The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-02
BLAME is PLACED
General Shafter Says the Men
Who Ordered
A Summer Campaign in Cuba
Are Responsible
FOR THE HARDSHIPS,
Sickness and Death in His Army
at Santiago.
He Did the Best He Could I'm
der the Circumstances.

New York. Sept 2.-The World prints
an interview with General William R.
Shafter in which he is represented as
saying:
AT Santiago we had to deal with
things as they are. not as they should
be. OF course there was sickness. 1t
was inevitable in a summer campaign
Nobody was neglected. The doctors
were scarce at first, but we had boat
loads of them as soon as they could
get there. The doctors got sick like
the rest. They were over worked and
exhausted. But their ability is un-
Questionable Look at the low percent
age of deaths from wounds. 1t never
was lower in any war Why, in the CIV
il war, lay on the battlefield myself
until maggots developed in my wounds
and that was right near by, not down in
maIarious, subtropical country far
away.
'@The men who ordered a summer
campaign in a fever infested country
are responsible for the natural and un~
avOidable consequences.
None of our wounded was allowed to
lie on the battlefield as I was in the
civil war. Nothing of the kind hap
pened.
1T was the heat that was so deadly,
ana the rams EtlSnI IN the mast OF
the most terrible heat a shower would
fall. 1t would drench every thing with
out cooling the air. In a few minutes.
under the sun again, every man would
be steaming. Men of the strongest con-
stitutiOns succumbed-
Our first case of yellow fever devel-
Oped at FL Caney. But the army was
ripe for it and it spread like a prairie
fire Many a man had yellow fever
who never will know it. And to tell
the truth it is not so dangerous as the
calentura or heat attacks, that unac-
climated men have in the malariOus re-
giOns of Cuba. Why, il IS a common
thing for mans temperature to rise
from a normal state to 105 in a few
hours. That means death in most cas-
es
Rather Have Yellow Fever.
1T can give cards and spades to yel-
dow fever in the game of death. I'd
rather have yellow fever. I tell you
when a man burns up inside, there's
little hope for him.
Our men were all unacclimated;
they never had faced such constant
heat. Many of them had never slept
out doors before they went into camp.
How could they be moulded into prop
er material for such climate and such
a campaign? 1t could not be done.
These men you see coming back with
the thin bodies and the yellow faces
are suffering from the parasite of the
low fever Of the Santiago plateau.
The cool air and good home care will
cure them.
We had to choose the lesser of the
TWO evils-to ship the men north to
healthy climate, not wanting to keen
them where they would die We at the
front did not wait to let the fever have
ats run We wanted to save life. Now
the problem was to save the most lives
possible We never had a foreign war
since 1812-14 The United States has
40 hospltal ships It was not ques-
Ilon OF using what was best but what
We had. We used the transports that
brought the troops down.
II L could have had a few weeks to
equip a hospital ship the condition
would nave been better. If the war
mad continued we would have STAYED
IIgnt there, fever or no fever The
sudden end of the war was unexpected
We were not prepared for the unexDeo+
ed 1 made it an invaria BILE ruIe to
send p per cent more north on a trans
port than she had brought south. That
was fair view to take
I am satisfied with the Sa1+ioo-o
campaign When it is fully understood
with all its difficulties. it will recai11s
JUS yuSl PldCs IN military history. We were
hufrled off TO Cuba. We landed a16
could nave got our stores back on hoard
snip II we had wanted to- When the
4uNasion was planned it was obvious
that 1t must be a rush Sucn as it va
1t Was a Success.
and 1t was a success-complete and
II Is true, that We're forced 11ror ~ u, -
the eXlgencies of the hour bnt +ba
Aheahs employed even under such strass
proved TO be wisely chosen I vas co1,,
pe1ed 10 do great many things that
uhuer 0lferent circumstances I1-oI1I7 80
nave been considered O'
me FL Caney fight. I hoped would
Pe AIils1ed at 10 a. m; but it took mill
CLOCK, and rather feel now tba+
1t was Tor the best. Had I had Tav-fov,
S7aISttssI- - IsIe OF the line we would have
lSuty taken the city of Sau+iogo
mat night, in which case only +ba 80
flson then there would have g
rendered to US. Whereas later all -,
S-oEPs II the region surrounding were
1ncluded- knew that the 80 -
over as soon as ToraI sno1ye was was
ABOUT surrendering the troons in +Le
eastern province. I almost fell over
we never had on the fighting limo
al any time more than $1,000 men an5
with these we captured 27 600 --e
Nine thousand Spaniards v-ara f0,+5
ned IN the best intrenched position 7
ever saw Indeed, the fntrenchrnen+s
We're of such character that sheIIine
with the guns we had did not do tbaT33
serious damage Where 4 13-iDch sill
from our ships dropped into a housa
IN the town it demolished the dwelling.
DuI an the occupants were gone
Dld Cervera's men help in the San
I udu Ignt! was asked, to clear up a
res, indeed. He had 1 900 men ashore
from MS fleet in the battle of JuIv /
as ChleI staf, Busamente. was IxfIIa5
MS marines and sailors suffered sa1-are
~ CerVera put them all back on hoard
TO sea- A-eu 20 get
The Spaniards were down +o +baiu
tast DIT OF rice when they SURRENDERED