The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-12-16
BR0oKH'S TESTIMONY.
The Camp Thomas Commander Be-
fore tho War Investigators.
HE MADE DAILY INSPECTIONS.
Threatens to Court Martial an Inspec.
tor Who Criticized the Unsanitary
Condition Of the Campfire Scarcity
of Medicine at the Hospital.


of Medicine at the Hospital.
Washington, Dec. 16.-Major General
John n. Brooke was before the war in
vestigation commission yesterday. He
said the most Of the troops at Camp
Thomas, where he was in charge, were
volunteers. They came supposedly
with ten days rations, but this was
the so-called field ration, and at first
they were hungry This was remedied
by the commissary department quite
promptly. The volunteers were sup.
piled with all sorts Of tentage, most
of 1t antiquated. Their uniforms were
the national guard uniform, mostly old
and soon made. worse by the severity
of the service. Their equipment in
general was what had been acc4HsH--
lated through the parsimonious policy
of the war department through the
preceding rs years." Some of the men
were unarmed, and some in their citi-
zen clothes, with only one blanket.
General Brooke said that he had
nothing to do with the selection Of the
camp ground. but being assigned there
z he made 1t his business to look after
1.-THE water supply and to see that the
necessary sanitary regulations were
promulgated and enforced. He made
personal inspections as frequently as
his time would permit. He said posi-
lively that the criticisms of the cave
spring water supply were groundless
II deem It proper to ssy." continued
General Brooke, Tin ,coH;roversion of
certain reports that have heard, that
did inspect the camp sinks and
kitchens continually"
I'VE have plenty Of testimony be-
fore u.s." said General Dodge, that
you did this frequently.">
1T was more than frequently" said
General Brooke. 1T was daily" ~
Speaking Of the hospitals, General
d. Brooke said: I'm justice to- myself I
should say that the location of thee
First division hospital. was not my own
selection. I left this to Colonel Hart
sun, my chief surgeon, and it was the
one location I condemned. visited
this hospital, and it was working badly
due probably to the surgeon directly in
charge"
Governor Beaver read report from
James Parker, sanitary inspector Of the
Twelfth New York volunteers, detail
ing an unprintably disgusting state of
sanitary affairs at Camp Thomas dur
ing General Brooke's incumbency, and
General Brooke was asked what he had
to say regarding it.
II will say" he replied. that 1t Is
not only untrue. but If you will give
me a copy of that report l will see
that the young man goes before court
martial for those statements unless he
is protected in his testimony by thfs
commission"
Regarding Colonel Hartsuff's state
ment that part of the sickness at Camp
Thomas was due to drills before break
fast, General Brooke said he never
issued any such order He said the
mems visits to the neighborng towns
were most demoralizing and were final
~ much restricted. In fact, there had
been too little work; not too much. .nst
General Brooke said there were nu-
merous complaints as to DIR. Hartsuffs
administration of the hospitals, and ba.y
(Brooke) was forced repeatedly to takes
cogniZance Of them. General Brooke
denied that he had at any time taken
away the control of the division hos-s
pitfalls from the division commanders.
DR.. Connor taking up the inquiry;
asked whether official proceedings had
. everPbeeni had against any hospital or. :
ficials for n1aladminlstration. YsatI
General Brooke-"I never heard any
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. alleged" az-
DR.. Connor--"General, as a matter of
fact the condition of the Third divs-
Ion hospital at least was abominabie."
General Brooke-"Do you make that
statement upon personal knowledge or
on infOrmation?"
DR.. Connor-"I make it upon null
ttude of testimony, all of which goes
to show that the hospital was in
continual turmoil for lack of nurses,
medicine and attendance and-t from
overcrowding."
General Brooke-"There was lack
of medicine from time to time, but the
matter was brought to the attention Of
the department most promptly"
General Brooke said that in mob
HIKING troops In the future they should
be fully equipped at the points where
they are gathered. rather than massed
and then equipped afterward. He had
already advised the war department:
that for the tropics the rice and hom-
my and sugar ration should be in
creased and the meat ration decreased.
given in lieu Of other things. The RAJ
tion now was rather too large than
too small.