The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-05
MUST Be MOVED AT ONCE
Our Troops at Santiago Are Ripe
for Yellow Fever.
WOULD DIE LIKE SHEEP
Roosevelt Writes Strong Appeal to
Shafter, Which Il Followed by
Round Robin From All of the
American Officers.


Santiago de Cuba, Aug. 3. $50 p. m.-
Summoned by Major General shafter,
meeting was held this morning at head
quarters and in the presence of every
commanding and medical officer Of the
Fifth army corps. Shafter read a cable
message from Secretary Alger ordering
him. at the recommendation of Surgeon
| General Sternberg, to move the army
into the interior of San Luis, where II Is
healthier
AS a result Of the conference Shafter
will insist upon the immediate with
drawal of the army north within two
weeks. As an explanation Of the situa-
ton, the following letter from Colonel
Roosevelt to General Shafter was hand
ed by the latter to the correspondent of
/ the associated press Cor publication:
| Major General Shafter: Sir-In the
/ meeting of general and medical officers
called by you at the palace this morn
| ing we were all, as you know. unani-
! nous as to what should be done with
the army. To keep US here. in the opin-
ion of every officer commanding a di-
| vision of the brigade, will simply in
| volve the destruction OF thousands.
| There is no possible reason for not ship
ping practically the entire command
| north at once. Yellow fever cases are
very few in the cavalry division, but
in this division there have been 15o0
cases OF malarial fever. Not a man has
died from IL. but the whole command is
so weakened and shattered as to be ripe
for dying like rotten sheep when the
real yellow fever epidemic strikes US,
and II is bound to IL we stay here at
the height of the sickness season in
August and the beginning of Septem-
Der. IL we are kept here 1t will in all
human possibility mean an appalling
disaster, for the surgeons here estimate
over half the army, If we are here dur
ing the sickly season, will die.
The SICK list, large though il Is, ex-
ceeding 1000. affords but faint idea OF
the debilitation of the army. Not 10 per
cent. are fit for active work The fever
immune regiments ordered here are suf-
hcent 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. 1 write
only because l cannot sec our men go
TO destruction without striving so far as
lies in me TO avert a doom as fearful
as it is unnecessary and undeserved.''
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken
the initiative all the American general
officers united in a round robin address
to General Shafter. IL reads:
We. the undersigned officers COM
manding the various brigades. divi-
sions. etc, of the army of occupation N
Cuba, 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
without danger TO the people of the
United States; that yellow fever in the
army at present is not epidemic; that
there are only few sporadic cases.
but that the army is disabled by ma
larial fever to the extent that its eff
cheney Is destroyed and that ii is in a
condition TO be practically destroyed by
an epidemic of yellow fever which is
sure to come in the near future.
We know from the reports of COM
petent officers and from personal OBJ
servation that she army is unable 70
move into the interior and that there
are no facilities for such a move If at
tempted, and that it could not be at
tempted until too late. Moreover, tho
best medical authorities OF the island
say that with our present equipment
we could not live in the interior during
the rainy season without losses from
malarial fever. which is almost as dead
ly as yellow fever.
This army must he moved at once
or perish. As the army can be safely
moved now the persons responsible for
preventing such a move will be respon-
sible for the loss of many thousand
lives.
our opinions are the result of care
full personal observation, and they are
also based on the unanimous opinion OF
our medical officers with the army. We
the situation absolutely.
'Signed-J. Ford Kent. commanding
lst division, 9TH corps: j. c. A. Bates,
major general volunteers. commanding
provisional division: A. r. Chafee. ma
jor general, commanding Sd brigade.
I'd division; Samuel sumner major gem
eral volunteers, commanding provision
al 1st brigade cavalry: viii Ludlow.
brigadier general volunteers, COM
Sd brigade, 1st division: Leon
ard Wood. brigadier general volunteers.
commanding city of Santiago; Theo-
dore Roosevelt. colonel commanding "a
cavalry brigade
Major NJ. w. Wood. the chief surgeon
of the lst division. said: The army
must be moved north" adding with
emphasis, ''or it viii be unable TO movs
ITSELF
General Ames has sent the following
10 Washington: The Hon. Charles A.
Allen, Assistant Secretary Of the Navy:
This army is incapable because Of
sickness from marching anywhere ex-
,ept 10 the transports. II it is ever to
return TO the United States it must 90
30 at once"
To a correspondent OF the associated
press General Ames said: If / had
he power I would put the men on
transports at once and ship them nor
Without further orders. l am confidens
such action would ultimately be ap-
proved A fun list of the sick would
mean a copy OF the roster OF every
Ompany here"