The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-10
GEN. BANCROFT on rHE WAR.

! The war department investigation
commission should invite Brig. Gen. Will
liam A. Bancroft OF Massachusetts to
/ narrate his observations of the de-
fects of the army administration as
he saw it. The commissioners need not
take alarm, sinoa Gen. Bancroft says:
1t is useless to charge the present ad-
ministration for blunders, errors and
failures, except 50 far as the knowledge
of these may be needed for future guild
ance, The fault, if it lies anywhere,
lies with the American people. They are
to blame for neglecting their land fore
es. These forces, both regular and MI
litia, instead of being deprived of ev-
cry dollar that could be taken away
from them, should have been given as
much as was needed to maintain their
efficiency
This is only one chapter of the story,
however. Judging from Gen Bancroft's
own words, over his own signature, in
the Boston Journal, he does not think
the United States had any army in the
Spanish war. but only 25O,0O0 men, or
whatever the number was The time
and money necessary to build UP an ar
my, the people, or at any rate, their
representatives in congress. have never
been willing to expend for that purpose.
What is the best method of reorganiza-
ton Gen. Bancroft leaves for others to
say, but he sensibly insists that an eff
n Io in,
months. The great work of transport
ing and provisioning an army can not
be done off -hand by men who have new
er had experience in handling large
bodies of men.
But aside from this obvious deficien-
of field sanitation in the army That is
to say, the camps We're not properly ar
ranged or equipped. There was, too,
singular Indifference among officers OF
high rank to the lack of ordnance and
quartermasters' supplies. Gen. Ban
croft thinks also, a great improvement
was called for in the medical depart
ment. AS yet. none Of these matters
has been brought out with clearness
by the commission Of inquiry
Gen. Bancroft frankly says that
there should have been no such NOR
tality resulting from sickness With
all the advance in science, as applied
to equipment, as applied to food. as
applied to sanitary conditions there
was a woful failure to take advantage
of this advance Considering the pro-
gress of military science and the strong,
carefully selected, able bodied men who
composed the army, the percentage of
death from disease should have been
much smaller than it was in the civil
war but as a matter of fact it was 90
per cent larger. The figures and COM
parison are not Gen. Bancrofts, but
the argument is. How far was this re-
sponsibility personal?
This critic would abolish the red tape
of which complaint is so frequently
made, but he adds: Such habit
should be cultivated that things would
be done instead Of being left undone, as
has been largely the case. it is well
known, in the Spanish war. i. The
managers did not make it their business
to see that things were supplied. Sub
ordinates were expected to ask for
things, and in many cases. if they did
ask. their request was not com
piled with. and they went without. -
And again: THE absence of a strong,
earnest, directing hand was apparent.
No such testimony as this has been re-
ported before the commission of in
quiry. Why should not Gen. Bancroft
be called upon to give his experience?