The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-08
COULD NOT COMPLAIN
THREE WITNl issEs TESTIFY BE-
FORE WAR DEPARTMENT
INQUIRY BOARD
SATISFIED WITH CONDITIONS

Jersey Soys
troops Were We'll suDulie5
Col. Lee Found Some Daeoo4.
WASHINGTON, Oct 7.-Three WIZ
nesses were before the war investira-
zion board today. Gen. Greene. who
participated In the battle of Mania.
Col. Lee, chief quartermaster at Cannn
f dmonnas, and Maj. Jersey, who was
LOT time In command of the Roos--
welt rough ridens. Each admitted the
posslplllty OF individual cases Of sufc
Ierlhg and discomfort, but all said that
THE vast majority of complaints wer0
exaggerated, if not without foundation
Ihey agreed in saying that no army
was ever SO abundantly and luxurious
~ suppAed as was the American army
IN the Spanish war.
Gen Greene thought the army regu-
lations should be ADAPTED more to cam
palgn expeditions than at present.
Slnce the civil war the regulations had
peen defined until they had been gotten
uoWn TO so line a point that you could
hardly move under them The situation
or the camp at San Francisco was very
poor. The location was made by Gen.
GUS and Gen. Greene felt safe in deny
ing the report that there had been
collusion with the railroad people. The
most fragrant violation and neglect
that he had seen during the war was
IN the case of the transports at New
York. Their condition was OF a char
acter that could have been avoided.
He had seen green coffee issued In
Florida and in Manila. Comparing the
condition of his troops with those en-
gagged in the Turkish Russian war he
had seen more suffering in the Turkish
army in a day than he had seen in the
American army in a yezr, and there
were 5000 Russian troops i'll Of typhoid
fever at the close Of the Russian cam
palgn. He spok from observation and
said the comparison from every point
was favorable to the American troops.
The officials appointed from civil life
were willing, but as rule were with
out experience, and the great difficulty
was that there were not enough regu-
latfon officers to go around.
TROOPS WELL SUPPLIED.
Maj. Henry B. Hersey, Of Santa Re,
N. M, of the Roosevelt rough riders,
sadd the camp at Tampa was low and
fat and towards the close Of his stay
there in July there was an increase of
FEVER and kindred diseases The troops
were, he said, we'll supplied from the
cOmmfssary am other departments,
bearing of the physician who was left
with the squadron at this point He
ascribed the sickness of the men in
Cuba and the hardships OF the cam
paign. He had come north to WikofP
on the Miami, which was considered
one Of the worst Of the transports, but
the voyage WaQ not chara cterized by
any special discomfort. Camp Wikofc
was the most perfect camp he hae
JxT1n n
and thG~sinls were carefully attended
to. The sickness Of the command de-
creased rapidly at this camp. Soldiers
were never taken care Of so we'll as at
MOntauk.
Asked about the deaths of Messrs.
Tiffany and W1Enn, of the rough rid
ers, he said that Tiffany had yellow
fever and had suffered more from the
kindness Of his friends on land in going
to Boston, when he needed quiet, than
he did from any other source. Mr..
Wrenn was given a fuTlOugh to attend
a tennis tournament. Mai. Hersey neEg
heard OF him being ILL., though he
was in good condition when he left
camp.
FOUND SOME DEFECTS.
Col. James G. c. Lee, chief quarters
master at Camp Thomas said that his
estimates for supplies all had been met
by a remarkable degree Of promptitude
Col. Lee dWelt ,lpOn the natural diff
culties of supplying an army Of 5000
men. which expected to be able to TURF
@ faucet and get everything they wante
ed on the spur Of the moment. There
were some articles of which tley werg
never able to get a sufficient supply;
army trousers, for instance. In the
making Of cOntrS,cts with the railroads,
Coils Hecl1er ana Bird, in the WASH
ington headquarters, had manifested a
disposition to interfere with him by
prescribing impossible conditions. He
had protested in sharp and vigorous
language, and thereafter there was no
trouble. The passenger rates had been
made at Washington and were very
low, but, when he tried to get freight
rates, they Vert too high. He had
felt that he could give better results
II allowed to make both lines of con-
tract, as, with one rate already made.
the government would be in the power
of the railroads, He had cOntended
for this right, and It was conceded to
him. He did not believe that any
actual suffering had arisen on account
OF the inefiicien ~ Of officers THE
contiguity Of Chattanooga, with its sa-
looms and the freedom with which the
selling of pies and cakes and beer in
the camp, was permitted was" he said,
"a far more prolific ease Of disease. TO
my mind, than the sleeping of the men
on the ground or any other cause that
has been suggested"