The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-30
EXAMINING THE COMPLAINTS.
THOSE RECEIVED BY THE PREsI-
DENT Considered.

-
neal Mainly With the Conditions at
Chickamauga and Camp Wikoff.
one Lady Complains That Her Son
was Encamped on a Centipede Hin
in HonOIuIu-A Letter From DIR.
Sims at Chattanooga Relative to
the Conditions at Camp Thomas.
Pacific Region Included in the
commissions WOrI1-Letters Adj
dressed to Genss Merriam, Otis and
Merritt.
Washington, Sept. 29.-The war investi-
eating committee confined itself at its af-
ternoon session to-day to the examination
and classification of complaints which
have been made to the President
A large number of such complaints have
been received at the White House. They
came yesterday in the form Of letters, and
are for the most part from relatives of en-
listed men,
Those examined in this session deal In
the main with Camp Wikof and Camp
Thomas, but some Of the letters also make
charges concerning other camps.
They relate especially to the food served
fine soldiers and to hospital accommoda-
tons, and nome of them was of a very
striking character.
one lady, whose son is stationed at Hon
oIulu. wrote that he was encamped on a
centipede hill and said that his food was
insufficient to meet his demands. She ask
ed the President to see that he had better
care Circular letters We're sent to the
writer's of all the complaints asking them
to make their charges specific and to state
whether they spoke from personal knowl-
edge or only from report
one of the letters read to-day was from
DR.. Sims of Chattanooga. 1t was written
TO a friend in Ohio in response to an in
quiry for the facts in regard to Camp
Thomas and was forwarded by the person
who had received it to the President. DR..
Sims said in this letter that there was no
justification for the charge that the site
for the camp was not desirable. 1t was, he
said, admirable. The doctor said that at
the beginning of the camps career the
hospital facilities were limited, but that
these had been increased until they were
adequate to meet the demands upon them.
The committee expects to begin to take
testimony next week Gen. Wheeler is ex-
pected to be among the first witnesses cali
ed
The examination of complaints to the
President was continued at the afternoon
session.
A decision was reached at this session
to include in the work an inquiry into the
conduct of the war department in the Pa
cific as well as in the. Atlantic region, and
to this end letters were written to Gen.
Merriam, in command of the department
of the Pacific, to Gen. Otis. in command OF
the Philippines, and TO Gen. Merritt, who
occupied this latter post until recently.
The letter to Gen. Merritt is as follows:
1--WE have the honor to request you to fur
nsh us, as early as possible, with such in
formation as you may possess. as to the
adequacy or inadequacy of the quarter
master, commissary and medical supplies,
and medical staff of the troops under your
command while in this country, while en-
route, and while you were in command at
Manila, and whether or not such supplies
were promptly and sufficiently issued to
the troops. Also as to the proper and i'm
proper preparat ton of the transports for
the transportation of your troops 10 your
station. We would also be pleased to be
informed as to the ration issued to the
troops.
The letters to Gems. Merriam and Otis
are copies of the letter to Gen. Merritt
except that Gen. Merriam is asked to sup
ply information concerning the expedition
to Hawaii