Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-15
The War .InrestIgatIon.-

L he WAL luNcSIlSdIlug COUlu1lS-
sion" says a Washington dispatch to
the Brooklyn Eagle, "has assumed the
attitude of investigators more anx-
ious to excuse and cOndone than to
expose and condemn. For, in the
light of the conduct of this investiga
ton, it is impossible to escape one of
two nclusions-namely, that the
commission is incompetent or that it
is designedly undertaking the difficult
task of freeing the war department
a nd Surgeon General Sternberg from
all blame for the inexcusably bad
conditions of the camps-cOndition
which have stirred the country to in
dignation. The president made a SER
ous mistake in naming as the head of
the board commissioner whose APP
pointment has linked the Credit-Mo-
biler scandal to the scandals of the
camps. The commissioner in ques-
ton is Gen. Grenville Nj. Dodge. Gen.
Dodge, it NAV be observed, is the in
dividual who insisted that the investi-
CATION should be n star-cham Der affair,
held behind closed doors. His record
adds another name to the PRESIDENT
list of embarrassments. Heading the
list is the name of Alger, secretary of
war. When his name is mentioned
the soldiers of the civil war recall the
fact that there are letters on record
in the war department written in
condemnation of his conduct as an
officer by Gems. Torbet, Gutter, Mer-
rift and Sheridan. Next comes the
name of Adj. Gen. Corbin, of the
army, whose hostility to Gen. Miles
has caused no end of friction. And
it is remembered that recently there
were unearthed from the war depart
ment records to the effect that twice
during the civil war charges of cow
ardice were brought against Corbin.
Further down on the list is the name
of Surgeon Gen. Sternberg, the official
who appointed a horse doctor, Huide-
koper, in command of the medical de-
partment at Chickamauga. What has
the commission done in the case of
Camp Thomas, the camp with the
blacklist record of any in the country?
1t has called the defenders and the
apologists for conditions at that
camp. The main witness for the de-
Tense was Gen. Boynton, a genial,
gray-haired old man, whose main am
bition seems to be to hold his COM
Portable post as president of Chicka-
manga park. They called this
man fresh from the bountifullv
supplied tables of the Read
house in Chattanooga to declare that
the foul waters of Chickamauga river
were wholesome for drinking purposes
and to add as he smoothed his we'll !
filled stomach: And l don't think |
l am particularly emaciated.' One !
can easily imagine how such testi- |
monv has been read by the hundreds |
of emaciated and hollow-eyed soldiers |
who were taken from Camp Thomas |
by car loads. And how will such tes-
strike the relatives and friends |
of those who persisted at Camp |
Thomas.
Democrats are asking why the
summoned the de-
tenders of the camps instead of their |
accusers? Was this done for potiti- /
cal effect? Who advised the commits
sion as to its policy, or is the com
mission alone responsible for policy |
which has, up to ate. kept men cog
infant of abuso l.. the background?
Mai. Gen. John - Breckenridge or
dered three medical inquiries to be
made into the frightful conditions
which prevailed at Camp Thomas
Mai. Gen. Roe and two associates
made a report on the conditions of
The camp. Maj. Parker made a care
ful and startling report, Mas Ward
aelburn and Russell made report,
after hearing n mass of testimony
from officers, medical men, nurses
and soldies, and made the positive
charge that there was actual neglect
and unnecessary suffering in camp: |
that there was a lack of medical sup
pties. Surgeon Gen. Terry, of New
York also made report 1t is
m amazing fact that none of these
officers have been called to the wit