The Portland daily press., 1898-08-05
SEND THEM NORTH !!
Al Appeal That Should Be Needed
at 0Icc.
SANTIAGO ARMY In DAGGER OF
BEING WIPED OUT.

Col. Rooseveit Addresses Letter to Gen.
Shafter Showing the Terrible Condi-
ton of the Troops-Other Officers Sign
Round Robin to Same Effect.
Santiago de Cuba, August 4. -Delayed
in transmission. Copyright by the Asso-
ciated Press. by Major Gen
cral Shafter, meeting vas held here this
morning at the headquarters and in
the presence of every commanding and
medical officer Of the Fifth army corps.
General Shafter read cable message
from Secretary Alger, ordering him, at the
recommendation of Surgeon General
Sternberg, to move the army into the in
terror to San Luis where it is healthier
As result of the conference. General
Shafter will insist upon the Immediate
withdrawal of the army north within two
weeks. AS an explanation of the situa-
ton, the following letter from Col. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, commanding the First
cavalry OF General Skater, was hande
by the letter to the correspondent here of
the Associated Press for publication.
Major General Shafter.
Sr,-In a meeting of the general and
medical officers called by you at the
palace this morning, we were as you
know, unanimous in the view of what
should be done with the army. To keep
us here in the opinion of every officer
commanding a division or brigade will
simply involve the destruction of thous.
ands. There is no possible reason for not
shipping practically the entire command
north at once Yellow fever cases are
very few in the cavalry division where
command one of the two brigades, and
not one true case of yellow fever has &C.
Cured in this division, except among the
men sent to the hospital at Siboney,
where they have, believe, contracted 1t.
But in this division there have been 1850
cases of malarial fever.
Not man has died from it, but the
whole command is so weakened and
shattered as to be ripe for dying like
rotten sheep when real yellow fever
epidemic, instead of fake epidemic like
the present, strikes us as it is bound to
if we stay here at the height of the sickly
season, August and the beginning or sep
TENDER.
Quarantine against malaria1 fever is
much like quarantine against the tooth
ACHE All OF us are certain, as soon as
the authorities at Washington fully ap-
preciate the condition of the army, to be
sent home. II we are Kept here, it will
in all human possibili ty mean an appal-
ling disaster, for the surgeons her5 esti-
mate that over half the army, If kept
here during the sickly season will die.
| This is not only terrible from the stand
point of the individual lives lost. but it
IN sans 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 it is, exceed
| ing 4U00, affords but faint index OF the
debilitation of the army. Not 10 per
cent are fit for active work.
Six weeks of the north Maine coast for
| instance, or wherever the yellow fever
germ cannot possibly propagate, would
m AXE us all as TT as fighting cocks, able
as we are and eager to take leading part
| in the great campaign against Havana in
| the fall even If we are not allowed to try
Porto Rico.
| We can be moved north, if moved at
|
although, of course, it would have been
infinitely better If we had been moved
north or to Porto Rico two weeks ago.
| If there were any object in keeping us
here, we would face yellow fever with as
much Indifference as we face bullets. but
| there is no object in it.
| The four immune regiments ordered
| here are sufficient to garrison the city
and surrounding towns and there is alb
| solutely nothing for us to do here, and
| there has not since the city surrendered.
1t is impossible to move into the inte-
rior Every shifting Of camp doubles the
sick rate in our present weakened condi-
ton, and anyhow, the interior is rather
worse than the coast, as have found by
are as healthy as any camps at this end of
the island can be. l write only because
l cannot see our men who have fought so
brayely and who have endured extreme
hardship and danger 40 uncomplainingly,
go to destruction without striving, SO far
as lies in me to avert dire calamity, as
it is unnecessary and undeseryed.
Yours respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Col. Com. First Brigade
After Colonel Roosevelt had Gaken the
initiative all the American general Off
GERS united in a round robin addressed
to General Shafter. 1t reads:
we Gne Undersigned omCers command
ing the various brigades, divisions, etc.,
of the army Of occupation in Cuba are of
the opinion that this army should be at
once taken out of the island of Cuba and
sent to some point on the northern sea
coast of the United States; that yellow
fever in the army at present is not cpl
dcnlic; that there are only few sporadic
cases but that the army is disabled by
lnalariaI foyer to the extent that its effic-
iency is destroyed and that 1T is in con-
diUion to be practically entirely destroyed
by an epidemic of yellow fever which is
sire to come in the near future.
"We know from the reports of compe-
tent officers and from personal observa-
tions the army is unable to move into the
interior and that there arc no facilities for
such move if attempted and that it
could not be attempted until too late.
Moreover, the best medical authorltles