New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-14

avoIdably broken That any should have survived
only shows the excellent condition Of the command
now sick should cause no surprise The stomach
ures the men have undergone have produced
fever from which few have escaped All weak
and in no condition either for marching or fighting
The crying needs are for proper shelter from sun
and rains. and proper food"
The report quotes Colonel Pope, the chief sur.
geon of the Fifth Corps, to show the impossible
ity of providing boiled water for the men and
the extreme difficulties attending the cooking Of
food from lack of utensils and fuel, and after
showing the rapidity of increase in the sick list
in General Kents division until it exceeded IS
per cent of the command presents General SHAFT
ter's appeal Of August TO have the army trans
ported Immediately to the United States. more
or less yellow fever in almost every regiment"
having appeared, and lat least 20 per cent OF
the men having had malaral fever and all so
much weakened by exposure and hardships"
that they were capable of very little exertion.
CAUSES OF DISEASE.
In the courts opinion, these facts sufficiently
indicate the causes OF disease. as follows:
The principal of these were exposure to extreme
alterations of daily temperature. 10 ineessant
downpours Of rain and 10 the malarai influences
and Of Cuba at the unheathest season of the year.
Lack OF shelter from sun and rain Irregular made
eotbns s1 due to want Of transportation also en-.
tered as contributory causes OF the sudden ana
counts agree as having taken place between July
5 and TO- after the command had been subjected
10 the digging and manning CT trenches. the MAIN
tenance of an outpost service and the conduct OF
That the sickness was due particular articles Of
the ration rather than TO the character and compo-
bty to existing conditions is not clear This is
shown by the fact that although there was very
-lxol In he
ration issued to and used by the different com
mands in the Army the sick rate was o very yo mDsa
which subsIsted largely upon bacon and USED 10
canned beef and but little refrgerated oeet ,. s
which used the canned fresh meat and receives
also therefore To- the testimony adduced
TO the causes which are admitted to nave y.
eating Of tropical fruits. the use OF unboied and
unftered water. maaria poisoning, the exposure
to daily rains and the @ durna r, nss
IL impossible TO conclude that either the canned
fresh beef or refrigerated beef appeared 20 an sV
probable extent causes OF intestinal disease
RArIONs UNFIT FOR THE TROPICS
As to the effects of the food supply, having re-
gard to both suficiency and quality. IT seems 70
be clearly established that the Army ration az
supplIed without modification. to the troops serv-
ing In the West Indies was by no means Wen
adapted to in a tropical climate II this w
true the unftness OF the ration should have mann
Tested itself by It's failure TO keep the troops VINO
suhsised upon II In the best possible condition 10.
service in hot climates. This. In the opinion Oh
the court Is fully established In evidence Ihs
| insuficiency OF the food supply in Cuba ana inc
! irregularity attending It's distribution que "a
mary to marked deficiency IN her and the
roads has already been remarked upon. ~ raj
only necessary to say that oon oI nes among the
troops who thus insufiicently and Irregular"
| subsisted. - -, 81, ,ha suh,ac, n %
nroner 10 observe that the history OF two centuss
teaches the lesson that troops nvcd IN ire
tropics only at great risk Of loss from diseases I
cden to the ioea cysr and on II sent in the sc
season the risk is augmented and the death r nv
becomes alarming S III, the EnesS expeditions
the West Indies In the last century anu t besn re-
dertaken IN India china ana a' ri santo Domingo
Nexico Cochin China and Madagascar In G sesass
n sxceeded q per cent OF the effective streng,n
OF the forces under his command In sins, s ~.
xce one thousand strong and which was not en- en-
! gagged In battle. but four hundred re'u'heu -
| State for muster-out
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES.
During certain period subsequent to the caplu.s
| Of the city OF Mexico American soldiers dyink "
| disease were buried at the rate OF one thousaho
month. three thousand were buried at the Cas''e
| q, pero,e and the total loss by disease alone pa
| been estimated as ten thousand In July tfl,
Ergl,sh force OF FIVE thousand men under AahS'. 20
Vernon landed at Guantanamo and attemp,evv iN
aSyance In the direction or Santiago. Win 4 was
s az IT, canture The resistance encountered sr.
stubborn. but might eventually have been sennaustion
come Not so. however. the fatigue, enndfrcnn
and disease which the troops were expons Whence OF
the moment OF their landing In con seasd Isay.
,ra over two thousand English dead In the yf.ssd
OF Guantanamo. The experience OF df 'onpserstiona
ord under the same adverse climatic consu,,ssr.
forms exception to the inevitable r ,he price Of
The Invasion In human life II II was the RSSpcr,ng
will that the wrongs suffered Sy nsessssTy 70
n,ople were so grievous to make " me- ~ the
employ a portion OF the military forceIs a. sxpe-
United States In obtaining their reotess
Renee of this campaign will be sure 70 80 hes
| what expense Of life and health The wsees