The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-08-12

III nfsODphL AOONLN LII
shipping practically the entire command north
at once. yellow fever cases are very few in
the cavalry division. where command one Of
the two hrigades. and not one true case Of yell
low fever has occurred in this division. except
among the men sent 70 the hospital at Siboney.
where they have. | believe, contracted IL
But in this division there have been
I.5t0cases OF malarial feyerS. Not a man has
lied from IL. but the whole Command j. 50
weakened and shattered a. TO be ripe for dying
like rotten sheep when a real yellow fever cpl
icmic. instead OF q fake epidemic. like the
present strikes US. II is bound toif we stay here
At the height OF the sickness season. August
and the beginning OF September.
Quarantine against malArial fever is much
like quarantining against the toothache. All
OF u are certain, as soon as the authorities at
Washington fully appreciate the condition OF
the army. 10 be sent home II we are kept here
IL will. In all human possibility, mean
an appalling disaster. for the surgeons
here estimate that over half tho army. II
kept here during the sickiy season. will die
This is not only terrible from the standpoint
OF the Individual lives lost, but il 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 list, large though IL j.. ex-
rceding 4.oOO. affords but a faint
index Of the debilitation OF the army. Not ten
per cent are NJ for active work. six weeks on
the north Maine coast. for instance. or else
where. where the yellow fever germ can not
possibly propagate. would make Us all a. II as
lighting c1cks. able as we are eager. 20 take a
leading par in the great campaign against Ha-
vans ia the fall, even II we are not allowed TO
Try Porto Rico.
We can be moved north. IL moved al once.
with absolute safety 10 the country. although.
Of course. II would have been infinitely better
II We had been moved north or to Porto Rico
two weeks ayo. IL there were any object in
Keeping vs. here, we would face yellow fever
with a. much Indifference as we faced bullets,
but there Is no object Ia L. The four
immune regiments ordered here are sufficient
TO garrison the city and surrounding towns. and
there IS absolutely nothing for u TO do here,
and there has not been since the city surren-
dered. IL Is impossible TO move into the in
terror. Every shifting OF camp doubles the
sick rate in our present weakened condition and,
anyhow. the Interior - rather worse than the
coast, n | have found by actual reconnaissance
our present camps are as healthy a. any camps
at this end Of the island can be.
7 write only because / can not see our men
who have fought so brayely and who
have endured extreme hardships and
danger so uncomplainingly. 20 to de-
s~truction without striving. 80 far as lies in
me. to avert a doom as fearful as IL is unneces-
sary and undeserved. Yours respectfully.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Colonel commanding FIRST Brigade
After Col. Roosevelt had taken the
initiative, all the American general Of
hcers united in a Round Robin" ad-
dressed To Gen. Shafter. 1t reads:
The Round Robin.
We. the under ,igned OH ccrs commanding the
various brigaies. divisions. etc. oi the army
OF occupation In Cuba. are Of the unanimous
opinion that this army should be at
once taken out 81 the island 81 Cuba and
sent 10 some point on the northern seacoaSt
OF the United States. that II can be done with
danger TO the people OF the United States
that yellow fever in the army al present 4, not
epidemic that there are only a few sporadic
cases. but that the army is disabled by malarial
fever to the extent that it, efficiency IS de-
stroycd. and 1t i In a condition to be practl-
cally destroyed by an epidemic o. yellow fever,
which is sure TO come In the near future
We know from the reports % competent Of
ucers and from personal observations that the
army Is unable TO move into the interior. and
that there are no facilities for such a move II
attempted, and that II could not be attempted
until too late. Moreover. the best medical
authorities o. the island say that with our
present equipment we could not live in the
interior during the rainy season without losses
from malarial fever which is almost as deadly
as yellow fever.
This army must be moved at once Or perish.
A. the army can be safely moved now. the per
sons responsible for preventing such a move
will be- responsible Tor the unnecessary loss Of
many thousand lives
cur opinions are The result " careful per-
sonal observation. ami they are also based on
the unanimous cplaloE cf our medical officers
with The army We understand the situation
ar-olu,elv.