The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-05
ALGER IS PUNCHED Up
Regarding the Wants of the
Troops at Santiago.
NEED TO BE TAKEN HOME
officers Unite in a Protest to
Headquarters.
NEED TO BE TAKEN HOME

| |40@0 Ac4S tAAS duOTnlLS d. AeaU4udI LEI
and in the presence Of every commanding
and medical officer OF the Fifth army
corps. General Shafter read cable mes
sage from Secretary Alger ordering him
at the recommendation OF Surgeon Gen
eTaI Sternberg. to move the army into the
interior, to San Luis, where it is healthier
AS result Of the conference, Genera.
Shafter viii insist upon the immedist Il
| withdrawal of the army north within two
weeks.
As an explanation OF the situation, the
following letter from Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt, commanding the First volun-
teer cavalry. to General Shafter, was
handed by the latter to the correspondent
here Of the Associated Press for pubica-
ton:
| Major General Shafter.
'Sir-In meeting of the general and
medical officers, called by you at the pal
ace this morning, we were all, as you
know, unanimous in view of what should
! be done with the army. To keep us here
IN The opinion fevery officer commanding
division or brigade-will simply in
volve the destruction of thousands There
| is no possible reason for not shipping
practically the entire command north at
| once. Yellow fever cases are very few
in the cavalary division, where I COM
mand 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, I believe. contracted 1t. But
in this division there have been 1,500 cases
of rAalarial fever. Not a man has died
from it, but the whole command is so
weakened and shattered as to be ripe for
dying like rotten sheep when real yellow
fever epidemic, instead of a fake epidemic
like the present, strikes US, as it is bound
to If we stay here at the height of the
sickly season. August and the beginning
OF September Quarantining against ma
larial fever Is much like quarantining
against the toothache. All of us are GER
tain that as soon as the authorities at
Washington fully appreciate the condition
of the army it will be sent home If we
are kept here it will in all human prob
ability, mean an appalling disaster, for
the surgeons here estimate that half of
the cavalry, if kept here during the sick
season, will die. This is not only terrible
lost, but it means ruin from the standpoint
of the military efficiency Of the flower of
the American army, for the great bulk of
the regulars are here with you. The sick
fist, large though it is, exceeding 4 O00 af-
fords but faint index of the debilitation
of the army. Not 10 per cent are fit for
active work. Six weeks on the north
Maine coast for instance, or elsewhere
where the yellow fever germ cannot pos
sibly propagate, would make us all as fit
as fighting cocks, able as we are eager,
to take a leading part in the great cam
paign against Havana in the fall, even
if we are not allowed to try Porto Rico.
1--WE can be moved north, if moved at
once, with absolute safety to the country.
although, of course, it would have been
infinitely better if we had been moved
north or to Porto Rico two weeks ago. II
there were any object in keeping US here.
we would face yellow fever with as much
Indifference as we face bullts, but thre
is no object in It. The four immune regI-
ments ordered here are sufficient to gar
rison the city and surrounding towns. ar
there is absolutely nothing for US to do
here-and there has not been since the
city surrendered 1t is impossible to move
into the interior. Every shifting of camp
doubles the sick rate in our present weak
ened condition, and. anyhow, the interior
is rather worse than the coast, as l have
found by actual reconnaissance Our pres
ent camps are as healthy as any camps
at this end of the island can be.
I write only because I cannot see our
men, who have fought so bravely and
who have endured extreme hardships and
danger so uncomplainingly. go to destruc-
ton without striving so far as lies in me-
TO avert doom as fearful as it is unnec-
essary and undeserved. Yours respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Colonel Commanding First Brigade"
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the
initiative. an the American general Of
fcers united in round-robin addressed
to General Shafter. It reads:
1--WE, the undersigned officers command
ing the various brigades. divisions, etc.
Of the army of occupation in Cuba. are
of the unanimous opinion that this army
should be at once taken out of the island
of Cuba and sent TO some point on the
northern secaoast Of the United States;
that il can be done without danger TO
people l
low fever in the army at present IS not
epidemic; that there are only few spo-
radio cases; but that the army IS dis
abled by malarial fever 70 the extent that
its efficiency is destroyed and that i is /
in a condition to be practically destroyed
that yellow fever is sure to come IN The
near future
''eW know from the reports OF compe- 1
tent officers and from personal obSerVa- F
tons that the army Is unable TO move
into the interior and that there are no IA
cilties for such 2 move II attempted and I
that it could not be attempted until TOO 4
late. Moreover. the best medical author I.
tiles Of the island say that with our pres
ent equipment we could not live IN the
Interior during ths rainy season without I
losses from malsrial fever. which IS al +
most as deadly as yellow fever.
THIS army must be moved AZ once OF
perish. As the army can be safeay moved 1
now. the persons responsible for prevent
ing such a move VII be responsible Tor
the unnecessary loss q many thousand .
lives
.>our opinions are ire result OF careful .
personal observation and they ara also
based on tbs unanimous opinion 81 orr
medical officers with the army We IL
derstand the situation absolutely
y FERD KENT.
Major General Volunteers. Comma 7ding.
FIRST Division. Fifth Corps.
y. c. BATES.
Major General Volunteers, Commanding
Provisional Division
ADA r CHAFFEE.