Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-08
HEALTH on oTls, ARMY
Better Than That of British Troops In
India--A Fine Showing.


The official reports Of the casualties
of the American army in the Philip
pines are the best possible proof OF
the good generalship of General Otis,
at least in one exceedingly important
respect. gr
Good generalship is quite as severely
tested in guarding the health of the
troops as in winning battles There has
been a Democratic fusillade against
Otis because he has not accomplished
more and because he has forbidden
newspaper correspondents to send
matter relating to the military opera
tions without it passing through the
hands of censor One of these ac-
complished critics wrote from London,
England, under a pretense of having
been to MaLilla and his criticism had
all the earmarks of an artistic fake.
But whatever grievances the newspa-
per correspondents may have against
Otis, the plain figures sustain him to a
remarkable rdegree.
In an army which has varied in
number from $4,000 to 10000, there
has been total loss of but Al officers
and 6S4 men. This includes those
killed in battle and dying of wounds as
well as deaths from disease Eleven
officers and 1863 men-a total of $780,
have died of disease ina period of many
months. 1t is doubtful If an army
from any temperate climate ever enter
ed the tropics and conducted an active
campaign with as good a showing. In
fact, 1t may well be doubted If any
tropical campaign has ever been
fought by unacclimated troops from
temperate cline where the percent
age of loss from disease was not least
double that which has been sustained
by the forces under General Otis.
Assuming that General Otis has
averaged $4,000 men under his COM
mand for six months, which is very
conservative, the death rate from dis
ease has been but 80 to the 1000 per
year. Compare this with the exper-
ience Of Europeans in other tropical
climates and 1t demonstrates the su-
periority of the American soldier and
the good control which Otis has main
tanned over his men.
In the earlier days of British occu-
patton of India the loss from disease
ran as high as 80 to the 1000, and II
Cochin China it reached the tremen.
dous rate of 115 to the 1000 in 1861
In 1888, the last year for which WI
have been able to secure figures on the
British army in India, the average fol
a much larger force than Otis has haC
was so to the 1000. In Senegal toda!
the loss from disease among the troop
averages 73 to the 1000.
Yet these figures are for troop!
who have rarely been called into actor
and who were not compelled to under
go the excessive fatigue and exhaus
ton that is entailed in making an ac
tive campaign, such as the army un
der Otis has been called upon to carr.
on almost continuously for rhe last 81,
months. When due allowance is mad
for this fact, 1t may we'll be doubted
as we have said, whether any othe
army ever made a vigorous campaigi
in the tropics without suffering a deaf
rfate from disease that was double tina
of the American tropps in the Philip
pines
When it is considered that both Oti
and his subordinate officers were with
out experience In tropical campaign
ing, it high tribute to the disclplin
and character of the American troop
and the generalship of Otis that he ha
been able to conduct active warfar
with death rate from disease 40 pc
cent lower than attends the experI
enced British troops in India, who's
officers have spent years studyin
tropical conditions, and whose servic
is light and easy compared with ths
which Otis army has seen.
These facts deserve some carefl
consideration from the anti-expansior
lists who are just now so learnedl
discussing whether or not the whit
race can live in the tropics. An ounC
of such experience as Otis has give
us ir worth many pounds of theI
academic fol-de-rol.--Ohio State Joul
= nal. .,,,,y,ie
DemOcratIe IdeaIa ~ .Il