The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-11-04
TnE WAR INVESTIGATION

The sober testimony taken by tho
War investigating Committee h IN
snAny respects quite IN contrast With
che hys,efical reports OF she yellow
Journals regarding mismanagemoni iu
army Affairs Unfortunately, IN many
cases. those who have made charge
AGAINST officers have made them on
bearsay evidence. Many Of the "reIl-
able" reports about shameful neglect
prove TO be no more reliable than the
ordinary but eNhllarating Honolulu
gossip. which tones up the moral body
for a while. and then. like other food
or drink Is absorbed into the system
and disappears.
IL was reported to this paper recent
by. and very circumstantially that
sick soldier had waited for treatment
all day at the general hospital, but had
not received II. In order to test the
truth Of this statement, We traced up
its sources, with no little trouble and
expenditure OF time, and finally dis
covered that It had no foundation The
excellent management of the hospital.
oyerburdened as II Is with work, made
us hesitate TO believe the rumor
No one denies that the quartermas-
ter. the commissary. and the medical
departments of the army need recon
st. 4. s.Fp
quite sufficient for an army Of $4,000
They are utterly inadequate for an
army Of 27s,000 men. The people,
through Congress refused to provide
for any emergencies The people hav-
ing forced the army into hole" do
not propose TO take their share OF the
blame for doing II.
The testimony before the War Com
mission is doing much good. Under
oath. and subject to rigid examination,
the truth comes out. The medical
officers state that 1t Is the common
practice for volunteers to refuse TO
obey the orders of their officers, in
sanitary matters. II is an incident OF
engaging in war with volunteer troops.
When Capt. A orders Privates b and
G who are his social and business
equals at home, 10 clean out sinks.
Is and g feel that Capt. a Is putting
on airs" They feel that the captain,
instead of ordering them to do It,
should lend hand himself. When an
entire company Is ordered to muster
shOvels and clean sinks, there is. AT
first, a live sentiment that such SER
vice 10 beneath the notice Of those who
have enlisted to plant the banner OF
Freedom In the Islands of the Pacific.
But the American soldier is too in
felligent not TO see, after a while, what |
his duty Is, and then he sees that he |
can discharge the humblest duty, and |
yet plant the banner OF Freedom.
We suspect that much of the trouble
in Camp Mckinley Is due to this cause.
The colonel OF volunteer regiment
must have rare faculty, II he can en- |
force sanitary rules at first. His pa
thence is sorely tried. To discipline his
officers and men for failing to do their
duty, is impracticable. He must slow
ly educate them.
or course, there is a great difference
In regimental commanders, in this re-
spect. Every hour of the Civil War
showed the remarkable difference in
the conditions of regiments, substant-
tally In the same environment. The
character of the regimental comman-
der was clearly reflected in his officers
and men, after due time had passed
Tor educational work. The great
armies of the Civil War did not find
)ut how TO take care OF themselves !
until the second and third year of ex-
perience had passed. The sacrifice Of
human life in learning the business of
war, was vastly greater than any Of
The human sacrifices offered UP by the
heather in these parts, on the heiaus.