The times., 1898-09-25

! in this weeks Medical Record by a let
ter from a physician at Big Rapids,
Mich, who was called on to treat just
such case. The soldier, in a critical
condition, was shipped from Camp Wi
koff TO his remote home, where he now
lies in danger of death That he left
trail of infection is beyond doubt.
No; politician who has the least re-
gard for his reputation will not deny
the facts; but the demands of his party,
owing to the Presidents sense of OBJ
legation to Secretary Alger-compel him
to echo the Hanna-Alger defense that
the war came like bolt of thunder on
an unprepared nation" or like a fash
of lightning from clear sky, or like
anything that shows the suddenness Of
call for which no preparation was
possible. 1t is claimed for Secretary
Alger that he achieved miracles, con-
sidering the unexpectedness of the
emergency, so that instead of being
condemned for defects and abuses that
have been proved, he should be praised
that they were not more and worse
To this repeated plea that the Spanish
war found every branch of the War
Department unprepared for the task"
which is the defense of the Republi-
cans, there is a convincing answer,
complete refutation. AS the New York
World recites, the Maine was destroyed
on the night of February Is. Every in
telligent American felt that war must
result The President himself said: IF
IL is found that the disaster was not an
accident, prompt and decisive steps will
be taken That was to say war.
This was more than two months, more
than sixty days and sixty nights before
the formal declaration OF war. Spain
was already in the full swing of prep
arations for the conflict. Every day
dispatches from Madrid reported the
hurried action of the war minister and
the energy of the navy. We were not
less foresighted Orders were issued
from the Navy Department to concen-
trate our warships for Immediate de-
scent on Cuba, and it was recited in the
newspapers that the officials of that
enterprising department had formu-
lated plan Of attack. The newspapers
made the prospects of war their leading
theme, and every week rumor started
that war was to be declared without
further delay. The popular voice was
for war and the President urged pa
tience. promising that if Spain should
prove obstinate, force would be applied
General Miles talked of preparations
for war, and on being quoted as saying
we were not ready, he made a formal
denial and enumerated the guns we
could control. In February the pro-
prietors of mountain resorts got out
their circulars in which they noted that
Spanish warships could not threaten
their hotels. as they could the seaside
resorts. In February General Merritt
was sent South to inspect the fortifica-
tions and General Lee advised all Amer
leans TO leave Cuba. At the Washing
ton navy yard the men worked all
night as well as all day. There were
war speeches in Congress. Among the !
telegrams in the newspapers were those |
reporting an increase in the force of the |
powder mills Wall Street, we were |
told, offered TO lend the Government |
one hundred million dollars to open the |
war, which was then regarded as un |
avoidable. 1t was on the twenty-fifth |
of February that members of congress |
ional committees notified the President |
that any sum, up to two hundred mil |
lion dollars, would be voted for the |
prosecution of a war with Spain. The |
next day the cruisers Minneapolis and |
Columbia We're placed in commission.
Two months. later came the formal
declaration of war and the first call for
troops. For more than two months
everybody, including the Secretary of
the Navy, felt that war must come. ex-
cept Secretary Alger. He alone of all
the people of this country was blind
and deaf to the meaning of all that was
going on in Spain and in our own coun-
try. He alone took no steps to prepare
for the inevitable. A clap of thunder
that is more than sixty days in striking
Is new thing. If the War Department
was wholly unprepared" after more
than two months of war agitation, is it
not confession of the stupidity that
has killed so many of our soldiers?