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of civilization and comfort, and in timorous people generally who believed all they read in the newspapers.

Men go to war to fight. To fight means at times to march all night, to go hungry, to get wet. Those with no stomach for such adventure should stay at home; it is not a pleasuring outing. But the deprivations that come as the natural result of things may be greatly and unnecessarily increased through unlearned, stupid management, and of this there was much in the Santiago campaign.

It might not inappropriately be called a campaign of blunders. First of all was the infirmity of purpose at Washington; then the choice of Tampa, utterly unsuited to be either a point of mobilization or departure-its one railroad track was blocked for miles and for days with the supplies for which the troops were waiting at Tampa. The quartermaster deficiencies alone would fill a book-deficiencies so glaring as to make one stare-the lack of system in loading transports, which made confusion in the unloading; separation of articles that should be together; mixing of hospital supplies with general

merchandise; and the storing deep in the holds of the transports things wanted first, while things not wanted were heaped on top.

There were incompetent officials in plenty-but how could it be otherwise when we consider the attitude of our government towards the army for the last thirty years? Not in the memory of the present generation of officers had there before been an assembling of the army -nor even manoeuvres in divisions or corps. Distributed throughout the country, broken up for post and garrison duty, what else but confusion and blundering could be expected to ensue when quartermasters and others who had never seen more than fragments were called upon for swift and systematic handling of large bodies of men? For years the government has cut the army into fragmental duty, scattered its staff organization, denied it facilities for corps drill, and its staff experience in transportation, refused to keep reserve stock of munitions, equipment, etc. And suddenly, when called on to exhibit all these, naturally we have incompetent and floundering of

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ficials.

Some excuse can be found for the individuals, but none for the govern ment.

Officers were needed at outbreak of the war who had proved their ability to think clearly and act quickly, who had had experience in organization. Some of these were at hand, notably Generals Miles, Merritt, Brooke, and Wheeler, and one of these should have led us to Santiago. The general who did lead us, through no especial fault of his, except that of being a friend of the Secretary of War, found himself overwhelmed by the scope of an undertaking beyond anything he had ever known. Perhaps the greatest blunder was arming volunteers with Springfield rifles shooting 1000 yards and burning black powder, to fight against Spanish rifles shooting over 2000 yards and burn ing smokeless powder. This was not a blunder; it was criminal.

Apart from the Rough Riders, the volunteers did not figure prominently in the campaign. The handsome showing of the Rough Riders is to be attributed to the quality of their two leaders-Colonel (now General) Wood-quiet, forceful, persistent; Colonel Roosevelt, dashing, energetic, determined-both courageous,

both young; and to the quality of the officers; and to the remarkable personnel of the troops, in which the man who had hunted big game, who was fond of outof-door sport, the college athlete, the cowpuncher, and the miner predominated.

Among those who won especial distinction we shall remember General Wheeler-who, when some of the officers advised retreat from the San Juan ridge the night of July 1, gave them picks and shovels, with instruction to dig trenches and hold them-Generals Hawkins and Chaffee, Colonel Roosevelt, Major Wessels, Lieutenants Wansborro, Ord-and about all the privates.

Let it be remembered that to the magnificent qualities of courage, patience, and determination of the line-officers and the soldiers we owe Santiago's capitulation July 15.

The campaign has taught us the need of a regular standing army of 100,000, of reorganization that will provide a staff interchangeable with the line, of reorganization of our militia into national rather than State bodies, of the need of an Aldershot, and of the need of more of our wholesome pulsing Americans taking active interest in national questions.

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VV is the Vigor, with which we insist Upon eighteen, or more, in the handicap list.

W in a Whisper: "Between you and me,
I have just done the round in a pat
83."

X is the X-pletive sometimes employed, For a golfer is human, and easily annoyed.

Y is the Youth when at tennis we toiled.

Alas, that a glorious golfer was spoiled!

ZZ is for Zero, the sign of despair.

"Awa' wi' your gowf! we will play it nae mair."

& as it has happened again and again, We're at it 10-morrow by half after

ten.

DANGER TO THE REAR-GUARD

WHEN the war began with Spain the people in the South were as much interested as those in any other part of the country, and all classes were eager for news from the fleets and the army. The colored people were even more numerous than the white around the bulletinboards, where the newspapers mixed up, in true yellow fashion, fiction and fact. One day, in Asheville, a negro man, who showed by the marks on his dress that he was a whitewash artist, was on the outskirts of the crowd. A lawyer of local note spoke to him:

"Are you going to the wars, Jim ?" "What I goin' to de war fur?" "To fight for your country, of course." "I don't know nuthin' 'bout fightin'." "That won't do, Jim. The last war was all about you niggers, and this time you have got to do the fighting. This is your country now, and the niggers must be made to save it." "Who goin' to make de nigger fight?" asked Jim, in a sulky tone, and showing more white in his eyes than usual. "How yar goin' to make de niggers fight?"

"Oh, we'll make 'em fight easy enough," said the lawyer. “We'll put the niggers in front, and then the white soldiers will stand behind, and make the niggers do the fighting." "'Pears to me," said Jim, slowly, and with

much gravity, "dat de white folks gittin' ready to be run over."

LIMITED ACCOMMODATIONS.

AN American family now residing in Mexico think they have a very good joke at the expense of a young lady from the States, who came to make them a visit recently. Mr. and Mrs. H-met her at the train, and she introduced a distinguished - looking gentleman who had made her acquaintance on the trip, and as they were leaving the station she invited him to call.

"Does your friend know our address?" inquired Mrs. H———.

“Oh yes,” replied Miss Wisconsin, airily; “I told him Apartado 29. I remembered it from having written it on your letters so often, you know. And," she added, complacently, "I was very proud of knowing so much Mexican.”

"Well," said Mr. H- -, as they were driving off, "I suppose you are expecting to put up with all sorts of deprivations down here in this queer country, but I feel that I ought to tell you that you are likely to find your quarters uncomfortably crowded, especially for entertaining."

"Why, won't your parlor hold two?"

"Well, yes, I think our parlor will, but I have my doubts about our post-office box!"

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