The times., 1899-04-01
SATURDAY, APRIL /, 1899.
Bayonets and Reef.


Great Britain had an object lesson on the
subject of dishonest army contractors sew
eral years ago, which has never been for
gotten in that country. and il would be well
if like incident could take place here
There was war in Ashantee-land and nu-
merous British troops were sent againstthe
black warriors. The Ashantees have pre-
dilection for fighting at close quarters, and
il was perhaps in that war that the British
Tommy learned that Fuzzy-Wuzzy is
generally shamming when he's dead. At
any rate, most of the fighting had to be
done with bayonets, because the adversary
would come straight through the smoke
into the midst OF a rain of bullets and be-
gin to hammer the British soldier at
once
That was where the army contractor saw
his opportunity. and he furnished the
troops with a lot of tin bayoDets which
doubled up like a stage sword instead of
going into the enemy as they should have
done When the festive Ashantee discovered
this he was filed with joy, and his clumsy
but deftly welded spear made great havoc
among the red-coais. Ali that they could
do. after the fraudulent nature OF the bay
onets had been discovered, was TO club the
savage on the head with the other end of
the rife. and as the heathen wore much
bushy hair and had skull like medieval
helmet, that method was not a very good
one for the Briton. And a regiment or so
wa. almost wiped out before anything could
be done about it.
Then they sent for steel bayonets, made
reclamation on the Ashantee and. at their
leisure. sent q report TO the authorities in
England. The result was an investigation,
in which the contractors who furnished the
tin bayonets suffered severely. They were
sentenced TO twenty years penal servitude
That stopped the tin-bayonet business in
The British army.
When the American army was sent to
Cuba a great deal was said about the i'm
portance of keeping the men in good condi-
tion in that tropical climate. The dan
gers OF sending Northern troops into the
tropics at that time of year were fully rec
ogniZed, and II was generally understood
that unless the men were provided with
all proper means for preserving their
resulting from indigestion of one sort or
another would carry of more soldiers than
the bullets OF the entire Spanish army
would be able TO account for. In view Of
all this, the commissary and hospital SER
vices were placed in charge of men incom-
petent for their duties, and spoiled and
poisoned beef was given out as rations,
while doctors were sent 10 Santiago de
Cuba, in the midst of campaign. without
their medicine chests, without ambulances,
without sufficient number of nurses All
these things are proved by the testimony of
numberless witnesses, including army Off
GERS. and, in the case of the beef the
Commanding General of the Army gives
testimony confirming the story told by pri-
yate soldiers. commissioned and non-com-
missioned officers, and surgeons. More men
probably lost their lives from inadequate
hospital service than were killed in the
Ashanti episode above referred 10. The
disease caused by starvation and improper
food was simply fearful in its ravages.
What is done about all this, when the
news is laid before the Government?
The General of the Army is discredited in
every way possible; the man whose duty it
was TO see that the soldiers were properly
fed is retired for six years on full pay.
by the direct interposition of the President,
and the man who is responsible for the
actions of Esgan and others like him is
allowed TO occupy his position as head of
the War Department, against the Judgment
Of the entire country expressed in every
way in which the people can make their
opinion known. And this is a country which
is governed by the people, while England
is an effete monarchy