Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-09
THAT ROUND ROBIN,
General Shafter Telegraphs the Presi-
dent Concerning It and the Condi-
tions at Santiago.-.The ImmuDes
Doing Well.

WASHINGTON, d. c., August Seen.
regarding the publication of the Round
Robin signed by the general officers of
his command, as follows:
II can very readily see what intense
excitement the publication must have
occasioned; a great deal more than the
situation warrenled. Situation is greatly
aggravated from the fact that before any
of the men were taken i'll they were
thoroughly exhausted. At least seventy
five per cent of the command had been
down with malarial fever, from which
they recover very slowly, and are In no
condition to stand an attack of yellow
fever or dysentery. Placed here now in
the condition in which they came here I
do not believe they would be in any par
tao'iiar DANGER The regiment i----
muneS that recently arrived is not suffer-
ing at all, and l don't believe they will.
They can keep out of the sun, are well
clothed and well fed What put my COM
mand in its present condition was the
twenty days of the campaign when they
had nothing but meat bread and coffee,
without change of clothes, without any
shelter whatever, and during the period
twice as stormy as it has been since the
surrender. Fresh troops reaching here
in the middle of August, with good camps
good water, abundance of tentage-
which they will find iere-need not appre-
bend serious danger. | thank you for
the high regard in which you hold my
command and the value of the service
they have rendered. 1t pays for adj the
suffering we have endured. 1 have read
this to Generals Wheeler, Lawton. Bates
and Kent. who concur with me in the
view expressed above
The issuance of this statement from
Gen. Shafter was the sequence of a con-
ference held at the White House this
afternoon among the President, Secre-
tary Alger and Secretary Long. 1t was
felt that the statements made as to the
condition of the troops at Santiago might
create a grave impression abroad. While
the statement as issued was brief 1t oc-
cupied almost an hour in its consideration.
It being felt that the utmost precaution
was essential at the present stage of the
negotiations between this country and
Spain which it had been nrst felt might
be at least impeded by knowledge of the
serious conditions revealed in the appeal
signed by the officers there The fssu-
ance of the statement was the result and
it speaks for itself
WASHINGTON. D. c., August S.-This
evening Gen. shafter supplemented his
first dispatch with a. second on the same
subject, as follows:
Santiago August 8. III p. m.
To Adjutant General of the Army, Wash
ington:
In connection with my telegram of the
9rd inst, and the letter of the general
officers to me of same date, l have the
honor to say that since then | have
talked with the division commanders and
they Join me in saying that the first re-
port was made so strong because of the
weakened and exhausted condition of the
| command, more than seventy-five per
cent of which have been i'll with a very
weakening malarial fever, lasting from
four to six days, and which leaves every
man too much broken down to be of any
service. and in no condition 10 Withstand
an epidemic of yellow fever. For strong
| and healthy regiments coming here now
and little later with plenty Of tentage
to cover them, and not subject TO any
hardships and with plenty Of nourishing
, food, the danger, in my opinion and that
of the division commanders, would be re-
duced to a minimum.
(Signed) SKATER, Major General.
General Shafter speaks in high terms
of DR.. La Garde, and says that he has
worked under the most disadvantag eous
F., circumstances" From the day the forces
left Tampa until the present time. he
says that there have never been suffi-
Gent medical attendants or medicines for
the daily wants Of the command. Three
times since reaching Cuba has the CON-
mand" he says. been almost entirely
without medicines This statement, he
says is made to him by the medical
| directors, and on one occasion they sug-
gested taking medicines away from the
| Spanish hospital.