The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-05
STILL AWAITING
SPANS REPLY
The Counter Proposition Submitted Through NJ. Cambon Day
Two Ago Was Merely Bit Of Play to the Spanish Galleries.

mand is so weakened and shattered as
TO be ripe for dying like rotten sheep
when Il real yellow fever epidemic i'll
stead of Il fake epidemic, like the pres
ent, strikes us. as it is bound to if we
stay here at the height of the sickness
season, August and the beginning of
September. Quarantining against ma
larial fever is much like Guarantining
against the tooth ache. All of us are GER
tain as soon rs the authorities at Wash
ington fully appreciate the conditions of
the army. to be sent home. If we are
kept here it will in all human possibility
mean an appalling disaster, for the sur
geons here estimate that over half the
army, if kept here during the sickly sea-
son, will die. This is not only terrible
from the standpoint 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,
exceeding 1000 affords but Il faint in
dcx of the debilitation of the army. Not
10 per cent are fit for active work. Six
weeks on the North Maine coast. for in
stance, or elsewhere, where the yellow
fever germ cannot possibly propagate.
cocks. able as we are eager, to take Il
leading part in the great campaign
against Havana in the fall. even if we
are not allowed to try Porto Rico.
I'VE can he moved north. if moved at
once. with absolute safety to the coun-
try. or course, it would have been in
finitcly better if we had been moved
north. or to Porte Rico two weeks ago.
| oh in,
here, we would face yellow fever with
as much Indifference as we face bullets.
but there is no object in it. The four.
immune regiments ordered here are suffi-
cient to garrison the city and surround
ing towns, and there is absolutely moth,
ing for us to do here, and there has not
been since the city surrendered. 1t is
impossible to move into the interior.
Every shifting of camp doubles the sick
rate in our present weakened condition.
and any how. the interior is rather worse
than the coast. as | found by actual re-
connaissance Our present camps are as
healthy as any camps at this end of the
island can he.
Il write only because | cannot see our
men who have fought so braycly. and
who have endured extreme hardships
and danger so uncomplainingly. go to
destruction without striving so far as
lies III me. to avert Il doom as fearful
as it is unnecessary and undcscrved.
tSlgned) Yours respectfully.
"THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Commanding Colonel First Brigade" ;"
THE OFFICERS ROUND ROBIN.
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the
Initiative, all the American general off
GERS united in a round robin addressed
to General Shafter 1t reads:
I'VE, the undersigned officers. com
manding the various brigades. divisions.
etc, of the Army Of Occupation in Gu
ba, are of the unanimous opinion that
this army should be at once taken out
Of the Island of Cuba and sent to some
point on the northern seacoast of the
United States: that it can be done with
out danger to the people of the United
States; that yellow fever in the army
at present is not epidemic: that there
are only il few sporadic eases; but that
the army is disabled by malarial fever
to the extent that its efficiency is de-
stroyed, and that it is in Il condition to
be practically destroyed by an epidemic
of yellow fever which is sure to come
IN the near future.
eve know from the reports of compe
tent officers and from personal obServa
tions that the army it unable to move
in to the interior and that there are no
facilities for such Il move if attempted,
and that it could not be attempted till
too late. Moreover the best medical
authorities Of the island say that with
our present equipment we could not live
in the interior during the rainy season
without loss from malarial fever which
is almost as deadly as yellow fever.
This army must be moved at once OF
perish. AS the army can be safely
moved now, the persons responsible for
preventing such a move will be re-
sponsihle for the unnecessary loss of
many thousands of lives.
Our opinions are the result of care
ful personal observation and they are
also based on the unanimous opinion of
our medical officers with the army.
who understand the situation absolutely"
Major Nj. NJ. Wood. the Chief Sur
geon of the First division, said:
THE army must be moved north" add
ing with emphasis, cor it will be unable
to move itself"
General Ames has sent the following
cable message to Washington:
'The Hon. Charles II. Allen, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy,
This army is incapable because of
sickness. from marching anywhere, eX-
cept to the Transports If it is ever to
return to the United States it must do
so at once"
TO correspondent of the Associated
Press General Ames said
'lf | had the power | would put the
men on the transports at once and ship
them North without further orders.
am confident such action would uti-
mately be approved. A full list of the