The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-28
ROOSEVELT'S LETTER
Says Witnesses Furnish the Facts;
Commission Should Do the Rest

New York, Nov 28-The following let
ter from Robert J. Roosevelt, secretary
of the committee of the Society for the
Protection of Soldiers, has been read
before the war investigating commits
sion:
ITO the Presidential Commission of
Inquiry: Gentlemen have noticed in
the morning press that none of your
members criticizes the witnesses VINO
have testified at the request Of the COM
mittee formed in this city to protect the
soldiers, for the reason that, While
establishing the fact that much ground
less and inexcusable suffering was in
fiicted on the army, they do not fix the
responsibility nor show who is to blame.
If the views of your commission are
correctly reported, there seems to be
misunderstanding between US. We sup
posed that all the witnesses had to do
was to prove the facts, and that the
commission would fix the responsibility
indeed, was appointed for the express
purpose of fixing the responsibility.
1.-The heroic boys may forget their SUI
ferings; may even refuse to testify to
them, but their mothers VIII not, ana
their fathers will not Nor Will 1t do TO
take refuge behind the errors OF the
civil war.
There was no Intentional cruelty,
such as seems to have so often prevail
ed in this war. The sick men were not
starved. Sick men were treated with all
possible attention and kindness. Water
was not sold to fever-racked sufferers
at 10 cents glass; food was not SOLO
to starving men at 70 cents Tor a SAND
Wich, and daintieS for the dying men
were not eaten by the officers. But sup
pose matters had been a thousand times
worse in the civil war, would that be
any reason now that our men should be
sent with arms out Of date; that there
should be no ambulances, no pack
trains, or transportation to carry 1000
to the front; not half sufficient medi-
cines for doctors; no proper hospitals,
and that men with freshly treated
wounds should be left to die in the mud
on a blanket if they had one-without
it if they had nOne-nOr even why MD
winter undertaking should be sent to
Cuba and midsummer gauze understands
to MOntauk?
1.-The accomplishing endurance of our
men has simply been heroic. They bore
wounds, sickness, privatiOns, to death
even, without word 1t was only
neglect starvation, in fact, and abuse
in the hospitals which called forth let
tiers, and them only home to their fam
lilies; letters which were sent to me by
brOken-hearted mothers III pitiful ap-
pealS to try to help their sons. 1 wish
your commission could have read them,
but as many of them were transmitted
to me cOnfidentially cannot even quote
from them.
THE witnesses have established mon
strous incapacity. That they have not
full confidence in the power of your
commission, no matter how good its
will to meet all the requirements the
public demands of it, is only echOing
your own doubts, but in spite of that
they seem to have done their share, and
it would seem that it only remains for
you to do your best. even if the best is
not quite satisfactory to yourselves. If
done in good faith it will teach the SOL
diers that at least there is power
which was honestly endeavoring to do
them justice.
You can direct your inquiries in the
first place to the food supply. Find out
who gets the difference between the
liberal ratiOns allowed by the govern
ment and the meager hard tack, bacon
and green coffee served to the soldiers.
The witnesses are the books and the
rolls in the public departments, to which
you have full access.
I'VE have furnished you the facts,
shown you the brutality, cruelty, ne
glect, Indifference; how men to whom
the government was under every Obli-
cation to protect, and especially because
they had a right to rely on such pro-
lection, were starved even in the land
of plenty, were uncared for when sick,
left without attention, when wounded
were abused, maltreated in some cases
in some cases practically murdered. We
have shown you an indifference and be-
lifting of human SufferingS which con-
tinue even now.
eff this nation is to become a Warlike
shall be efficient and to be relied upon,
these crimes and blunderS must be cor
rected, and your commission must cor
rect them. It is not for you to make
mere voluntary association with no
legal existence even, shall shoulder this
responsibility.