The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-05
RoosEvELr,s LETTER TO SKATER.
An Appeal for the RemOval of the Army
North-Setition OF tho General Oficers.

An Appeal for the Removal of the Army
~North-Setition OF tho General Oficers.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4.-The letter sent by
Col. Theodore Roosevelt to Gen. Shafter, pro-
testing against the further detention Of our
army at Santiago. and the petition OF the d.
vision and brigade Generals demanding that
the army be moved to some Northern camp
In the United States at once, which wero sent
by Gen. Skater to the War Department. are Us
follows:
.Maley 1ess -
SIR: In o meeting Of the general and med
ical officers. called by you at the palace this
morning. we were all. as you know. unanimous
In view Of whats should be done with the army.
To keep us here. in the opinion OF every officer
commanding q division or a brigade. will SIM
ply involve the destruction OF thousands.
There is no possible reason for not ship
ping practically the entire command north
at once. Yellow fever cases are very few
in the cavalry division. where I command
one OF the two brigades. and not one
true case OF yellow fever has occurred in this
division. except among the men sent to the
hospital at Siboney. where they have. l be-
lieve. contracted 1t. But in this division there
have been 1900 cases of malariai fever. Not a
man has died from 1t. but the whole command
is so weakened and so shattered as 10 be ripe
for dying like sheep when q real yellow fever
epidemic, instead of O fake epidemic like the
present. strikes US. as 1t Is bound to II we stay
here at the height Of the sickness season. Au-
gust and the beginning Of September.
Quarantine against malarial fever Is much
like quarantininG against the toothache. All
OF us are certain. as soon as the authorities at
Washington fully appreciate the conditions Of
the army. to be sent home. II we are kept here
Il will In all human probability mean an an
Mailing dIsaster. for the surgeons here estimate
tbet over half the army. II kent here during the
sick,v saason. will die.
..This ia NOT only the trouble from the stand
noint q; the individual lives lost. but IL means
hin from Tho standnoipt NJ the military am
clancy ~ m. dover OF the American Army. for
the grant hulk Of the regulars are here with
uo, The sicL Iist large though n e. excecdin0
4OOO affords Int a faint index OF the debilita-
tIo, 30 tha army Not ~ nar cant are AZ for
a",i,o u,nrl six yaoLs on The north Maine
800 ~, iuo,onca or eIsawhare whara tho val
| low fever germ cannot possibly propagate,
would make US all as fit as fighting cocks. able
as we are and eager to take n lending part In
the great campaign against Havana In the fall.
even II we are not allowed to try Porto Rico.
I'VE can be moved North. II moved at once.
with absolute safety to the country. although.
OF course, II would have been infinitely betterif
we had been moved North or TO Porto Rico two
weeks ago. Hthcrow were any object in keeping
us here. we would face yellow fever with as
much Indifference as we face bullets. Butthere
is no object In 1t. The four immune regiments
ordered here arc sufficient to garrison the city
AMI surrounding towns. and there Is absolutely
nothing for us to do here. aud there has not
been since the city surrendered. 1t IL impos-
sIhlc to move into the interior. Every shifting
of camp doubles the sick rate IN our present
weakened condition, and, anyhow, the interior