Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-21
TINE WAY rHt THING GOES.
A Calcium Light Turned Upon the
Performances of q Much Profess
ing Things that are Rotten
in the Official Military Denmark.

Perform ances of q Much Profess
ing Party Things that are Rotter
in the Official Military Denmark
EDITOR HERALD: The execution oI
private Charles b. Henry, 9th U. s. Cav,
airy, at Camp Clay, Grinnsll Land, Oh
June 9th, 1884. by written order oI
Lieut.. A. w. Greely, U. s. A., pl lomises
to give new proof of the rottenness OF
everything connected with the U. S.
army and navy.
Nobody will doubt that the most hor.
rible secrets of that i'll fated expedition
are still concealed from the public, aud
that only time will show that the heavy
sacrifice of life was due only to the self.
ishness Of the Commander and members
of the expedition. No person of sound
mind will suppose that Lieut.. Kisling-
bury could have died of starvation had
he been in harmony with Greedy, but
everyone will adopt the supposition Of
Kislingbury's brother, that the expedi-
tion was divided into parties or factions
and one party perished, because the other
had gained possession by force of the
food supply
1t is not the intention OF the writer to
cast any reflections upon Greedy for or
dering the execution of Henry, provided
the order was issued under the circum.
stances represented by Greely. but what
l do and the public will find fault with
and what should be condemned in
strongest terms is that he ordered the
men under him not to speak of this mat
ter until an official report of the facts
should be made.
This official report never would have
been made had not New York Times
reporter ascertained and reported the
facts unoffieially.
Greedy and his party arrived at Ports.
mouth August I'd. The death of private
Henry was reported and officially entered
by the Registrar of Vital Statistics as dae
to. starvation; and only under date of
August llth Greedy, by the article in the
N. Y. Times, ascertained that his willy
scheme of secrecy-to which his men
and the sailors of the rescued vessels had
been sworn--had been of no avail-made
his official report about the execution of
private Henry.
In his official report he requests that
Court Of Inquiry be ordered or Court
Martial convened should the Hon. the
Secretary Of Wardeem either advisable. f"
knowing very well that the Hon. the
=. Of w. will only sse him officially
whitewashed.)
When Greedy reported Hsnry's death
to the Registrar Of Vital Statistics he
signed o certificate reading, II certify on
he. hx.k 40 al, L..
ology officers of the United States Army
are used to, and they sign them every
day, knowing that the contents OF their
certificates are false.
Honor in the United States Army,
especially when dollars and cents are
concerned, cannot be found, and defy
any one to contradict me.
Far from me be it that should ridicule
or belittle the dangers which were con.
nected with the Greedy expedition or the
results which may be derived therefrom.
Ishall only call attention to the de-
ception practiced by Lieutenant A. w.
Greedy and to prove that this deceitful
practice was vaccinated into him while a
cadet at West Point.
hold that Of all the departments in
Washington--csrrupted under twenty
four years Republican rule the War De.
partmentis the most corrupted; that from
one.fourth 70 one third OF theappropfi-
ations is stolen by officers high in oonl-
mand, and of high rank in the depart
inents OF administration, and that since
Bslknap's speculations in grave stones,
the idea has been rooted into the minds
Of these officers. that the appropriation
for the War Department is made up
only for their o,on benefit, and that any
outsiders especially eontraciors-who
will occasionally bring in claim for the
spoils, are scoundrels.
There is q we'll known yarn about the
officer who was appointed Second Lieu
tenant from one OF the departments at
Washington and sent to one of the Posts
at the Rio Grande, and returned year
later on leave of absence. Upon being
asked how he liked the Army, replied,
"Oh, the Army is very well-if it was
not for the d. soldiers"-will serve as
sample Of how the Army is considered
by most OF their officers--oficial COR
ruptionists and thieves.
To prove my assertions, and to prove
that the Army has never been in more
corrupt state than ct present under their
reform Secretary, and that if nothing
else would make change of admins
tratien desirable, q reorganization of
the Army and an overhauline of its rec
ords since 1865, would make it imperative.
Ishalllay before your readers aseriesof
articles, showing the inside working Of
the corrupted-red-tape machinery OF the
War Department. To do this I shall
avoid giving any names until the truth
Of my statements ia challenged, when
names will be given and denials Of facts
invited.
To proceed systematically will COM
mence with the division OF the War
Department, which expends the most
money, viz, the Quartermasters' Depart
ment.
The funds appropriated by Congress
annually for the support Of the Quarter.
masters Department are divided into
five separate appropriations, viz, Regu.
lar Supplies, Incidental Expences, Bar
racks and Quarters, Army Transporta.
ton. and Clothing and Equipage.
Two appropriations, distinct and seps-
rate from these are National Cemeteries
and the Contingent funds.
Out Of the appropriations Of Regular
Supplies are paid stationery, cooking
and heating stoves, fuel for officers and
men, and forage and straw for public
and private animals.
Every subaltern, company, post and
regimental commander Is allowed o
certain quantity Of stationery for off.
cial use, but both Post and Regi-
mental Commanders can draw such a
quantity in excess Of their allowance as
may be necessary.
Department and Division Headquar-
ters are entitled to all the stationery
needed-this Of course is interpreted by
Department and Division Commanders
their Adjutant. Generals and their whole
staff, to include all binding of private
matters, all sewing. writing aud drawing
material for their wives and daughters,
all art work sold by stationers, framing
same, etc., etc. OF course such items
must not appear in official vouchers, and
the poor property clerk, preparing the
vouchers, finds it hard work to trans
form the latest edition of Charles Dick
ens's work, or the binding Of Won
Moltke's History Of tho French German
War of 1901, pocket knives, scissors.
or costly albums, into so many quires of
foolscap paper or thousands OF official
envelopes.
The so often mentioned misuse of the
Congressional Stationery Fund, is insig-
nificant, compared with the misappro-
priations Of the same fund in the army.
Cooking and heating stoves are fur
nished for all public barracks, for officers
stationed at public barracks, or fer such
officers who are serving with their COM
mands and whose rent for quarters is
paid by the Government and not CON-
muted. II Is an established fact chat,
in spite Of army regulations, public cook
ing and heating stoves are used by every