| Show TERRIBLY demoralized ARMY had spain known our weakness she would have been encouraged and peace negotiations would not now be in progress effort was made to suppress the full truth until roose veils letter gotaut Go tOut washington aug 5 army officers are greatly relieved to know from the santiago dispatches des patches that what appears to lave been a areat danger to the american arms has been bately passed by the reports from the american commander at santiago including all the major generals division and brigade commanders which were made public in the news dispatches yesterday rave tor the first time to the public news of the terribly demoralized condition 0 the american army if this state of affairs bad been known a week ago the most cerious results must have followed the spanish government would have been excited to refrain from making peace overtures and to prolong the resistance the publicity eiven to these depons is moat strongly deprecated by almost every of the administration tra tion in the place of these weary and battle worn troops will be five regiments of now due at santiago supposed to be proof against yellow fever and at any rate gifted with a freeh store of health to draw on gen miles has with him in porto rico a force probably equal to the actual demands of the campaign there so that the heavy reinforcements now on their way to that island or about to be dispatched can be easely diverted to santiago or any cuban camp at short notice with a of these facts the officials feel tolerably safe as to the future conditions at santiago it is supposed the government ceceor at new york made an effort to prevent the publication li of facts in regard to santiago it n said not to be overstating the cabe to aay that gen shatter was rebuked allowing publication of ane round robin tor abe secretary of war confined bis communication to a dimple inquiry as to whether the general had given publicity to the roosevelt letter and the round robin but it Is certainly abe fact that henceforth abe effort will be made such information more closely from the public in the army if the army at santiago were composed in any considerable measure of volunteers there would be B more lively expression of concern about the prevailing ever it is not that people do not care for the regulars bat they have not been accustomed to give them much thought and as they are recruited in all parts of the country there is not that concentrated local interest in them that follows each regiment of volunteers volun teera york papers tor example have had a great deal to say about the seventy first new york and the boston papers about the second massachusetts the two regiments of volunteer infantry that went with shafter and abe volunteer cavalry regiment has been widely celebrated we have beard comparatively little about the sixth the tenth the twelfth the thirteenth or the sixteenth infantry or the sixth cavalry whose and buffering before santi aro were so tremendous the reason is |
