New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-15
THE ARMY OF INVASION.
SHARP CRITICISM OF THE CONDITION
OF TAMPA FORCES.

| PRAISE FOR OFFICEns AND MBN-BLAMb FOR
WASHINGTON AND 1.-THE sTAyF"'-DlgT AND
CLOTHING UNsU1TED TO SOUTHERN
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
From The London Times
| Washington, May 23-Let US publish BIZ OF
disagreeable truth. 1t will do us no harm IN NE
@osn The sG war has lasted now lust one month";
though 1t has been anticipated by the 'IoVeIIihene
| tho American Minister Hannis Taylor, made no
concealment Of his belief that war was inevittapie
| The United States Government has no COCO ef.
| cuse for pretending that the war has laken -,
by surprise Yet today. al ne neginning OF {le
rainy season press ara pohusans are ,oe5
| for an immediate Invasion OF DHpar ~hns Ilen
know that the Army i not nj TO move t ,r my
| States Army assembled in ana about lamp" Is
| Franco-Ger War with this difference that
the American troops have confidence IN iheir I'm,
under fire in Cuba; | know them. officers and
Know where sSouId look for better stun to march
and fght With for Drawer men or more or. n deEs
seen something OF Spanish soldiers and Cuoan
patriots-both Of them much misunderstood by
The American army at Tampa: in spit; ,o Of ON,
single regiment tit to take the field no, single
resimeni WITH fn S0m2ismsn OF 6 men n0,
march, not single regiment with the transport
necessary for moving bagsage Indispensable to OPP
Grating in the enemy's country. The United states
solder one month after the declaration or war IS
| SWeleT1nE
uniform which, even when reduced mere boots,
trousers and flannel shirt. keeps the poor man
cPPns are w oanr wf heir yt t9 By con uoHs de
ness in climate trying even under the most IA;
the equator severai tines and Experienced tropical
lie on the Mozambique coast and at Demerara,
bu; nowhere have | been where effort Of any kind
was so difficult as al Tampa or hey West
men taco could dg readily have obviated For instance
| the men might have been located so as 70 have
enjoyed swim In the sea every evening: the ter
rble sand dust could have been avoided Al leas.
| IN camp By little sprinkling; the sanitary con-
by allowing them 10 put floor OF pine boards TO
sence represents impairment 70 health. II not 10
or captains Of II. Tesiments These suer With
Their men We must seek the culprau IN WASH;
the ft'i stan '"N ''''' N''''' '''''''''''''
DEPARTMENTAL RED TAPE,
The colonel OF regiment at Tampa cannot order
blanket DO or pal pal of water wiihout sending his
presumably does not know yet. even BY sight That
newly created parsonage forwards 1t 20 the diys-
ed from civil life, and VINO has not yet Learned to
use his 9ffeial giaionepy tho reque s ever
nander OF the Army corps wh O. may or Ina may not
torary never in his life having experienced such
request before. will forward the papers IN the case
to the general commanding the Army IN the held,
all but in an armchair at Washington. That func-
the m1ch-needed bucket and blanket but he breads
the responsibility so fcrwaIds the pepGTs. win
submits them TO the President, who probably ap-
proves of the expenditure provided The bucket ana
sss O. SSsss from it Ths SysT
order the bucket and blanket This order IS trans
mitted to the successive quarternastera. first Of
BRIGADE nay of the Rsrcusr ssmpS t fSd
applications Is made out, which 60 seeking indorfe~
oyer eroy one eaua in exteni 10 ali Europe from
Copenhagen to the Golden Horn.
only forced to wear their winter clothing. but Inn
TIED in matter OF diet TO the usual ratons Of very
fat pork and the traditional brown beans both OF
which have been selected for Army use because
hg n's o% n there way Of we
wretches crave IN Florida it IS fruit; ana vegsta-
But there is non@ provided encepilng at heavy cost
TO individual pockets. in parenthesss let me add
ina6 W food cafoads Of f snd vessta5es passed
me going North TO The markets Of New-York and
SO IMPERATIVE al ms ume az 10 supply our men
present forced 20 a diet which induces abnormal
thirst. the quenching OF which Is most prone 70
cidonce merely. but the three officers whom nrst
in my round Of the camps were suffering from
this complaint. and at sick call found always a
strong baton OF privates going to the doctor for
The United States soldier Is trained to obedience
and secrecy In matters professional In what am
Of my personal observation. From drunmer-boy
TO colonel as l have before said. the American
Particularly true where the oinceTs ali grad
yates Of West Point or at ieast have served IN
however. who have been given commissions Tor
deserve little respect at the hands Of their men.
The United States regiments are supposed now 10
after he declaration OF War. hey are in fact less
than half that strength. Tho average Is about
five hundred and fifty.
INADEQUACY OF TAMPA FORCES.
Even assuming that the present body Of Regulars
at Tampa had proper uniforms supplies and trans
port which they decidedly have not. there are not
American papers speak gbly OF throwing 5000
men over to Cuba doubt II 1000 regulars G could
regiment Of Regulars is doing It's best to recruit up
e,s ' and md are being drilled under the mos, els
heaItcnng conditions. Instead OF being licked INTO
s he res IN 81. they are brought down into camp
where marching means lifting the feet OF deep
Cav Cav General military education is at a stand.
still because the mere matter of keeping from fall
ing III supersedes ell other interests. The Regular
regiments here gathered together have for the most
part been drilled as full regiment since the
country by companies; doing police duty on The
have never seen brigade together in their lives
unless they happen 10 have gone abroad. In the
nfcers in the handling Of large bodies OF troops for
a variety OF reasons, some of which have been
Common military prudence would have led the
head Of the Army TO have concentrated the troops
first in a camp Of exercise where they could get
camp OF 10 900 men the cool and bracing shores
OF Invasion TO have secured precious expert.
ence IN field working OF brigade and divisional
formation. They more than a thousand
miles distant from all their bases OF supply. and
already suffering want before the order TO march
has been given. They TO march against
enemy in whose ranks infantry that have no
superlors In Europe I am familiar with the pre-
vailing notion that the Spanish Army lacks
great many things. including pluck and provisions.
But. after making all allowance for lack of organ
ization common to all things Spanish, the army Of
Spain Is to-day formidable fighting machine. Man
~ I hay an sh Ill
parable to those OF Uncle sam. and 10 officers
the comparison Is still more In favor OF the Yam
kee. But the American soldier means only one OF
ten or twenty thousand the Atlantic side Of the
country. and the American Army means but