ard ly ▁made ▁cam ps . ▁These ▁soldiers ▁inv aded ▁Cuba , ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines ▁and ▁connected ▁parts ▁of ▁these ▁countries ▁that ▁had ▁never ▁before ▁been ▁connected ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁countries ▁sparse ▁nature ▁thereby ▁beginning ▁ep ide m ics . ▁The ▁mob ility ▁of ▁American ▁soldiers ▁around ▁these ▁countries ▁encourag ed ▁a ▁new found ▁mob ility ▁of ▁disease ▁that ▁quickly ▁inf ected ▁n atives . ▁ ▁Military ▁personnel ▁used ▁Rud yard ' s ▁Ki pling ' s ▁poem ▁" The ▁White ▁Man ' s ▁Bur den " ▁to ▁explain ▁their ▁imperial istic ▁actions ▁in ▁Cuba , ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁and ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁" dark - sk inned ▁Barb ari ans " ▁reach ▁modern ▁san it ary ▁standards . ▁American ▁actions ▁abroad ▁before , ▁during , ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁emphas ized ▁a ▁need ▁for ▁proper ▁san itation ▁hab its ▁especially ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁n atives . ▁N atives ▁who ▁refuse ▁to ▁ob lige ▁with ▁American ▁health ▁standards ▁and ▁procedures ▁risk ed ▁fin es ▁or ▁imprison ment . ▁One ▁penalty ▁in ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁included ▁a ▁$ 1 0 ▁fine ▁for ▁a ▁failure ▁to ▁v acc inate ▁and ▁an ▁additional ▁$ 5 ▁fine ▁for ▁any ▁day ▁you ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁un v acc in ated , ▁ref us al ▁to ▁pay ▁resulted ▁in ▁ten ▁or ▁more ▁days ▁of ▁imprison ment . ▁If ▁entire ▁villages ▁refused ▁the ▁army ' s ▁current ▁san itation ▁policy ▁at ▁any ▁given ▁time ▁they ▁risk ed