Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-26
the OKERcOA7 ISSUE

The Anaconda Standard Of the 18th
instant gleefully published in double
leads a statement charging that the men
Of the Second Oregon regiment, just re-
turned from Manila, We're freezing to
death in San Francisco. The dispatch
contained a cooked-up and misleading
interview with General Summers, with
the Examiners senatorial earmarks, and
included the following cheerful asser-
ton:
There has been another blunder by the
war department of the same kind that
cost the nation thousands of its heroes
lives at Montauk Point and at Camp
Richmond.
Never was there a more Infamous ex-
hibition of demagogism than the above.
1t is to be regretted that the Standard
was deceived into giving the dispatch
currency in Deer Lodge county. The
facts We're fully explained by the San
Francisco Call of the goth instant in the
following authorized statement from
General shafter, commanding the de-
partment:
You can say as coming from me hat
clothing is only issued to troops upon
reouisition made by either the colonel of
the regiment or their company COM
manders; that there is no authority eX-
cept an act Of congress which would
cover a gratuitous issue of clothing.
There is a great quantity OF clothing
here in the city, ten times as much cloth
ing as could be used BY a regiment. The
colonel was told by me the day that he
arrived that all the clothing he wanted
was at his service; that he could put in
his requisition for such as he needed and
it would be issued at once. He replied
that the men We're disinclined to draw
military clothing, which they could not
very well wear in civil life, and pay for
it just as they We're going out of thc
service. The suggestion was then made
that they could draw underclothing,
which could be worn just as Well after
leaving the service as before.
A quarternaSter is detailed at the Ore
gon camp who has large quantities of
clothing in his storehouse, and he is
ready to issue 1t, but there has not been
an article Of clothing called for up to to-
day. The men, in my opinion, are per-
fectly comfortable.
l want to tell you another thing that
has just come to my knowledge today.
Yesterday the quartermaster of the Ore
SON regiment went 10 lle post quarter
master at the Preside and requested to
turn into him some extra clothing that
he had which he did not want, but the
Preside quartermaster refused to receive
it unless ordered to do so. The Oregon
regimental quartermaster then went to
Colonel Long. the depot quartermaster
here, and wished him to receipt for a lot
Of clothing that he had on hand and for
which he had no further use-clothing
that the Oregon troops had taken to
Manila and brought back with them.
One of the items in this lot of clothing
to turn in was SEVEN HUNDRED
OVERCCATS, besides a lot Of blankets
and other clothing.
While the president has ordered me to
see that these men are supplied with all
the clothing necessary for their comfort,
he has not ordered a ~gratuitOus issue;
and to make sure that the men were
properly supplied in accordance with the
presidents wish, and that there was no
neglect, the colonel Of the Oregon regi-
ment was instructed to give the matter
his attention in the following order:
Headquarters, Department of California,
San Francisco, Cal, July II, 1899.
Colonel O.. Summers, Commanding Ore
gon Volunteer Camp: The department
commander directs that you make neces-
sary requisition at once for such clothing
and supplies as may be needed to pre-
serve the health OF your men. PleaSe &C
knowledge receipt.
BABCOCK,
Assistant Adjutant General.
Government property is never loaned
nor given away except in exceptional
cases, such as a yellow fever epidemic
or a disastrous flood, or some great
calamity where many families are left
destitute, and in such cases congress
afterward makes the necessary appro-
priation to cover such extraordinary eX-
penditures.
VIM. H. SHAFTER,
Major General Commanding Dept.
July 10, 1893.
The Call of the 21st contained in its
local columns the following account of
the overcoats and lankets procured 70,
the soldiers by the ladies of the Red
Cross and other charitable people who
were deceived by the Examiners sensa.
ton:
The issue of extra clothing was OBJ.
tanned yesterday, but it did not go far
for there was some hitch in the overcoat
supply. The Examiners promised in
voice of hundreds of overcOats fell down
to eight. Just eight Overcoats were re-
ceived. and these were issued. AS fol
blankets. the regiment had enough tc
supply all who asked for them. AnG
those who asked for extra clothing were
not numerous. Two companies declined
to call for anything-neither blankets mol
overcoats. One company called for blan.