The times., 1898-08-30
DEFINES HIS POSITION.
Sternbcrs Claims Cordial Red Cross
ReIntiens

and other relatives are making earnest
inquiries about their dear ones. who |
left comfortable homes and friends to /
fight the battles of their country against /
foreign foe, but who now find them /
selves battling with disease and death /
as a result of neglect and inefficiency. |
The horrors of war are being paralleled /
by the horrors of peace.
Surgeon General Sternberg expressed |
himself with considerable earnestness |
last night. He said he was desirous of |
having a thorough investigation of all |
the charges that have been made against |
the camps. hospitals. transports, and hos
pital ships. The surgeon general is par
ticularly in earnest about the investisa-
ton of the charges made by Dr. Ken
nedy. surgeon of the volunteer army at
Santiago. who charged that food and
medicines on the Olivette intended for the
sick and wounded never reached them.
Surgeon General Sternberg says that he
will not hereafter make any statement
touching on the present controversy. He
has asked for a full and searching inves-
tigation, he added, and his request has
not yet been granted.
be received at the War Department today
or tomorrow from Gen. II. V. Boyrtou.
concerning the condition of Camp
Thomas. Several days ago he was direct
ed by Secretary Alger to make thorough
investigation of the hospitals al Camp
Thomas, and promptly report any lack of
attention TO the sick soldiers. any inef-
| fc.ency of the surgeons, or any lack of
supplies
Adjt Gen. Corbin has received from
Gen Boynton brief te!egraphic report
in which he says:
Have completed investigating hos
pitfalls under Secretary's order. Results
exceedingly favorable in all essential fea-
| lures. The facts effectualy dispose of all
recent sensational adverse criticism
The following statement in regard to
! the aatftude of the medical department
of the army toward the Red Cross So
ciety was made by Surgeon General
Sternberg yesterday:
at has been repeatedly charged in the
| newspapers that l am hostile to this or
! ganization and have refused to accept its
/ assistance in the care of our sick and
wounded soldiers, and that as a result OF
( this refusal there has been unnecessary
suffering.
These charges are without foundation.
| except in so far as / have objected to
| sending female nurses with troops IN the
field engaged IN active operations. We
have Red Cross hospital in the army
of enlisted men, whose duty il Is TO rem
der first aid to the wounded upon the
field of battle and TO care for the SICK
in our division field hospitals, and l have
been of the opinion that female nurses
would be an incumbrance to troops dur
ing active operations, but so soon as Sc
rious sickness developed in our camps
and II became necessary TO treat typhoid
fever cases in our field hospitals l gladly
accepted the service of trained female
nurses for the division Held hospitals and
in our general hospitals we have employ
ed them from the first. The general teS-
tirnony from the surgeons in charge OF
these hospitals has been that their ser
vices have been OF great value.
Very many of these trained nurses
have been obtained through the kind as
sistance of the Red Cross Society for
maintenance of trained nurses and 1 de-
sire to express my highest appreciation Of
the value of services rendered to the
medical department OF the army by this
organiZa ton.
My attitude toward relief organizations
is shown by an Endorsement dated May 3.
upon letter addressed by Rev. Henry C..
McCook. of Philadelphia, to the President
and referred to me for remark.
"a The plan proposed for the organiza-
ton of a relief association appears to
have been well considered and the object
in view will commend itself to every pa
triotic citizen.
- But it is a question whether the Pres
I QiN al
any particular organization. While 1 ap-
prove in a general way of organiza tions
| for the relief proposed, ii appears to me
that il will be best not TO give in advance
exclusive privileges 10 any particular or
ganization.
- In case of need. assistance should be
accepted from any organization prepared
10 give it
This has been my guiding principle
throughout, that relief when needed,
should be promptly accepted without re-
ference TO the source from which 1t comes
The relief afforded by the National Red
Cross at Siboney was promptly accepted
:. by the surgeons on the spot but it is
evident that ii was entirely inadequate to
meet the emergency.
Furthermore the National Red Cross
Association has had full authority to send
agents and supplies to all our camps
since June 9 1895, and il there has been
suffering for want of needed supplies
they must share the responsibility with
the medical department of the army for
such suffering.
The following letter was sent by me to
every chief surgeon of a department to
, each independent army in the field on
! June 8:
The Secretary of War has approved
of the following proposition by the Ma
tfonal Red Cross Association, and the
chief surgeons of the army corps and d.
visions will cooperate with the author
lied agents of is association for the DUR
poses indicated:
I've can put any desired amount OF
; hospital supplies-ice. matted milk, con-
densed milk. Mellnss food, etc.-into any
of the volunteer camps In a few hours
VIII you be kind enough to bring this
letter to the attention of Secretary Alger
and ask him if there is any objection to
, our appointing a Red Cross representa-
tive to report to commanding officer and
the chief surgeons in every camp. con-
fer with them as to their Immediate
needs and if anything of any kind is
wanting, open there a Red Cross station
t and send the supplies? We can do this
not in a few weeks or few days. but 4,
a few hours, and can furnish any guam
tity of any desired luxury or delicacy for
hospital use. We hereby tender our aid
and put our organization at the War De-
partment's service, for cooperation in
this field
'To show my cordial relations with the
National Red Cross relief committee,
venture to quote from a letter of August
H. received by me from Mr.. Cleveland H
| Dodge, chairman of the supply committee
| Mr.. Dodge says: