The Washington times., 1908-08-15
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 1908.
Uncle Sane viii Study Haiti
To Be Prepared for hUaston
Experts Will Locate Camping Places Suitable for Troops
and Sources of Good Water Supply-Island One
of Richest in Tropical Regions

giving much thought to Santo Domingo.
II develops that they are more concern
ed about the west end OF the island,
or Haiti. than about Santo Domingo;
but It is easy to use the black republic
as a basis. Anyhow. the officers Of
medical ana sanitary authority have
been arranging to have experts look
over Haiti, and ascertain just how II
would be safe to handle troops there
These officers, whose identity is not
known, and who il is understood have
not yet left for the island. are espe-
cially 10 look into such matters as good
camp sites. plateaus where It would be
possible and safe TO encamp consider
able bodies or men. with assurance that
they would DO free from malaria and
typhus water supplies with reference
not only to locating streams, springs,
etc, which could be safely used, but
also those which for sanitary reasons
must be avoided; inlets and streams
where landing Of troops could be mAues
locations 10 which cable terminals could
be brought in case Of necessity, with
assurance that tney would be DoJh
defensible and habitablei and, in gen
eral. all the physical problems involved
in the invasion of a country under
modern conditions.
Going Slow With Inquiry.
The war college people have been
looking into this question for some
time. They have had little to say about
it, because there has been no pressing
necessity for Immediate action. Oncers
who have admitted that this general
scheme of the military sanitary survey
is afoot, have also insisted that they
have no serious belief that il IS coTsid-
cred pressing. Indeed, there have oeen
postpone m snts and changes Of plans,
and cOn,es siOus to the personal feelings
of officeIs IN connection with the plans
which make il certain that no pressing
military eNigency is forcing hurried
consideration Of these problems.
But none the less, Uncle sam Is look
ing into these matters and is getting
ready to inform himself fully how mill
igsTy operations could most safely be
conducted in this island. This KIND OF
inquiry is never conducted with brass
band and a proclamation The method
VIII be TO send a few OfhCergs prefer
ably experts in sanitation, water sup
plies, tTOpic fevers, etc, tc 90 through
the country in a quiet aud undemon-
StratiVe way and make notes OF COndl-
tons. These notes wOu,d indicate a
good deal about elevations roads, VIII
lagos. and towns. and general military
conditions but their prime purpose
would relate 10 the management OF the
health conditions surround 1g an eX-
peditionaTy military force
It is explained that an expedition TO
TINS lSlanQ might De ndndieI through a
base at Guantanamo, Cuba, where the
American cable touches, or through one
at Cape Haitien where the French
cable has its landing. This question of
communication is not SO serious as Il
used TO be in that region; there are rev
eTal cables and any one Of them can
easily be cOmmandeered and 4 new
terminal arranged at a point convent
ent for military purposes. The Amer
lean forces for instance captured the
Cuban end of the Guantanamo cable
during the Spanish-American war and
turned into Siboney with IL, thus estab-
fishing direct and safe communication
with the Washington Government