Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-10-26

luk huu Ulstdbc DIttuluk SuIEOuuu-
lngs for eight days, crowded together
without sufficient air or exercise. To
obtain a change OF nourishment,s some
OF them traded their blue shirts for
sailors food; for IL IS to be noticed
that however badly the soldiers Jared
on shlpboard, the sailors were invar-
lably we'll fed and looked after. In
Gu ba, after leaving Slboney, they had
raw bacon aud hardtack; and 10 the
trenches they had the same, except
when they had only Une or neither.
What excuses were offered for this
condition OF affairs ? We shall do a
little more than call you attention to
the absolutely inconsistent character,
often, Of the explanations, even
when put forth In the shape CT seri-
Gus and official communications. 1t
was first declared In positive au-
tnorltative and dictatorlal tone that
these statements we're false, and that
especially at Santiago there had been
no deficldncy In the commissarlat.
Conspicuous publicity was given to a
long list of the abundant aud varied
bill OF fare OF the army 10 the field,
whlchjwould have been luxurious for O
tirst-class city. When this was met
with the derlslon which IL deserved,
by public whose boys were conveying
the truth In private letters, the de-
NAL was modified TO an admission
that the supplies we're on the trans
ports, hut could not be landed as the
lighters which accompanied the ex-
peditlOn had been lost at sea. When
IL was suggested that the boats which
took the men ashore could also bring
food for them, and that the aid Of the
magnificent fleet guarding the harbor
entrance could haYe been obtained Ia
such an emergency, the admission
was further altered TO the statement
that the food was there, and there
was no difficulty In getting IL ashore;
In fact, that 1t was piled up in
Siboney, but the roads TO the front
were impassable. Hence IL seems to
have been taken for granted that the
soldiers who we're sent TO the front
should be left there TO starve. "Im-
passable roads |" No road is i'm
passable. The words are self.contra-
dictory. II II is meant that no COM
miss Iry wagons, no ambulances, no
| pack horses or no mule trains
were taken with the army on It's
expedition OF INVASION into an enc
my's country, then we have another
form Of mismanagement to deal with.
The lives OF the heroes OF San Juan
hill, whose brave deeds spread the
glory OF our army over the civilized
world, depended upon their being
properly supported and fed. ave
feed our soldier WE'LL" says the Turk,
"because II we do not feed him well
he cannot fight we'll" Are Americans
worse than Turks, TO talk OF "lmpas
sable roads" when the brave men at
the front are suffering for food IL is
dlnicult to treat the excuses offered
for such cruel mlsmanagement with
becoming moderationOr adequately to
characterize the mlsmanagement
itself without the employment OF
words which we prefer TO avoid ln
this communication. Let us resume
the review OF the events at the
'front.'
Without betrdying the confidence OF
individual soldiers who, however
freely they may speak 10 private, are
reluctant TO appear 10 the public la
the light OF fault finders, we need
only 20 examine the utterances OF
many officials themselves to find
ground for righteous indignation.
Gen. Wheeler's statement that half OF
the men who were sent 20 Montauk
were unit for duty IL, Ia itself, a
terrible arralgnment II some one for
mIsmanagement. And to be- con
vinced OF the truth IL is only neces-
sary 10 look at the faces OF the men
which In many cases were described
as bearing the imprint Ct utter aud
hopeless despair. Here In New
York City, the spectacle OF the
haggard, set and lmmoYable counte-
nances or re turning soldiers wearing
dull stolldlty from which even the
unprecedented demonstrations OF
public applause could not arouse them
has sickened the hearts and drawn
tears OF pity 10 the eyes OF the be-
holders. These are the men who, IN
their patriotic fervor, but four months
ago offered TO the government, the
flower OF Americas phy sicial perfec-
tion; they were accepted only after
passing a most severe medical exami-
nation as 10 their health and fitness
TO serve In the army; many OF them
haYe never been obliged TO leaYe our
own country or 20 camp Ia an unsal.
ubrlous region and haye never been
exposed 10 disease other than |
that forced upon them by conditions
oyer which they, as indiYlduals, had
no control. Aud now the government
throws them back into civil lite.
wrecks OF their former selves. They
are not dead, and by their ability 10
get away from the hospitals. which SO
many OF them have dreaded, they have
nominally kept downthe death rate
'f the army; but how many OF them
IRE permanently rulned 10 'cOnstitu-
lion; how many will drag through the