The record-union., 1898-08-09
THE ROUND ROBIN LETTER
A Telegram From Shafter Regard
ing It's Publication.

WASHINGTON, Aug. s. - General
Shafter has telegraphed the President
regarding the publication of the round
robin" signed by the general officers
of his command, as follows:
Il can very readily see what intense
excitement the publication must have
occasioned, a great deal more than the
situation warranted. The situation is
greatly aggravated from the fact that
before any of the men were taken ill
they We're Thoroughly exhausted At
least 10 per cent of the command had
been down with malarial fever, from
which they recover very slowly, and
are IN no condition TO stand an attack
of yellow fever or dysentery. Placed
here now in the condition in which they
were when they came here l do not
believe they would be in any particular
danger. The regiment of immunes
that recently arrived is not suffering
at all, and l do not believe they VIII.
They can keep out of the sun, are Well
clothed and well fed
What put my command in its pres
ent condition was the twenty days of
the campaign. when they had nothing
but meat, bread and coffee, without
change of clothes, without any shelter
whatever, and during the period twice
as stormy as it has been since the sur
render Fresh troops reaching here in
the middle of August, with good camps,
good water, abundance of tentage-
which they will find here-need not ap-
prehend serious danger.
Il thank you for the high regard in
which you hold my command, and the
ho,
dered 1t pays for all the suffering we
have endured. / have referred this to
Generals Wheeler, Lawton, Bates and
Kent, who concur with me in the view
expressed above"
The issuance of the statement from
General Shafter was the sequence of a
conference held at the White House
| this afternoon between the President.
Secretary Alger and Secretary Long. 1t
was felt that the statements made as
to the condition of troops at Santiago
might create grave impression
abroad. While the statement, as is
sued, was brief, it occupied almost an
hour in its consideration, it being felt
that the utmost precaution was essen
tlal at the present stage of the negotia-
tions between this country and Spain.
NiiiIu ildu dt iIISl Deen I6lI TO at leaS
be impeded by the knowledge of the
serious condition revealed in the appeal
signed by the officers there. The is
suance of the statement was the result.
and that speaks for itself.
This evening General Shafter sup
plemented his first dispatch with sec
ond one on the same subject as follows:
Santiago de Cuba, Aug Sth.
"Adjutant General of the Army: In
connection with my telegram of the Sd
| instant, and the letter of general Off
GERS to me of same date, 1 have the
honor to say that since then | have
talked with division commanders. and
they join me in saying that the first
report was made so strong because of
the weakened and exhausted condition
of the command, more than IS per cent
of which have been i'll with the very
weakening malarial fever, lasting from
four to six days, and which leaves
every man too much broken down to
be of any service and in no condition 10
Withstand an epidemic of yellow fever.
For strong and healthy regiments COM
ing here now and a little later with
plenty of tentage to cover them, and
not subject to hardships, and with
plenty of nourishing food, the danger,
in my opinion, and that Of the division
commanders, would be reduced to a
minimum. SHAFTER.
major General"