The National tribune., 1902-04-03

1hO lhEN tOOl-D SCAhJEL1 1bI lNIO i
substituting others, the requisition was
finally filed with the result that we sailed
for the tropics with an assortment of
clothing, much of which had originally
been purchased for use in Alaska, includ
ing heavy wOolen socks and underwear.
At Honolulu, by order of Gen. Ander
son, quantity of light underwear was
purchased, under the emergency clause of
the regulations, and it was months, and
only after much correspondence, before the
Department finally approved this action.
/ personally saw an Endorsement on
these papers, placed there by the Quar-
termaster in San Francisco, in which he
took occasion TO give expression to his
contempt for volunteers, by saying that
this was another evidence Of the incom-
petence of volunteer officers, and that these
supplies should have been procured in San
Francisco before the expedition sailed.
The effort our Quartermaster made to pro.
cure them and the reason for his failure
have been stated. The truth of the mat
ter is that the Quartermasters Depart
ment had made no preparation whatever
for this Manila expedition, though month
had expired since it was known that
troops were TO be sent to Dewey's aid,
and that no intelligent thought had been
given to the kind of clothing that would
be required, or any effort made to procure
it. In fact, through long years of peace,
the Department had worn a deep rut, out
of which it was impossible for the old
officials who had been running in it so long
| to climb, that the responsible officers knew
very little about the real details of their
Departments, which were left almost en-
tirey in the hands of clerks.
These clerks followed the regular rOu-
tine and bothered not their heads about
war. No wonder there was no adequate
preparation for properly equipping this
| first expedition, and that volunteer officers
who tried to get what they thought was
necessary were snubbed by Department
officials and made TO take the regular
| allowance" or nothing.
The COmmissary Of the regiment had
much the same experience. No change in
/ the regular ration was made because the
! troops were going into the tropics. Not a
pound of fruit, either canned or dried, was
put on board the transport for use during
the voyage, though in the hold was a sup
ply of canned fruit for the sales depart
ment, which could not be reached on the
voyage. Nor was any provision made on
the Australia for baking bread. The cook
ing facilities We're utterly inadequate for
the number Of men to be fed.
| The Australia had come down from
Alaska but Il few days before, and had
been hastily fitted up with rough wooden
hunks in the hold for the men TO sleep
upon, and one Of IKE bathrooms had been
fitted up as cooks galley. This room
had two steamers in it, whose combined
capacity was not enough for a single meal,
and coffee-boIer holding but 80 gallons,
while 80 gallons was the allowance for a
meal. Two men could scarcely get into
the cooks galley at the same time. The
protest Of our COmmiSSary that these
cooking facilities were utterly inadequate,
and his suggestions as to what should be
done to improve them, met with the usual
m
no experience, and the Department would
attend to the matter. The fact was that
this officer had fed brigade encampments
and knew something about the require
ments for cooking for a large number of
men practically, doubtless much more
than did the Depot COmmissary at San
Francisco. The result was that nothing
was done and the men went hungry all
, the voyage, in spite of our utmost exer
tons TO feed them properly.
=. We went on board the transport Just
at dark, after standing on the docks nearly
. all day, and ii was quite a time before
evening coffee was issued. Here was &
demonstration of the real ignorance Of vol
= unteer officers, the want of familiarity
with army regulations, want that should
be supplied by schools of instruction il
, the National Guard. It was nObOdy'S
duty to feed the men. 1t was obviously
impossible to have company mcsses anC
I cooking, ana no provision had been made
for any other. The Regimental Commits
sary is not responsible for cooking the ra
ton. His duties end when he issues IA
tiOns to company commanders. We who
occupied these positions had taken it fol
: granted that arrangements had been mad,
y for feeding the men on board ship. Tive
sea cooks had been hired by the owner,
Of the ship, but there was nobody TO Civ,
them orders or anything for them TO cook
! We went to bed that night after a supper
: of bareback and coffee.
GET MYSELF INTO AN UNPLEASANT
= BUSINESS.
+ The next day about half the men wer'
q seasick, including the Commissary, ant
: the other half were fed after a fashioI
! by the Commissary- Sergeant. Things wer,
3 in bad shape. Several of the Captain!
: consulted together to see what could b,