Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-12-02
The HOTTEST LETTER YET
ROOSEVELT ASKS QUESTIONS
He Wants the Investigation Commit
tee to Report on the Food sup
plies and to Fix the Responsfbii-
tiles for Groundless and mex
cusable Suffering.

New York, Nov. 2S--At the session
OF the war investigation commission Sat |
urday. Captain Howell read a letter adj |
dressed to the commission by Robert d.
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 con
sent, General Dodges suggestion was
adopted. The letter written to the COM
mission by Mr.. Roosevelt read in part as
follows:
80 the Commission of inquiry-Gen-
tlemen: | have noticed in the morning
papers that one OF your members crlti-
cises the Witnesses who have testified at
the request OF the committee formed IN
this city to protect the soldiers, Tor the
reason that, while establishing the TACT
that much groundless and ineXcusable sui
fering was inflicted on the army, they do
not fix the responsibility nor show who Is
to blame. If the views OF your commits
sion are correctly reported, there seems to
be misunderstanding between us. We
supposed that all the witnesses had to do
was to prove the facts and that the COM
mission was appointed for the express pur-
pose of fixing the responsibility. The he
role boys may forget their suiferings, may
even refuse to testify to them, but their
mothers will not and their fathers will
not. Nor will it do to take refuge behind
the terrors OF the civil war. There was no
intentional cruelty in that war, such as
seems to have often prevailed in this
war; The sick men were not starved.
Sick men were treated with all possible
kindness and attention. Water was not
sold to feverracked sufferers at 10 cents
glass. Food was not sold to starving
men at % cents sandwich and dainties
for the dying men We're not eaten by the
officers. But suppose matters had been a
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men should be sent with arms out of
date, that there should be no ambulances.
no pack trains OF transportation to carry
food TO the front, not half sufficient medi-
cines nor doctors, nor proper hospitals
and that men with freshly treated wounds
should be left to die in the mud on a
blanket,if they had one-without it if they
had none-nor even why midwinter under
clothing should be sent to Cuba and mid
summer gauze shirts to Montauk.
Investigate the Food Supplies.
"You can direct your inquiries in the
first place to the food supply. Find out
who gets the difference between the dou-
bic rations allowed by the government
and the meagre hard tack, bacon and
green coffee served to the soldiers. The
witnesses are the books and the rolls in
the public departments, to which you have
full access. We have furnished you the
facts, shown you the brutality, cruelty
neglect, Indifference. how the men the
government was under every obligation
to protect and especially because they
had right to rely upon such protection
We're unaccounted for when sick, left with
out attention when wounded, abused, NAL
treated, in some cases practically mur
dered.
"We have shown you an indifference
and belittling Of human sufferings which
continue even now. If this nation is t.
become a warlike one, if we are to hav,
an army which shall be efficient and t.
be relied upon, those crimes and blunder
must be corrected and your commission
must correct them. 1t is not for you t.
make the feeble excuse that your commits
sion, mere voluntary association witt
no legal existence even, shall shoulder th
responsibility"
bad Prairie Fires,