New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-29
Clothing Would Have Saved
Many in Camps, Says General
Commander at Camp Bowie Declares Mortality
Rate Reached Sixteen Day-Lack Of Ordnance
Hampers Camp Doniphan Wright Asserts

we're fully equipped. General Wright
said. its training could he completed IN
two or three months. Despite the pay
onet shortage. bayonet training, Cen
cral Wright said. had been excellent.
General Wright was followed ny
General Greble, commanding camp
Bowie. Texas. where 10000 men ana
officers are stationed.
Shortages at Bowie
Shortages in equipment at Camp
Bowie on December % were given by
the witness as follows: Rifles, o9 per
cent; bayonets, go per cent; pistols
S6 pcr cent; cartridge belts % per
cent. automatic rifles, ~ per cent
thrce-inch guns. IS per cent; artillery
harness. % per cent. The command
has no machine guns, trench mortars,
limo greuades. six-inch howitzers ana
one-inch cannon.
"Wc had some wooden guns sent
down By the Ordnance Department
said General Greblc. But you want
20 teach men to xiii the other man
and YOU can't DO it with a wooden
rife"
General Greble said he had no as
surance when he would get machine
guns With full equipment, he said,
he would want 20 train his men four
months more before taxing them
abroad. He said he would rather have
Lewis machine guns than none at all
20 train with, adding that he had
never heard any complaints agains'
the Lewis gun.
Camp Bowie is not now short OF
overcoats. General Greble said, but all
men were not equipped until Deem
Der %, after a cold spell had set IN.
Motor Trucks Lacking
Out OF 1888 transport pieces needed.
General Greble said he had only 1863.
including 500 wagons and one motor
car. no bicycles. motorcycles, motor
trucks and many similar vehicles have
been received. Some Of the blankets
received were rathr fimsy, probably
bought in an emergency. Regarding
health conditions. General Greble said
the camp had unfortunately had n
high sick rate. For a time we had
abou. sixteen deaths a day he said.
Measles and pneumonia were the
principal causes" In November, 5000
mcr. or one-third of his command.
passed through the hospital, which was
built to accommodate 500 men.
At one time there were 1900 men
in il. and st that time the sewerage
system had not been completed. That
made their care very inadequate, and
the hospital personnel was not suiii-
cient." Health conditions since. Cen
erai Greble said, have improved. only
so being reported i'll December %.
General Greble said early in Sep
TENDER he wrote Surgeon General
.Gorgas. Quartermaster General Sharpe.
General Littel and the chief of staff
that sanitary conditions ought to be
remedied.
Did you get any results asked
Senator Chamberlain.
FINALLY. yes; but not until after
there was much sickness in camp"
General Greble preferred not TO have
his letter TO General Sharpe, a private
letter. put into the record. but the COM
mittee insisted. The letter complained
OF orders 10 put twelve men in a tent
and expressed fear that sickness would
result.
Due To OyercrOwding
But We had the orders to put
twelve men in tent" General Gre
bic said They were so thick you
couldn't walk between them. General
Goreas reported the exact conditions
to the country. The sickness was due
10 sanitary conditions and overcrowd-
ing"
Additional tents were sent to Camp
Bowie, but not until after disease
broke out. "Then | put five men in a
tent" said General Greble.
Gould the epidemic of disease have
been prevented if there had been sup
plies of clothing and proper sewer
age ." asked Senator Weeks.
at might not have been prevented,
but it would have saved good many
of those lives" the general said.
you have it pretty well controlled
now ?" asked Senator Chamberlain.
"Yes: Il think So"
The reason given by the War De
partment. General Greble said. FOR
failure TO deliver motor truck IS that
the department desires 10 delay until
a standard truck is evolved.