The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-08
SOLDIERS COMPLAINTS
WHIMPERING LETTERS THAT GRE
ATE A FALSE IMPRESSION.
Exaggerations and SANDERS That
Supplement- Sensational Newspa-
per Tales-A Typical Case.
Ponce Letter in New York Post.

| Ponce Letter in New York Post.
For the last six months 7 have lived In
constant association with the army of the
United States. l have been with the troops
in camps, and on transport ships and in the
field. l have messed with officers: / have
lived for days together on camp rations and
on field rations, such as are provided for
the enlisted men. 1 have therefore had
good opportunity to note the workings OF
that department of our service which pro-
vides our soldiers with the food they eat.
1t would seem as if this topic had been
fairly we'll threshed out. But its CHASTITY
remains are still being paraded for public
review in the columns of different publica-
tons in a manner which indicates either
wilful ignoring of facts or a determination
to make display Of journalistic density. 1t
is neither my desire nor my intention to
excuse or to apologize for the commissary
department of the United States army. a
heavy weight of blame for gross misconduct
of affairs rests somewhere, and l sincerely
hope that may yet see an unfiinching
investigation which will place that blame
where it rightfully belongs. If our system
be at fault let US correct our system. If the
system be sound, except for its pos
slpllty or distortion for personal or pOliti
cal ends, let us to the punishment of
those who have abused ii and adopt meas
ures that will make the abuses impossible
hereafter. Let us have the investigation
anyway, and let it be conducted by men
VINO are both competent and fearless.
My own experience leads me to a belief
that it will be found that a liberal provision
has been made for the subsistence of the
army, both in point of quantity and of va
riety. 1t will be found that tons upon tons
of food products have been wasted. like
the 1850 barrels of potatoes which were
thrown overheard from the Manitoba in the
harbor of Ponce, where they were soon
joined by cargo of beef from refrigerator
ship, while the soldiers on shore were eat
ing canned goods and bareback. 1t will be
found that the blunt of much of the Suf
fering and discomfort of our soldiers in the
field is due solely to the appointments made
by the, War Department, of men to the
medical, commiSSary and QuartermaSters
departments, who, however faithful and
conscientious they may have been, We're
wholly unflt for the positions given them,
the work of handling and distributing sup
plies. The payment of political debts and
the discharge of personal obligations appear
to have been regarded as of greater i'm
pOItance than the healing, feeding and cloth
ing of the soldiers in camp and field. A good
system has been made to work very badly,
and some one is responsible for it.
ANOTHER SIDE.
But there is another side to the question.
1t is the side taken by some of our jour-
nails simply for the purpose of creating
sensations, and by other journals, chiefly of
rural publication, because they do not know
any better. 1t is the side of which the fol-
lowing letter is an illustration. 1t is the
phase which is often an outcome of whim-
pering letters written by thoughtless and
selfish men and boys in their cowardly and
humanity efforts to play upon the sympathies
of their people at home. The writer of this
Seml-hySterical letter is eXcuSable. She is
a mother. and she believes in her boy. He
mas written his doleful tales of camp SIarVa-
ton and troop ship horrors, and she gives
them full credit for truthfulness. Just so do
thousands of other tender and loving hearts
believe all the grueSome tales which come
from sons and brothers, who, regardless of
truth and fairness, for their own selfish pur-
poses, desire to make their friends believe
that army life is something rather worse
than a hell upon earth. Nor does the
trouble stop at that. Their CHASTITY stories
are published in the columns of city and
country papers, and the friends of those who
write the truth as ii is, or make the best
OF unavoidable discomforts, are needlessly
disturbed, and share in the agonies of anx-
lety created by the distorted yarns of the
unmanly. The writer of the letter below has
publshed some of the letters written by
that son, who, with deliberate barbaritv
which borders on fiendishness. will torture
a Woman's heart, and that woman his
mother. have seen some of those published
.etlers ana, dlsgusted though / was with
tneir untruthfulness. could only laugh at
their inconsistency
1t so happens that have full knowledge
Of Il an lhe 1acts of this particular case
nave lived with the command to which This
patrlotlc young hero belonged. For two
weeks, IN company with his commanding
oiiEGers | slept under a tent. and ate pre-
clsely the same food, secured from the
same company kitchen, on a soldiers tin
pannlkln, as that furnished by the govern
ment Tor this dainty young man. l omit all
names, Tor reasons which are sufficiently
obvious:
Captain
Dear Sir-Can you not discharge nv
poy' now that peace is declared. and send
nlIn nome! he is my only child and sole
support The things he has written me
concerning his experiences and his suffernps
nave made me ill: fear that the continued
anxiety over the health and Condition If m y,
boy Will affect my brain. He writes Of the
poor 1000 and the limited quantity given
OF even that; of your restrictions Concern
ms my tne tlading OF their unpalatable hard
tack and canned corned beeI for something
better ] do not care to criticise, but / am
aSSnameu OF my country and heartbroken to
thlnk II IS wrecking the health and wan
acquainted with his experiences, so / en-
CLOSE you newspaper clipping of extracts
from ms letter. The paper did not publish all
his letter-jt was too unspea kablv REVEALING
we expect our soldiers to bear hardships
but we don't look for wanton neglect abuse
starvation and cruelty for them from their
own oi1cers and people: / want my boy
nome. You don't need him and do Dis
charge MN on any honorable Dretext so
| you ship him home. The government should
now hcnorably release him and return him
10 me Detore he becomes physical wreck
You may think this letter very strong but
IL does not half express my sentiments. Our
poyys are used worse than prisoners of war
ana we resent it. They didn't enlist to be
starved by q government rolling in wealth
| Very truly yours,