The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-22
Says They Alone Were Responsible
for the Mortality in the
Army.
GeperoI Woites Accuses Quortermusters Lee
oDd LudiDgton Point Blank Of Gross
Neglect.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Sept. 21.-The
Secretary of War, who to-day in
spected Camp Poland and reviewed the
enlisted men encamped, made a speech
TO the commanding officers at General
McKee's headquarters during the
morning, In which he fiexed the blame
for the sickness in the camps through
out the country on the commanding
officers
General Alger congratulated General
Mckee on the splendid condition of the
camp and the troops. He expressed
satisfaction at the location of the
camp and the showing made by the
men.
After the review of the troops in
camp General Alger asked the COM
manding officers to assemble at Gen
eral McKee's headquarters, and at the
latters tent the Secretary was sur
rounded by the officers and the Knox
willie citizens committee. He removed
his hat and in a delicate and carefully
worded speech said:
came here to visit this camp for the
conditions and to see for myself just how
the troops are faring and to hear from
the officers any recommendation which
they think may benefit the camp.
l want to hear what the commanders
have to say about division hospitals and
regimental hospitals more especially.
There has been a great deal of talk about
the conditions of the camp hospitals
l want to say that had the War De-
partment been acquainted with the con-
ditions said to have existed at Chicka-
mauga, the troops there would have been
moved long before they were.
We received only good reports at Wash
ington from the commanding officers and
1t was supposed that the outside reports
were exaggerated.
The commanders of camps are RESPONSE
BILE for the condition of their camps and
II the men are not we'll cared for, and
te tfr a1ssspftaI and sanitary conditions
are bad, the commanding officers must
answer for it.
The War Department has bean and is
ready to supply the demands of the troops
for medicines and sustenance, and there
is no reason why conditions other than
the best possible should exist.
LEXINGTON, Ky, Sept. "a
prominent gentleman close to the ma
tional administration as we'll as to the
officers here at Camp, Hamilton says
the tour of inspection of the Southern
camps by Secretary Alger, Quarter
master General Ludington and Surgeon
General Sternberg will develop numer-
GUS charges from regimental and gen.
eraI field officers against both the med
fcal and the quartermaster's depart
ments, and especially against some
commissaries. The talking was begun
here to-day by General Waites against
the quartermasters, and other officers
will add testimony before the tour is
over Secretary Alger stated that all
of this information and all other evil
dence that he could secure would be
presented to the investigation commit
tee at Washington.
At the conference last night of Sec
retary Alger with General Breckin-
ridge, the commander of Camp Ham
tlton, and other officers General Sanger
said that while the division hospital
might be a good thing as now con-
Quoted 1t had been a disgrace to the
service; that it had deprived the regi-
ments of their surgeons and caused
hardships on the sick, who would have
had better attention at the proper
time. Surgeon General Sternberg in
reply insisted that all acquisitions had
been honored in Washington and that
any medical men falling to do their
duty should be reported.
General Waites told Secretary Alger
that the failure of some quartermasters
to furnish supplies was criminal. While
in Chickamauga he frequently made re-
quests which were not honored. An
imperative order had been sent to have
all water boiled. He had made requi-
sition on Quartermaster General Lee
for water boilers. No attention was
paid to his requisition and he repeated
ly urged Quartermaster General Lee
to send the boilers; and, telling him
how the men were contracting typhoid
fever, he met with a reply which read: