Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-11-07
Cen. SKATER is SEVERE
Critioises the Treatment of Sick
Soldiers.
OFFICIALS CENSURED.
a Board of Inquiry Found the Sick
Men In a Dep1crable
Condition.

Saa Francisco, Cal, Nov. 4.-Gen.
Shafter has forwarded to Washington
what is declared to be a sensational re-
port en- the methods employed by officers
Ia charge of the sick soldiers who re
turned from the Philippines on the trans
ports Tartar and Newport October 10.
The document consists of 100 typewrit
ten pages and Gen Shafter is quite Sc
we're In his comments.
Upon Maj. Rafter, the surgeon of the
Twentieth Kansas volunteers, who came
back on the Tartar. the heaviest censure
Is laid. COL Metcalfe Of the same regi-
meat. who commanded the troopship,
Gen. Funston being only passenger, is
Indirectly referred to.
Many either officers are given Il hard
measure CT criticism but their names
are being withheld until the war depart
Rlent sees tit to make known the details
Of the report.
The board of inquiry which has SO Sc
Ferely arralgned the transport service
was appointed by Gen. Shafter two
weeks ago at the suggestion of Col. Al
fred {. Girard. chief surgeon III the gen
eral hospital at the Preside. Col. Cir
ards desire for an investigation was oc-
casioned by the deplorable condition III
which he found the sick men from the
transports Tartar and Newport. There
We're suffering from dysentery.
Three men who came on these trans
ports died Il few days after arrival. They
were John Fabisak and John A. Logan
Of the Fourth cavalry and George W.
Mills OF the Twentieth Kansas.
Dne TO Overcrowdine.
Topeka, kas.. Nov. 4.-In reference to
the charges of the ill-treatment of SOL
diers returning home on transports Tar
4.,~ Nav rr11
ciated press dispatch from San Fran
cisco. Maj. Rafter, surgeon general of
the Twentieth Kansas, telephones the
following from his home at Holton, Has:
The troops on board the Tartar We're
given every attention possible with the
facilities We had for taking care of them.
The ship was greatly overcrowded. With
no hospital room for the sick.
The carrying capacity of the ship was
151 and there were 400 passengers on
board. There We're places i'll the hospital
for tWenty-four sick men only and We
had about 200 sick on board. The bunk
facilities were not nearly sufficient and
part Of the men had to sleep on the decks
while the sick had to sleep in their quar-
ters below. They had every attention
and every care that could be given
them
Iusurrectisn Soon to End.
Washington, d. c.. Nov. 4.-Edward
Z. Andre, the Belgian consul to Manila
is in Washington on a short visit. and
being fresh from the Philippines is in
position TO speak with some authority
Ell the conditions existing in the archi-
pelago. When approached today 0p this
subject Mr.. Andre declared that in his
opinion the hostilities in the Philippines
would already be at an end but for the
intervention of the rainy season, which
enabled the natives TO continue fighting
under conditions favorable only to them
selves
The fighting qualities of the E'ilipinos.
he said, could never be claimed to be OH
= par with those Of the Americans Their
method is to harass the enemy from the
cover of dense woods or swamps, where
they can run and hide If hard pressed.
Ten thousand Filipinos would not stand
III the open against a regiment Of Amer
leans.
San Francisco, Cal. Nov. 4.-The
transports Leelanaw and Conemaugh
have sailed for Manila with horses for
the United States troops in the Philip
pines.