The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-27
R. j. ROOSEVELT WROTH
HE SEVERELY CRTTICISES THE
ARMY INVESTIGATING COMMISSION,
And Asserts Soldiers Were Cruelty
Treated in Cuba and Camps at
HOme-A Caustic Letter.

NEW YORK, Nov. 26.-The army investi-
eating commission completed its work here
this afternoon and went to Boston tonight.
This afternoon Captain Howell read a letter
addressed to the commission by Robert j.
Roosevelt, secretary of the committee of
the Society for the Protection of Soldiers.
General Dodge suggested that the letter be
received and filed, and by general consent
General Dodges suggestion was adopted.
The letter read in part as follows:
''Gentlemen-I have noticed in the morn
ing press that none of your members criti-
cises the witnesses who have testified at the
request of the committee formed in this city
to protect the soldiers, for the reason that,
while establishing the fact that much
groundess and eXcusable suffering was in
fiicted on the army, they do not fix the re-
sponsibiity nor show who is to blame. II
the views of your commission are correctly
reported there seems to be a misunderstanding
ing between US. We supposed that all the
witnesses had to do was to prove the facts
and that the commission would fix the re-
sponsiblity; indeed, it appointed for
the express purpose of fixing the response
bihty.
''Ine heroic boys may forget their suf-
ferings; may even refuse to testify to them,
but their mothers Will not and their fathers
hind the errors OF the civil war. There was
no intentional cruelty such as seems to
have so Often prevailed in this war. The
sick men were not starved. Sick men We're
treated with all possible attention and
kindness Water was not sod to fever
racked sufferers at 10 cents glass; food
was not sold to starving men at p cents
for a sandwich, and dalntieS for the dying
men were not eaten by the officers. But
suppose matters had been thousand times
worse in the civil war, would that be any
reason now that our men should be sent
with arms out of date, that there should
be no ambuIances, no pack trains or trans
portation to carry food 10 the front; not
nalf sufficient medicines nor DOCTORS; no
proper hospitals, and that men with freshly
treated wounds should be left TO lie IN the
mud on a blanket, II they mad one-WlthodI
it If they had none-nor even why m1dWlnter
undercIoIhing should be sent to Cupa and
midsummer gauze undeFshtrts to Montauk
THE accomplishing endurance of our men
has simply been heroic. They bore wounds,
sickness, privations, 10 death even, without
a word 1t was only neglect, starvation, in
fact, and abuse in the hospitals winch called
forth letters, and them only, home to their
families; letters which were sent to me by
broken hearted mothers in pitiful appeals to
try to help their sons | wish your commits
sion could have read them, but as many of
them were transmitted to me confidentially
i cannot even quote from them.
THE witnesses have established mon
strous incapacity. That they have not full
confidence in the power of your commission,
no matter how good its will to meet all the
only echoing your own doubts, but In spite
of that they seem to have done their share,
and it would seem that ii only remains for
YOU TO do your best. even though that best be
not quite satisfactory to yourselves. If done
in good faith it will teach the soldiers that
there, at least, there was a power which
was honestly endeavoring to do them JUS
tice'
you can direct your inquiries in the first
place to the food supply. Find out who
gets the difference between the liberal ra-
lions allowed by the government and the
meagre bareback, bacon and green coffee
served to the soldiers. The witnesses
the books and the rolls in the public depart
ments to which you have full access.
We have furnished you the facts. Shown
you the brutality. cruelty. neglect. indiffer-
ence; how men whom the government was
under every obligation to protect. and
pecialiy because they had a right to rely on
such protection, were starved even in the
land Of plenty. were uncared for when sick.
left without attention, when wounded, were
abused. maltreat ed-in some cases pTac-
flcallv murdered. We have shown YOU an
la..nl... ana lnLLl1ILnn Of human sllllar.