The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-07-27
MISMANAGEAENT ALLEGED.
The War BADLY Conducted.
CThe Minneapolis Times1

LIE minneapolis IlmeS.)
The Times is not aware how much Rich
ard Harding Davis knows about war. 1t
Is better acquainted with him as the writer
of pleasing. piquant and breezy stories. But
the Spanish war has called Richard Hard
Ing Davis to the responsible position of a
war correspondent, and from Santiago he
Is writing, over his own signature things
that are highly important If true, and ex-
tremely reprehensfble If false. Mr.. Davis
lnt1mates In one Of his recent letters to the
New York Herald that the American SOL
diers before Santiago are in miserable
plight. He says:
The situation here is now critical, alarm
ing, and it would be false to make 1t out
otherwise. The troops should never have
been sent here without tho entire force OF
artillery at Tampa, and until it arrives they
can neither advance nor retreat. They can
only lie on their faces to be shot If they
rise They have been in the most cruel
heat and wet, with frequent showers for
three days They are under an unceasng
fire.
Even the strongest and the bravest can
not stand such a strain long Lack Of
speech or exercise, of food and of tobacco,
and the incessant fire Of bullets and shrap-
mel will destroy any constitution
And adds:
I'VE are in the face Of a possible disaster.
Nothing has been done by these expedi-
tons beyond proving the heroic courage OF
American soldiers. Trutnsuly the expedi-
ton was prepared in ignorance and conduct
ed in series of blunders. It's commanding
general has not yet even been within two
miles of the scene of operations. That OFF,
Ger rode to a hill two miles from San Juan
the day before the battle. He was overcome
by heat and has been lying on his back the
greater part of the time ever since
When q responsible correspondent sends
out such stuff over his own signature the
outlook cannot be SO entirely rosy to the
fighters as 1t Is to our various boards of
strategy. Mr.. Davis intimates that Shafter
ought to be relieved because of disability,
and boldly states that his orders are ignored
or countermanded by his colonies. The
condition of affairs pictured by the CORES
pondent is one to interest If not to alarm
the American people. 1t would seem as if
the criticism that has been generally passed
that the army operations are without plan
is at least partially true. General Shafter
went to Santiago to reduce a fortified city.
and his siege guns, according to this cor
respondent, are still on board ship. He has
advanced to position where he can neither
take the city nor retreat from 1t, and the
men lie In fostering trenches constantly I'M
der fire and never under cry sky. The Sit
uation Is serious enough, and the worst part
OF 1T Is that the reinforcements seem to go
forward with the speed Of prairie schooner
crossing the plains. The primary object for
which Shafter went to Santiago has been
accomplished. He was to teke the city and
starve out Cervera's fleet. 1t was to be
driven to the open sea by attack from
the rear. But Cervera came out voluntarily
and Schley, the gallant commodore who
should be an admiral long before Sampson,
took care of him. Presumably the Amerl-
can army would not now retire from before
Santiago. though it is practically useless to
us. The other alternative is to push the
fighting from the seaside. With Cervera' s
fleet out, it must be possible for our navy
to get in. Once in, Santiago could be laid
In ruins and compelled to surrender. The
work seems to be again cut out for the
navy. Where is Sampson?