New-York tribune., 1899-07-13
DEALING WITH FEVER.

T. uos M doubt the merest chance coincl'
dence TINT yellow fever broke out N santiago
do Cubo while General Wood was absent from
TINT nloce The disease would probably nave
made lie appcarancc Just the same II he had not
como n the United States but had remained AZ
his post there night and day. In any case there
can no no thought Of laying upon him the slight
est blame. nor of blaming his lieutenants VINO
.o-o IN charge during his absence. He and they
did their best 10 avert the scourge They dld'
considering the conditions Of the place the lin
tied means at their command and the shortness
of the time, more than might naturally nave pee"
expected OF them. When we consider that San
tiago de Cuba Is one Of the hottest ana least sa'
,nbrious places on the whole island that under
Spanish rule It's sanitary arrangements WERE
neglected even more than those OF other ,uo"n
cities. that II has been for many years the raVor
tie hotbed of yellow fever. surprising havana
by far in that odious pre-eminence' ana 'ii''' !"
suffered most Of all Cuban cities from the raN-
ages Of war. 1t is evident that the total eA'iIPa
tion of the fever in the first season OF american
occupation was too much TO expect. ne Iac'
that there has not been a widespread ana deV-
astotng epidemic reflects the hlghest creui'
upon General Wood and his supordinates
Rut ,he feature of the case which most ap-
neals 10 present consideration is the way III
which General Wood meets the emergency. ne
gets back TO Santiago dc Cuba to ma the Ie'eI
tbcre. Compared with the usual outbreak" o'
forme- wears. il is n mere trife. That fact does
uot govern his conduct. He does not say llShu! :
What of itr We still hold the city, don We
Rut in his view one single case OF the disease -
one too much. And SO he fngs himself lh'o tue
task of stamping out the fever Win all 'i'e enei
cy and the resourcefulness he showed wheh he
was confronted by the whole Spanish army OIL
the field Of battle. 4 year ago military con.
quest was the duty of the hour aud he devoted
himself 10 its fulflment with splendid gallahu!
md effectiveness To-day sanitary conquest -
the equally pressing duty, and to It's perform
ance he gives himself with equal zeal. Let us
hone il will prove to be with equal enect
His "heroc measures for the stamping out OF
tbe fever are commendable, not only in their
immediate and specific application, but IN n far
wider and more general sense. He Is showing
how fever should be dealt with AT Santiago de
Cuho He is also showing how 1t should be
dealt with wherever il makes it's appearance on
that island or elsewhere. And he is doing more
than that He is setting n fine example OF the
vev in which we must deal, and of the only ef-
fectiye WAY in which we can deal, not only with
fever. but with all the problems and burdens
and difficulties arising out Of the war II IS one
thing 10 charge up San Juan Hill or to smash
Cerveras fleet. but it is far different. ana
neither less arduous nor less important thlng
to eradicate yellow fever from the Sums oi san
tjago dc Cuba. 1t was one thing to rush past
Correcidor and destroy Montojo's fleet at Cayie
and it was a splendid thing; and II was easy 10
rouse the whole Nation in admiration and sup
port Of IT, 1t is now going to be-wnateVer II
might otherwise have becn-a very dlHeren'
thing. and neither an easy nor welcome tash'
TO snbGue revolt. win confidence and dispense
civilization throughout the Philippines; but IL Is
a task that must be done, and il would be an
everlasting discredit TO the Nation not to sup
mort the doing Of it with a loyalty commensu-
rate with the exultaton that was expressed
over the doing of Admiral Dewey's first great
work in Manila Bay.