Gen Shafter:
Sir:-Iu q meeting Of the general and medi-
cal officers. called by von at the palace this
| morning. we are all a. you know, unanimous in
view OF what should he done with the army.
10 keep US here in the op..ion OF every officer
commanding division or brigade. Will
simply involve the destruction of thousands
There is no possible reason for not shipping
practically the entire command north Ut once.
yellow fever cases are very few in the cavalry
division where l command one Of
the two brigadcs. and not one
true cnse OF yellow fever has oc-
CURED in this division except among the men
sent to the hospital at Sitoncy, where they
| have, l believe, con tracted it, But in this di-
vision there have been l500 cases of Inalarial
| fever. Not man has died from it. but the
whole command is so weakened and shattered
as to be ripe for dying like rotten sheep when
a real yellow fever epidemic. instead of a fake
epide mic like the present. strikes us. as it Is
bound TO. if we stay here, at the height Of the
sickness season. Angus: and the beginning
OF September. Quarantine against malaria
fever is much like Quarantining against the
too.hache All Of Us are certain. as soon as
the authorities at Washington fully ap-
preciate the conditions of the army to
| be sent hcme If we are kept here it will in
all human possibility mean an appalling dis
| aster, for the surgeons here estimate that over
half the army, if kept here during the sickly
| season. will die This is not only terrible from
the stan lpoint of the individual lives lost,
but it means ruin from the standpoint
of the military efficiency Of the
flower Of the American army, for
| the great bulk OF the regulars are here with
you. The sick list, large though it is. exceed
ing 1900, affords but faint index Of the de-
Utilization of the army. Not 10 per cent are tit
for active work. six weeks on the North
| Maine cast for instance. or elsewhere. where
the yellow fever germ can not possibly
propagate. would make us all as fiji as
fighting cocks. able as we are eager to
take leading part II the great cam
paign against Havana il the fall, even il we
arc not allowed to try Porto Rico. We can he
moved north. If moved a: once. with absolute
safety to the country, although OF course it
would have been infinitely better II we had
been moved north or to Porto Rico two weeks
ago II there were any object in keeping Us
here we would face yellow fever with as much
indifference as we face bullets, but there is
no object in it The four nmun regiments Or
dered here are sufficient to garrison the city and
surrounding towns, and there is absolutely
nothing for us TO do here and taere has not
been since the town surrendered. 1t is iInpos-
sible to move into tie interior Every shifting
of camp doubles the sicS rate in our present
| weakened condition. and, anyhow, the interior
is rather worse than the coast. as have found
| by actual reconnaissance. Our present CAMPS
| are as healthy as any camrs at this end OF
the island can Le write on!y because l can
net see our men who have fought so brdvely
and who have endured extreme hardships anG
dangers so uncoT p!an.Igly, 60 20 destruction
without striving so far as lies IN me to avert %
doom as fearful as It is unnecessary and unde-
served. Yours respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Colonel Commanding lst Brigade.
After Col Roosevelt had taken the
initiative, all the American general
officers united in round-robin aA-
dressed to Gen, Shafter. Il re ads:
We. the undersigned oH.cars conn ,ndlna
/ the various brigpdes, divisions, etc, OF the
army of occupation il Cu6a, are oc tAe unanl
nous opin!on that this army should DC at one.
taken OUT of Cuba aai sent TO some point o.
the northern seacoast of the Uaited states
; that it can he done without danger t.
r the people OF tie United States; tina
yellow fever in the trny at present L
7 not epidemic; that there are only few spor
gdic ca Is; but that the array is disabled bl
u.a.arial fever to TIE t2tent that It's eflcicnll
S is destroyed and that Il is in condition to b'
practically destroyed by an epidemic OF vel
, low fever which is sure TO coma in tie nea
future, We know from the reports 0
y romre;ent officers ana from personal oh
D servations that the army is unable t
move into the interior and that there are n
facilities for such move il attempted an
that it could rot he attempted until too late
Moreover the best medical authorities on IT,
island say that with cur present equipment W
! could not live in the interior during the rain
:. season without losses from malarial fevel
= which is almost as deadly as yellow fever.
This army must be moved Ut oacc or perisf
As tie army can be safely moved now, the pei
sons responsible for preventing such moy
will be responsible for the uuuece ssary loss {
many thousands of lives. Our opinions are tn
result CT careful personal observation and the
are also based on the unanimous opinion
our medical officers with the army, wEo unGel
stand the situation absolutely.
j. FORD KENT,
Major general volunteers, commanding Il
division. 5th corps.
J. C. BATES, s
Nfaior roI volu, ,ea-a nam ~ dJro ~ r