Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1898 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

As much as everyone must deplore the amount of sickness among our victorious troops, it is a fact, nevertheless, that the percentage of deaths from disease for the number of men enrolled is far less than it was in the civil war. The records of the Union army show a mortality list of 11 per cent of the entire force, or 313,000 In all. Of these 03,443 were killed in battle or died subsequently of wounds;. 186,216 died of disease, the cause-pf death in the remaining cases being for the most part unknown. The hospital records show that 6,049,648 cases were treated during >■ the civil war, the mortality list being aa follows: Gunshot wnd5.33,949 Reifitat. fever. .4,855Diarrhea 35,127 Intrmtnt. fver. 4,164 Dysentery .... 5,576 Inflammation of Typhoid 29,336 luuga 19 971 Typho-malarlal Smallpox 7,058. fever 5,360 Measles 5,177 During the war 285,245 men were discharged for disability, classified as follows: Gunshot wounds, 34,209; consumption, 20,905; diarrhoea, 16,487; debility, 15,040; rheumatism, 12,653; heart disease, 10,797. The heavy mortality which must have resulted in these cases is not included in the mortality records of the war. The army which fought the civil war had no such climatic conditions to contend with as our present army had in Cuba. Neither did the armies of the civil war have to be transported ip troopships, hastily gathered and fitted up in an emergency. A crowded ship in the temperate climate of the North Atlantic is not a sanitary habitation by any means, and in. Cuban wmters it is a prolific breeder of pestilential diseases. * * • Before Congress has proceeded far with its investigation of the War Department and the part it played in the conduct of the war the unpleasant fact will be revealed that Congress itself is the primary source of the trouble and of the inability of the war office to properly grapple with tihe war situation as found during the last five or six months. Con'gresa is not wholly to blame because the War Department is not up to date and because many of the officials are s 6 wedded to oldstyle red tape methods and to old-time regulations that they cannot break away, but it is largely responsible. It will have to take much of the blame upon itself for conditions which at the present time are found to be intolerable. If Congress will take this lesson to itself and liberalize the methods in vogue and the spirit in control of the War and Navy Departments the agitation will not have been in vain. * * * Admiral Schley has a happy gift of remembering names and faces and incidents connected tvith cnsual meetings with people years ago. He has surprised many people since hjs return by greeting them, cordially and recalling little things that happened at some previous meeting, whidhthey did not dream he had remembered or which perhaps they themselves had forgotten. Admiral Schley has lived many years of his life in Washington and at one time or another has met thousands of its citizens. Everybody knew him by sight, but until the last few days nobody had any idea of the number of people he knew by name. * * * Plans for the investigation of the management of the war arc\leveloping in the War Department. Before leaving on his vacation, President McKinley had a conversation with Secretary Algor concerning the question of determining responsibility for mismanagement, and it is tne intention to appoint a board of inquiry. This will be composed of a representative from each department of the line and staff of the army and will be presided over by either the judge advocate general or the inspector general. Before such a board every officer from Gen. Miles down will appear for examination. * * * . In defense of the bureaucrats of the War Department and of the officers of the regular army it is urged that they have been educated to a strict construction of the rules and regulations of the department and of the army and trained to fear to take unusual responsibilities, particularly where money is involved. • * * “The President and Mrs. McKinley were as happy ns two childreh going to a picnic,” said a White House attache, recalling the scene of their vacation leavetaking. • * • Camp Wikoff does not seem to lack inspections anyway. There is a new on* every day or two.