The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-01
There Must Be an Investigation.

Inc horrible COnQltlOnS WnlCn DeSeL
our soldiers at Santiago are ascribed
by the secretary of war to the acci-
dental loss of lighters, to the high
surf which prevented the prompt land
ing of supplies, to the lack of good
roads and finally to the climate and
natural drawbacks of the country in
vaded. The shortage of food at Mon
tauk Point was due, it seems, to the
bad memory of some one in the war
department at Washington, who forgot
to notify the surgeons at the various
camps that an allowance of so cents a
day for each sick soldier would be
available for the purchase of invalids'
foods and delicacies. In fact, every
abuse that has thus far been uncovered
has brought out a ready-made excuse,
together with official reports charging
gross exaggeration. This being true,
perhaps the war department will ex-
plain the things mentioned in the fol-
lowing excerpt from letter written
by Colonel Henry Hall to the Pitts
burg Times from Honolulu, under date
of Aug. s:
If the stories told by the soldiers who
leftlast week are true, and inquiries made
among scores of them elected an almost
Lnvarying response, they were certainly
badly treated, not only on the trip from
San Francisco but during their stay here.
The food served them was insufficient, Of
poor quality and badly cooked. The ves-
sells were overcrcwded, there being 1,4O0
on board the Pennsylvania. On this ves-
sell it is said, there was nearly a mutiny.
Those in control set out to serve only two
meals a day, and the soldiers would rot
stand it, and threatened to throw the
commssary overheard. The meat, 1t is
claimed. was unfit to eat. The meals
consisted of rice, soup, "slum," a COM
pound made of canned meat and a
few vegetables. black coffee without
sugar, and hardtack. When bread was
served, 1t was frequently musty and
mouldy. One soldier told the writer that
when the vessels came into Honolulu the
mon almost jumped overheard when they
saw the vendors on the dock with pies
and cakes and fruits. On the Puebla
there were sugar and prunes and other
things in the hold, but they were never
served out. Finally, the soldiers broke in
and helped themselves, but were soon ue-
tected, and even this method of supply
was cut off. While lyirg 6 here the short
ness and nCCrness of the rauons were he
subject of constant complaint. OF course,
there are always "kickers" and chronic
grumblers among any body of men, and if
they had received all that they were en-
titled to in the way of provisions some
would still have complained. But when
every soldier YOU meet, without eXcep-
ton, tells you the same story, there is ev-
identity ground for just complaint. The
writer talked with dozens of them hon
est-looking, decent. intelligent young men,
halOnOipps n
ing in different ships, and all had the
same report.
This is the testimony that comes
from every direction, publicly and pri-
vately, but the private testimony as
conveyed in letters from soldiers or in
interviews from men returned from
the front is even more intensive in it's
arragnment of the mismanagemert
than is anything yet put in evidence in
print. General Grosvenor, Governor
Black and a few politicians may pooh
pooh it or charge it to sensational Jour-
nalism, but the people from one border
of the country to the other know
through the testimony of their own
sons and brothers that it is true and
there are plentiful portents of a hur-
ricane of popular indignation and re-
sentiment unless steps are soon taken
to bring about a thorough, impartial
and confidence-inspiring investigation.
Such an investigation is necessary as
we'll for the living as for the memory
of the dead. The American people de-
mand to know why their war DEPART
rnent is unable to manage even four
months war that had but two land
campaigns.