Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-05
MUST BE MOVED.
yellow Jack Threatens Our
Army in Cuba.
Commanding Officers and Surgeons
Send Word to Washington
That 1t Must Be Moved North al Once n
II Ever Is Moved.

Santiago de Cuba. Aug. q GAO p
Nj delayed in transmission).- Sum
moned by Mai. Con, Shafter. 4 meet
ing was hcld here this morning. at
headquarters ana in the presence of
every commanding and medical officer
~ the Fifth Army Corps Gen. Shafter
read 2 cable message from Secretary
Alger ordering him. at the recommen-
dation Of Surgeon General Sternbarg.
TO move the army to the interior. to
san Luis. where It is healthier
As result Of the conference. Cen
cral Shafter win insist upon the i'm
mediate Withdrawal Of the army north.
or within two weeks. As an exrlana-
ton Of the situation the following let
ter from Col. Theodore Roosevelt, COM
handing the LIST Cavalry. to Gen Shat
ter was handed by the latter tn the
correspondent here of The Associated
Press for publication.
Major General Shafter:
Sir: In meeting Of the general
and medical officers called by you at
the palace this morning, We were ALL
as You know, unanimous in view of
what should he done with the army.
To keep us here. in the opinion of ev-
cry officer commanding a division or Il
brigade, Will simply involve destruc
ton Of thousands. There is no posi-
bile reason for not shipping practically
the entire command north at once.
yellow fever cases are very few in the
cavalry division where | command one
Of the two brigades. and not one true
case of yellow fever has occurred in
this division, except among the men
sent to the hospital at Siboney. whore
they have | believe contracted ii. But in
this division there has been 1900 cases
from it. but the whole command is So
weakened and shattered as To be ripe
for dying like rotten sheep when Il
yellow fever epidemic. instead of a
fake epidemic like the present, strikes
us. as it is bound TO if we stay here at
the height Of the sickness season, Au-
gust and the beginning of September.
Quarantine against malarial fever
is much like quarantine against the
tooth ache All Of us are certain. as
soon as the authorities at Washington
fully appreciate the conditions of the
army. to he sent home. If we are kept
here, it will in all human possibility
mean an appalling disaster. for the
surgeons here estimate that over half
the army, if kept here during the sick
ly season. will die This is not only
terrible from the standpoint of the
individual lives lost, but it means
ruin from the standpoint of the
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, ex-
ceeding 1000. affords but faint index
of the debilitation of the army. Not
10 per cent. are fit for active work.
Six weeks on the north Maine coast,
for instance, or elsewhere, where the
yellow fever germ cannot possibly
would make us all as MT as
fighting cocks, able as we are and
eager to take leading part in the
against Havana in the fall, |
even if we are not allowed to try Por-
to Rico.
We can be moved north, if moved at
once, with absolute safety to the coun- |
try, although of course, it would nave
been infinitely better had we been
moved north or to Porto Rico two
weeks ago. 1t 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 immune regiments or
dered here are sufficient to garrison
the city and surrounding towns and
there is absolutely nothing for us to
DO here. and there has not been since
the city surrendered. 1t is impossible
to move into the interior Every SHIFT
ing of camp doubles the sick rate IN
our present weakened condition. ana,
ANYHOW, the interior is rather worse
than the coast, as / have found by
personal reconnaissance. our present
camps are as healthy as any camps at
his end of the island can be.
Il write only because l cannot see
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