The times., 1898-09-03
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1898.
Gen. shafter's Statement.

If Gen. Shafter is accurately quoted,
II is his opinion that most. if not all,
of the suffering his army endured in
Cuba was unavoidable and should
have been expected: that from the mo-
ment ii was decided TO invade that
island in Summer with an army of un-
acclimated men, epidemic disease, in
sufficient supplies and the like were a
foregone conclusion. He sums it all up
in these words: THE men who order
ed Summer campaign in a fever-in-
fected country are responsible" He
points with pride to the fact that an
army of thirteen thousand men cap
Tured twenty-seven thousand
There are several matters that are
ignored in this large generalization
that had most to do with the suffer-
ings Of the troops. Granting that il
was. in fact, a rush" campaign, it
does not seem to have been a necessity
that there should not be small boats
enough to land the stores or means TO
transport them TO the army. This
country could provide pack mules.
teams. wagons. and men and an end
less number OF small craft within the
time that was required to equip
and transport the army to Cuba We
think if the truth were known it would
be found that nobody had made fair
estimate of the requirements of the ex-
petition OF course, the army being
landed and there being no means to
carry the stores to the front, the suf-
fering was inevitable. and there was
nothing to be done except to push mat
ters. 1t is not that there was not
time enough. but that foresight was
lacking.
To say that nobody was neglected is
to fly in the face of established facts.
That the surgeons did their best no
one will deny, but they were handi-
capped by the absence of supplies. The
proof is conclusive that there were no
hospital companies. or not enough to
do any good, to carry the wounded to
the rear. That was a depIorabIe over
sight or case of criminal neglect
She country was ready to send a thou
sand extra medical men, just as il was
ready to pay for a thousand transports
and lighters to carry and land sup
plies and mules or horses for taking
them to the front
And the same is true concerning the
transports for the wounded and sick.
The country was able and eager to pay
for the best vessels that could be char
tered or impressed TO bring them
home; to send down delicacies for the
sick in Cuba and on the transports; to
send down doctors and nurses to ac-
company them on the home voyage
and to provide all necessary medicines.
There were weeks is which to get all
Hhese things before the homeward
movement began.
That there was neglect of the posi-
tive orders Of Gen. Miles in regard to
the occupation of infected houses and
intercourse with refugees and Cubans
in arms, the quick development of the
epidemic proves.
So. successful and glorious as the
triumph of American valor was there
is no escape from the conviction that
the greater part of the suffering and
mortality of our soldiers was needless
and preventable. Why there were not
means Of landing supplies so that the
loss of three or four lighters should
not be calamitous; why there were not
additional transports to carry animals.
or animals and carts enough, and a
thousand or two extra men to act as
carriers TO take the rations to the
front; why there were not boat loads
of delicacies for the sick sent down
and clean vessels to bring the men
home; and why there was not "a proper
detail of enlisted men to care for the
wounded, nobody has tried to explain.
II rush" campaign and climatic dis
eases Were to be expected. surely the
need of these things should have been
foreseen.