The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-24
Food w as Not
Lacking.
A NEWSPAPER MAN
Tells His Experience Before
the War Board.

New York, Nov. 23.-James f. ].
Archibald, San Francisco newspaper
man, who went with the First regular
infantry from California to Santiago,
was the first witness before the war
investigating commission today.
Mr. Archibald said his chief reason
for volunteering to appear before the
commission was because he heard
statements that there was great hard
ship in Cuba, because of a lack of food.
Il wish to say" he said, that l have
had considerable experience campaign
ing with the troops in the west and
there the regular soldiers have had
much r0usher experiences than they
did in Cuba. There was plenty of food,
and the inability of the volunteers to
adapt themselves to circumstances was
due to their own ineXperience. If they
had known enough to hustle and cook
the food that was there, they would
have less cause to complain. There was
scarcity of medical supplies of sur
geons and of nurses.
1T appeared to me that Dr. Wood
q believe his initials are N. Nj caused
considerable unnecessary suffering by
his severe administration of his hospital
near SibOney. He refused to allow any
one to visit the sick, and once when
| was trying to find a wounded man
Of the First infantry, he refused to let
me in. He declined to allow Cubans
who had offered to build shelter for the
sick to do so: and when l tried to rea-
son with him, he said: | am running
this hospital to suit myself 1t was
quite proper to run his hospital, ire
spectiVe of the private individuals, but
L think his Judgment was bad.
Il mention that incident as the only
matter that came to my notice in which
l blame the authorities
John ]. Robinson of New York, who
was at Camp Wikoff, with the Y NJ
Z. A. tent, told of the conditions there
during the last days of August and in
September. He did not know Of any
great lack of food or supplies, and said
that he considered as whole that the
camp was well conducted.
Did you ever see the army cook in
campo"
Yes, [ saw it; but I did not read it,
The cook, who served the best meals,
used ii all the time. There was plenty
Of food while 1 was in camp. All sorts
of food. l saw one man eat u boiled
eggs"
Did you ever say that men were be-
ing starved and drugged TO death?"
asked General Beaver.
Il said that there seemed to be d
feeling on the part Of the women that
the boys were being starved and drugg-
ed to death. There was some friction
between the women and the surgeons
Then some Of the men could not resist
the temptation to loaf on some of the
visitors. They would jump into bed,
and have fits of pain and cramps, when
they saW a nice looking nurse coming
along, with a basket of dainties and a
bottle of blackberry brandy. saw
one man grooming in bed, and saw the
amateur nurse give him a bottle of
blackberry brandy. Soon afterwards
noticed the man walking about and
asked him how he felt He said he
was all right and felt as strong as a
lion since he had had a drink. He help
ed me saw the lumber for my tent
floor, within cen minutes after he had
persuaded the visitor he was seriously
in and in great pain"
Were there many men who played
upon the sympathies of kind women"
asked Gen. McCook.
oh yes; there was q lot of that
among the raw recruits"
Mrs. Johanna Won Wagner of York
ers, a professional nurse, established Il
diet kitchen at Camp Wikotf and
| served there for a month from August
| 20. She complained of the lack of COM