New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-05
ARMY COMMANDERS PROTEST..
FEAR EPIDEMIC OF FEVER.
GENERAL SHAFTER AND COMMANDERS
INSIST UPON WITHDRAWAL OF
AMERICAN TROOPS FROM

General Shafter read n cable message from sec
retary Alger. ordering him. on the recommenda-
ton Of Surgcon-General Sternberg. to move the
army into the interior. to San Luis where 1t is
healthier.
AS result of the conference General shafter
Will insist upon the immediate withdrawal OF
the army North
AS an explanation OF the situation the follow
ing letter from Colonel Theodore Roosevelt.
commanding the 1st Cavalry. to General
Shaf;er. was handed by the latter to the corre-
spondent OF The Associated Press for publica-
tion:
Major General Shafter
Sir: In a meeting Of the general and medical
officers called by you at the Palace this morn
ing we were all. you know. unanimous In
view Of what should be done with the army.
To keen us here in the opinion OF every officer
commanding n division a brigade Will SIM
nlv involve the destruction Of thousands. There
is no possible reason for not shipping practi-
caIIv the entire command North al once.
yellow fever cases very few In the cav
aIrv division where | command one Of the two
brisades and not one true case OF yellow FEVER
has occurred In this division, except among the
men sent TO the hospital at Sboney. where they
have I believe. contracted it.
WHOLE COMMAND WEAKENED.
"But in this division there have been LOO
cases of malarial fever. Not man has died
from IT. but the whole command is so weakened
and shattered as to be ripe for dying like
rotten sheep when real yellow fever epidemic,
instead of fake epidemic. like the present.
strikes US as It Is bound to If we stay here
at the height Of the sickness season. August
and the beginning Of September. Quarantine
against malarial fever IS much like quarantining
against the toothache.
"All Of us are certain. soon as the authori-
ties at Washington fully appreciate the con-
dtions of the army to be sent home. II we are
kept here II will in all human possibility mean
an appalling disaster for the surgeons here
estimate that over half the army, II kept here
during the sckly season. will die.
This is not only terrible from the standpoint
Of tie individual lives lost. but 1t means ruin
from the standpoint of military efficiency Of the
flower Of the American Army. for the great bulk
OF the Regulars here with you. The sick
list. large though It is exceeding four thousand.
affords but faint index of the debilitation or
the army Not 10 per cent are fit for active
work
six weeks on the North Maine coast, for in
starce. or elsewhere where the yellow fever
germ cannot possibly propagate would make us
all fit fighting cocks able we are and
eager TO take a leading Part in the great cam
paign against Havana in the fall. even II we are
not allowed to try Porto Rico.
CAN BE MOVED WITH SAFETY.
I'VE can be moved North. If moved at once.
with absolute safety TO the country. although.
OF course. It would have been infinitely better
If we had been moved North or to Porto Rico
two weeks ago. II there We're any object in
keering us here we would face yellow fever
with as much Indifference as we face bullets.
But there is object in II.
The four immune regiments ordered 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 shifting Of camp doubles the
sick rate in present weakened condition.
and, anyhow, the interior is rather worse than
the coast, as / have found by actual recon-
nOissance. Our present camps healthy
as any camps at this end of the island can be-
II write only because | cannot see our men,
who have fought so bravey and who have
endured extreme hardship and danger so un-
companngy go to destruction without striv-
fearful as 1t is unnecessary and undeserved.
Yours respectfully.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Colonel Commanding First Brigade"
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the intia-
tive. all the American general officers united in
a round robin addressed to General Shafter
1t reads:
COMMANDERS URGE MOVING.
I'VE, the undersigned officers commanding the
various brigades. divisions etc. Of the Army
Of Occupation in Cuba 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 1t can be done without danger to the people
OF the United States: that yellow fever in the
Army at present is not epidemic: that there
are only a few sporadic cases: but that the
Army is disabled by malarial fever tC the ex-
tent that It's efficiency is destroyed. and that
1t is in condition to he practically entirely
destroyed by epidemic OF yellow fever. which
is sure TO come in the near future
We know from the reports of competent
officers and from personal observations that
the Army is unable to move into the interior.
and that there are no facilities for such move
IL attempted. and that 1t could not be attempt
ed until too late. Moreover, the best medical
authorities OF the island say that with our
present equipment could not live in the in
terror during the rainy season without losses
from malarial fever which is almost deadly
yellow fever.
MUST MOVE OR PERISH"
This Army must be moved Mt once, or perish.
AS the Army can be safely moved now. the
persons responsible for preventing such a move
will be responsible for the unnecessary loss
OF many thousands OF lives.
"Our opinions are the result OF careful per-
sonal observation. and they are also based on
the unanimous opinion of our medical officers
with the Army. who understand the situation