The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-20
FUNNY CONTRADICTIONS.


unique among public documents for its sin
gular contradictions and Inconsistencies
The reader is not surprised at finding In
the early part OF the report the statement.
The sudden emergency which called our
people to arms after an interval of half
century of peace with all foreign powers
was met by the war department with earn
estness and energy, The situation found
the country unprepared with any large
stock of arms. ammunition, clothing, sup
plies and equipments. That they were duly
provided and that the numerous demands
on the industries of our people were met
so promptly will remain one of the marvels
of history
This is certainly as high n tribute as
could be paid to our war department, but
having read It, the reader can hardly avoid
being startled when little further on in
the report he finds this
In the judgment OF the commission there
was lacking in the general administration
OF the war department during the continu
anco OF the war with Spain that complete
grasp of the situation which was essential
to the highest efficiency and discipline of
the army.
1t is indeed remarkable that marvel of
history should have been accomplished by
a department in which there was lacking
n complete grasp of the situation not
only at first but during the continuance
Of the war with Spain" This inconss-
tency is repeated in the case of the quar-
termasters department, which, we are in-
formed, was hampered by lack of funds,
but,
So soon as funds were available, so soon
as war was inevitable. so soon as law per-
mitted the quartermasters department un-
dertook this enormous work. That the
quartermaster general threw the energy of
his department iuto this work when funds
were available seems evident. and that his
officers lahored faithfully in their efforts To
aid him Is plain to those who have care
fully studied their work.
Having made this statement Of the tre-
mendous efforts of tho department when
funds were available and all other embal-
RAISING circumstances were removed, the
commission proceeds to recount the failure
Of its work II says
In spite of every effort there were occa-
sions where troops suffered from poor tent
uge or from lack of ten;age and absence
&c straw holdings. where clothing was
scarce and troops suffered discount ~ from
lack " shoes, shirts and other articles of
apparel. This was noticed even as late as
Oo- Der In the camps mt Admission. Hunts
vile and Lexington, while at Huntsville,
Ala, and Fort Monroe, Va, In spite of cool
nlghts, there was a lack of stoves in the
/ hospitals, and at Huntsville the supply of
wood was short. With some of the troops
sent from San Francisco to Manila the de-
ficiency of shoes of proper size continued
even up to August 81.
All this was after funds were available
and the department had full swing. The
committee further mentions the great com
| plants Il inability to get supplies at va
iicus important points, and clearly on the
quarermasters department, II says that NJ
Tampa It was impossible 10 locate supplies
because the bills of lading were not for
| warded, but this was corrected later. New
! ortheIess,
The condition of the railroad congestion
| during the early portion II the time Tampa
was occupied 10y troops seems unparalleled,
showing an almost ineXcusable lack of eN-
ceutire ability on the part of those charged
| with the loading, unloading and handling
Of the trains.
! And similarly the trouble arooe else
where from carelessness in shipping and
supplies:
Congestion also occurred at Chicka-
| manga Park, probably with not so serious
results as ut Tampa, but complaint was
| made that materials of different clas,es.
| belonging 20 different departments, We're
| frequently packed IN the same car. render
| Ing II necessary to remove large packages
| of quartermasters or commissary stores
! In order 10 obtain the smaller packages OF
medicines and medical supplies.
| A notable instance of this, and another
palpable contradiction, occurs in regard to
Santiago The commission says:
A..
appears to have been caused rather from
| lack of transportation from the coast than
| from lack of clothing and tentage. sup
ply OF which was on the transports.
| But that was only small part OF the
| complaint at Santiago. There was no lack
of clothing but Of light clothing, and the
| great complaint was lack of food and
medical supplies. A little farther on the
commission says:
The delay in some instances In securing
supplies at Santiago seems to have been
| partisiially due to carelessness In leading
! them on the transports. This Is shown In
| the case OF the steamship lie Grande
Duchess, which left Charleson, S. c., July
4, 20. upon unloading the vessel at Ponce on
| July IS. large supply OF medical stores
we're found upon her destined for General
| Skaters army at Santiago Tho vessel
was ordered TO Santiago July 81,
| as TO food supplies. the commission
says;
| SO far as we have been able to ascer-
| tain, there was but one occasion. that OF
day in front OF Santiago, when the
troops were seriously short of rations;
these had been supplied, but thrown aside
when the men Went into action: the con-
dtion of roads and lack of TRANSPORTATION
prevented prompt reissue. At times the
vegetable ration was not OF good quality,
the potatoes and onions being spoiled
Condemned by the board of survey. such
vegetables We're destroyed and an eauivR-
lent part OF the ration issued.
Tho question naturally arises why The
Jealous and faithful quartermaster's de-
partment loaded medical supplies ON the
wrong ships and supplied the army with
spoiled potatoes and onions They ought
10 keep anywhere for reasonable length
of time II in good condition when shipped
4 still more remarkable contradiction Is
made in trying TO make point against
Or. DAILY Tho report says as to the action
Of Or. Daily on discovering or first sas-