The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-02
Reckless SANDERS Refuted.

Reckless SANDERS Refuted.
In their anxiety to procure partisan
capital to use against the administra-
ton. some of the more disreputable ot
the yellow journals have had correspon-
dents engaged in picking up the loose
and irresponsible gossip or the low cafes
of Havana, and upon this gossip OF
probably the most untrufhful people on
earth have manufactured against the
army officers in Cuba, charges Of mall
feasance of every description Brig.
Gen. Ludlow. in command of the mill
tary department of Havana, has finally
felt compelled to come to the defense
of the army against these irresponsible
and reckless ISLANDERS. and in the cur
rent number Of the Army and Navy
Register he explodes some of them
which have obtained the widest public
ity. Gen. Ludlow. in opening his COM
munication. says:
at is above all things deplorable that
officers who have expended their best
energies, have risked their lives and have
employed their best energy and faculty
in behalf OF the administration OF Cuban
affairs by the American government,
should, having achieved most brilliant re-
suits. be maliciously slandered and
maligned by the irresponsible CATERERS
of local gossip. where. with reference 10
public and even private matters. the com
mon atmosphere is one OF lies and mali
cious inventions.
THE army represents no political Gle
ment. and has no constituency in politi-
cal sense. for which reason army officers
are practically unprotected against as
sailants OF this nature, and can only en-
dure, trusting to their past records and
TO the slower Judgment of the Intelligent
public of the absurdity OF the criminal
allegations made against them"
He follows with a number of official
reports TO the war department, cover
Ing the cases upon which peculiarly
false and unwarrantable charges had
been given to the public through reck-
less correspondents. One of these was
that Surgeon Maj. Davis. sanitary Of
ficer Of Havana. had accepted a bride
10 refrain from the destruction OF GER
tain stables. which were a menace to
the public health. In this particular
instance. 1t appears that Gen. Ludlow
himself had overruled the sanitary
officer, and had saved the stables from
destruction despite the protest OF Maj
Davis. on condition that certain changes
be made IN the manner OF their conduct
Specific and complete testimony was in
troduced showing that there was not
the slightest foundation FOR this charge.
which by the way was made in the
press nine months after the whole mat
ter bad been investigated. when the
fun official rsfutation Of II was Of record.
and Tong after Mai Davis departure
from Havana to take up the work OF
improving the sanitary conditions o,
Manila. Speaking 81 the charges
against Surgeon Maj. Davis and other
officers 81 the army. and OF the work
which they have accomplished. Gen.
Ludlow says.
''rhN streets ard cafes % Havana ara
chruuitaiiy rifa with thH stlest caastu on
the part % those. native and imported.
vlth personal ar other grievances against.
Americans and each othFr, and shls oral
garbage has been gathered up ana spr,5l
broal,a~, through a., American pr,-s an
the form ~ irresponsible ari.eationa -
gross dishonesty ON the part Of the officers
- iFe army "ho have established their
h""'Tf oI" r"''f'iS in mo serVic" ana wore
entrusted Win ih' Fr'Ves' administrative
"Hfl"" aNa rF@@'ur.oiitlF7 in cuba
HTFf 'ih.ef2 have enSaEod si1oe jan
N*tN N.@. in ariuous lahora % 'he IT.
most Importance. tho prosecution ~ which