The times., 1898-09-02
SPERNBERg is WILLING
The Surgeon General Ready
For an Investigation.
HIS OWN : VINDICATION
He VIII Not Insist Upon 1t Mt Pres
ent-An Inquiry Into Camp
WiISoff's Conditions Ordered-Ex-
poets Congress to Take Action
A Popular Demand for Criticism.

A Popular Demand for Criticism.
The following letter. written by Sur
geen General Sternberg, and addressed
to William Wood, member of the New
York medical publishing firm of William
Wood & Co., was made public yesterday
The Letter.
The letter is as follows: Talking over
the telephone Is rather unsatisfactory. L
appreciate your kind interest, and trust
that you find that l am worthy of your
confidence. / am ready at any moment
for a complete investigation with refer
ence to my administration of the affairs
of the medical department, but the War
Department is not disposed to make such
an investigation as the result of sensa-
tional newspaper articles.
Craze TO CrIticise.
'tThere is at present an evident craze
to criticise without regard to truth or
Justice / have no doubt there will be
Congressional investigation into the con-
duct OF the war, but L do not feel at lib
CATION for my own vindcation. because
1t would be contrary to the general in
terests of the service.
1T would make it necessary for me to
give up all the important official work,
which at present almost overwhelms me,
for the purpose OF devoting myself to
presentation of the facts relating to my
IA ,nlyn IL
sary to take clerks away from their daily
tasks in order to look up the document
airy evidence on file in my ofhce, ana, IN
the meantime. important matters ~oulo
necessarily be neglected and the SICK In
all parts of the country would suffer.
TT would make it necessarily to call
unon the medical officers who are now
urgently needed for the care of the SICK
in our various camps and hospitals TO
come to Washington as witnesses, and all
this TO satisfy the clamor of irresponsible
newspaper reporters. There has been no
official complaint with reference to my
administration of the medical depart
mcnt.
Investigate Camp Wii<oT.
'In regard to Montauk Point, l intend
to send at once Lieut.. Col. Charles Smart,
an experienced officer and the professor
of hygiene in our army medical school,
to make a thorough sanitary investiga-
ton. TO go myself, much as l should
like to do so, would be 10 neglect impor-
tant official duties in connection with the
supply of hospitals, the movement of my
hospital trains. OF hospital ships ETC.
The letter is signed by Surgeon General
Sternberg.
Gross MismanaSement.
,-aluptaar army ofiCiaI
after reading the somewhat remarkable
letter of Surgeon General Sternberg last
night. said: The surgeon general will
find that in time ttIat all the reports re-
garding the conduct of his office have
not come from what he is pleased TO
style irresponsible newspaper reporters
The friends and relatives of dead and dy
ing soldiers will submit irrefutabla teSti-
mony to show that hundreds of soldiers
have suffered and died because of gross
neglect upon the part of those charged
with administering the affairs of the med
ical department
II would like. to ask Gen. Sternberg
who is responsible for the neglect TO
supply proper medical aid 20 the troops
on the transports coming from Santiago.
That this was done is a matter of rec
ord in the War Department, in the shape
of telegram from Gen. Shafter 10 the
Secretary OF War.
when the soldiers arrived at Montauk
! Point they made the statements them
| selves. They told only their own eXpe-
rience and no irresponsible newspaper
! reporter had anything 10 do with those
| statements other than to write what the
men themselves said.
Il know what ! am talking about.
have seen things with my own eyes, and
| when it comes my time TO talk / will
tell the truth, and TO the proper persons.
There is no doubt as TO Gen Stern
berg being investigated. The medical bu-
reau needs an investigation the same as
many other branches of the War Depart
ment.
Why the Delay.
''If Surgeon General Sternberg was per-
forming his duty as he should be. why
has he delayed making the investigation
at Montauk Point until this late date?
What he is now proposing to do should
have been done two weeks ago.
1T would seem that he never thought
of doing anything until he read in the
newspapers that Gen. Wheeler. becoming
alarmed at the unhealthy condition of
affairs there, instituted an investigation
upon his own account. 1t is well known
that Gen. Wheeler ordered the investiga-
tion because he was unable to obtain
anything like the truth from the various
medical officers in charge, so conflicting
were their reports to him. There are
$1,000 men in this country who will, when
the proper time comes, be on hand to
confront the medical department with
charges of gross nismanagement-sh
they not all die in the meantime from the
effects of not having proper medical at
tention when they needed it most The
death record at Camp Alger tells the
story almost within sight of Surgeon
General Sternberg's Office. The lack of
| medical attention at that camp alone Is
evidence sufficient to convict the medical
department of the most fragrant neglect
of duty"