Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-30
HooSENEIT'S DIARY.


American war diary. containing en-
tries which he made while in the field
with his Rough Riders. has been pre-
scented by his widow to the Roosevelt
Memorial Association. Newspaper
correspondents yesterday were per
nlttod 60 read the diary in its en-
sircty. and. to their surprise. found
thai Roosevelt had criticized severely
the War Department Of Spanish
American war days more than once.
when one remembers that in the
late war more than two million men
were transported across the subma-
rsncainfcstcd Atlantic Ocean. with
scarcely no loss Of life and with the
utmost efficiency. one is appalled, to
know that the Republican War De-
partment could not transport Roose-
velts one lone regiment the short
distance 70 Cuba without terrible mis-
management.
Here are some OF the entries, which
wil forever cast a blot upon the party
of Mark Hanna. which by rotten mis-
management caused the needless
deaths q thousands OF American lads
May Z. The delays and stupidity OF
the Ordnance Department surpass be-
lief. Tho QuartermaSter's Depart
nacnt h better. but bad. The Commits
sary Department is good There is
no management whatsoever in the
War Department, Against a good
nation we should be helpless" VIII
liam Mckinley was President then
and Navy. II is astounding 10 know
that he permitted such situation
g. arise that the man who was Presi-
dent next could write. There is nc
management Whatsoever in the waI
Department" fnsomuch as Theodore
Roosevelt did not lie one must be-
llovc that his words are as true as
those in the Holy Bible But let u,
read on:
May 80. Railway system tends 4
break down. Interminahle delays. n,
proper facilities for unloading horses
to rest. water. feed. Sc" American
officers who were in charge Of trooI
trains during the World War can ties
tigy 70 the efficient manner in which
those trains were handled. But o
course the trains then were under
Government control. IL was other
wise IN Roosevelt's days. But ever
81. why did not the Republican Sec
rctary of War see 10 il that the trool
trains were cared for properly?
June 3. Reached Tampa in morn
ms. Railway system in widest con
fusion. II took us twelve hours t
set into camp with our baggage.
Wen say that was slow time for
mere regiment to make. Why
complete division would embark fror
trains and then tramp u miles I
camp In less than u hours in the lat
war. Sometimes al Brest 10000 me
would disembark in the morning fror
transports. and be safely ensconce
under tents at Camp Pontenasium be
fore the bugles sounded Come an
get IT. at noon. But during the lat
war 1t was a Democratic Presiden
who was Commander-in-Ch Chief, an
who chose efficient men to handle tn
Army and Navy.
June s. No words can paint III
confusion. No head: breakdown ,
both the railroads and military sys
TENS Of the country" No matt,
what happened during the wori
War. when 100000 men answert
the call 10 the eoIors. the fact r,
mains that Roosevelt's Republica
party could not successfully handle
little skirmish expedition in 9s! b,
let us read a few more words tn;
he wrote on June S: "No plans. !
staff officers. no instructions to u
Each officer finds out for himself al
takes his chances. We are doing ;
well as the regular regiments"
We hope that a good God pitied Il
men in those regular regiments,
they had to suffer as Roosevelts m,
did.
June S. Told 10 go aboard tran
port. Worst confusion yet. No 9
lotment Of transports. no plans, nit
confusion" They certainly we
poor nsh~ in those days, when tn