The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-08-15

Skaters Men to be Taken
From Santiago.
Climate Has Weakened all the Men
Letters to the Leader The
Transports.~

NEW YORK, Aug. 5.-A Sun cable
from Santiago says: The protest sent
from here regarding the holding Of
American troops in Santiago is not re
sarded as such by all the Generals and
doctors. some Of whom say it was
only simple statement to Washington
declaring that the troops needed a
change TO become efficient for another
campaign. The sickness among the
troops affects Is per cent Of the whole
number Most Of the sick men are suf-
fering from malariaI fever. There
have been very few deaths.
The Department of Health is doing
everything possible to clean the city,
and already has had the effect of re
ducing the mortality from seventy-dve
per day 10 fifty.
\ Sun special from Washington
saws: The Administration has become
so deeply impressed with the necessity
of withdrawing Skaters army from
Santiago at the earliest possible mo-
ment that all the transport vessels
which the QuaTtermasteT' Department
can command have been ordered to
Southeastern Cuba. The expedition of
eighteen volunteer regiments under
General Wade to Porto Rico has been
postponed or abandoned in order that
transportation may be provided to
carry the Santiago troops to MOntauk
point.
General Shafter has appointed a
board to inspect the men prior to en-
barkatiOn.
This is what Col. Roosevelt had
written to Gen. ShafteT: In a meeting
Of the general and medical officers
called by you at the palace this morn
ing. we are all. as you know, unani-
nous in view Of what should be done
with the army. To keep us here, in
the opinion of every officer command
ing division or a brigade, will sim
ply involve the destruction Of thou
sands There is no possible reason for
not shipping practically the entire
command north at once. Yellow fever
cases are very few in the cavalry dlVl-
sion. where | command one Of the two
brigades, and not one true case OF yell
lOwAfever has occurred in this division,
except among the men sent to the hos
pital at SibOney where they have, 1
=
sion there have been ], 500 cases Of ma
lariaI fever. Not a man has died from
it. but the whole command is so weak
ened and shattered as to be ripe for
dying like rotten sheep when a real
yellow fever epidemic, instead of a
fake epidemic like the present, strikes
US: and it is bound to if we stay here
at the height Of the sickness season,
August and the beginning Of Septem-
Der.
If there were any object in keeping
us here, we would face fever with as
much indifference as we faced bullets,
but there is no object in it. The four
| immune regiments ordered here are
sufficient to garrison the city and sur
rounding towns, and there is absolute
| " nothing for us to do here, and there
! has not been since the city surrend-
! cred.
After Col. Roosevelt had taken tha
! initiative, all the American general OF
| ficers in the army in Cuba united II
a round robin address to Gen. Shafter
1t reads, in part:
We. the undersigned officers com
handing the various brigades, dIyI
sions etc, of the Army of Occupation
in Cuba. are of the unanimous Opin
ion that this army should be at one
taken out of the island of Cuba an
sent to some point on the northern sea
coast Of the United States; that it cal
be out of danger to the people Of th
United States; that yellow fever il
the army at present is not epidemic
that there are only a few sporadi
cases: that the army is disabled b
malariaI fever-tO the extent that it
efficiency is destroyed, and that it
in condition to be practically destrOye
by an epidemic Of yellow fever, whic
is sure to come in the near future.