General Miles, the head of the army, suggested the training of fifty thousand soldiers rather than put in jeopardy a great quantity of untrained men. But the President rejected that expert advice and called out seventy-five thousand more volunteers to be exposed to death in camp. The people were crying “On to Havana!” as they had yelled, On to Richmond, Mexico and Canada. What matter utter extravagance and human life? The government now had two hundred thousand men on its hands. Where would they put them? O yes, the question of camps. Tampa, New Orleans and Mobile were decided upon. It was found that all but Tampa were unsuitable. After much investigation and delay. Camp Alger in Virginia, and Camp Thomas in Tennessee were selected. They afterwards proved to be far too small. Meanwhile the volunteers were flocking in much as they had done in the Civil War--in a sad state of neglect. Unequipped, untaught, unfed, uncared for, uneverything, they were all struggling to the front. The little crippled War Department was beset with every kind of request it could not fill. Congressmen who had taken delight in blocking legislation for preparedness were the loudest in crying for guns and vessels to protect their districts. Where were any implements for the crises? Without having any, the President ordered General Miles to take to Havana seventy thousand troops--(troops, mind you--real troops)--when such an irregular mass could have fired little more than one shot, if they had been troops. Then he ordered General Shafter at Tampa to the north coast of Cuba, but it was found there were no transports. Then he ordered twelve thousand troops to Key West, but the place was found unsuitable. A month and a half passed. Why weren’t we getting on? General Miles went to Tampa to see. There he found what you’d expect. Troops were slowly assembling. Why not? One regular regiment had to come clear from Alaska. Supplies were failing. Loading of transports was helter-skelter. Miles reported that the principal part of the regular army was there, but that of the fourteen regiments of volunteers nearly forty per cent were undrilled and in one regiment over three hundred men had never fired a gun. And these were the pick of the untrained men.