The evening times., 1898-08-26
The Truth VIII Appear.

An investigation of the numerous but
informal charges of acknowledgement
in the Santiago campaign and later is
inevitable. If the War Department
does not respond favorably to the de-
mand of Surgeon General Sternberg
for an official inquiry into the conduct
of the medical service. against which
the gravest accusations are made; If
the Secretary of War, who has been
held to be responsible for many Of the
abuses that have resulted in the per-
manent invalidism or death of large
number of our bravest soldiers. and
whose administration fully nine-tenths
of the loyal newspapers have condemn
ed. does not himself ask for commits
sion of inquiry; if the President does
not conclude that the failure to in
vestigate touches himself-then Con-
gress will surely set the machinery at
work for a complete exposure of the
causes of the scandals.
The Secretary of War and the Presi-
dent should consider that the virtual
refusal to locate the blame will be
TeSaTUeU DIS tiic oAiSihoA
evil
1t is known that, in spite Of the di-
rect assertion of the Presidents salts
faction with the War Department, he
is not a man to be untouched by the
trustworthy reports of needless agony.
danger and death inflicted on the men
who responded so patriotically to his
call. He is not without sense of per-
sonal care for their welfare. The pub
lie can understand and sympathize with
his indisposition to apply pressure to
one of his own official family. with
whom his personal relations have been
intimate and whose burdens in the past
four months or more have been enor-
nous and difficult. But the point has
been reached where the President can
no longer be jus, to his soldiers and
the nation, just to the Secretary him.
self, and at the same time generous
toward those who have BEEN gully Of
carelessness and worse.
If the Secretary does not value accu-
| rately the deep and increasing blame an
aroused and indignant people place on
his shoulders, in the absence of any
positive knowledge of the offenders.
the President could not show a friendly
| spirit better than in suggesting the
| necessity of voluntary action for
clearing up the scandals.
The opinion of a man Of such long
and wide experience as ex-Secretary
| sherman of a man entirely friendly
| is surely worth the Presidents serious
| attention.
We have urged the President to
move in this matter only because the
determination of the War Department
| to rest satisfied with the inadequate
explanation in the Depew letter is ap-
parent, and because the President him.
self cannot escape censure for his ex.
| cess of generosity at the expense OF
justice. That the business will be
! probed to the bottom and the fault
located, we have no doubt. 1t will no,
be possible to whip Congress into inac.
ton on this subject. II the Admins.
| tration prefers to leave 1t in the hands
of that body and incur the added
| criticism for delay and indifference, II
| is against the Judgment and appeals Of
| it's friends 1t should be considered
too, that General Miles may not be Sc
| tractable as many hope and expect.
| demand from the commanding genera
cannot be put aside as lightly as thai
from subordinate officials.