The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-08-23
HEALTH OF OTIS ARMY


"'"0' Ahhh Ahat OF british Troops In
IndiR-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.
Good generalship is quite as severely
tested in guarding the health of the
troops as in winning battles. There has
been 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
lions without 1t passing through the
hands OF a censor One of these ac-
complished critics wrote from London.
England, under pretense Of having
been to Manila 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 az
well as deaths from disease. Eleven
officers and 1863 men-a total Of 380--
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 Del
year. Compare this with the exper.
ience of Europeans in other tropicaI
climates and 1t demonstrates the su-
periority of the American soldier and
the good control which Otis has main.
tained over his men.
In the earlier days Of British occu.
patton Of India the loss from disease
ran as high as so to the 1000, and IL
Cochin China 1t reached the tremen
dous rate Of lis to the 1000 In 1864
In 1888, the last year for which W,
have been able to secure figures on thI
British army In India, the average fol
a much larger force than Otis has haC
was so to the 1000. In Senegal TO-DAY
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
tion that is entailed in making an &C
tive campaign, such as the army un
der Otis has been called upon to carr,
on almost continuously for the last 81.
months. When due allowance is mad
for this fact, 1t may well be doubted
as we have said, whether any othe
army ever made vigorous campaign
In the tropics without suffering dealt
rfate from disease that was double tina
of the American tropps in the Philip
pines.
When 1t is considered that both Oti
and his subordinate officers were with
out experience in tropical campaign
ing, 1t high tribute to the disciplin
and character of the American troop
and the generalship Of Otis that he ha
been able to conduct active warfar
with a death rate from disease 40 pc
cent lower than attends the expert
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 carefr
consideration from the anti-expansior
lists who are just now 80 learned
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 thel
academic fol-de-rol.-0hio State Joul
nal.
Kodol Dyspepsia Cure cures dyspel
: sia' because its ingredients are sue
that it can't help doing so. "The pul
lie can rely upon it as master remed
for all disorders arising from an impe
feet digestion. James M. Thoma