Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-12
1T IS A TEST CASE.
Lieut.. Steele's Trial Brings the
Whole Army to Bar.
LORD CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.
The Mississippi Floods Are Unpre-
cedented and Give Alarm.
INTERNATIONAL TIFF At TACOMA.
CROOK ON THE STEELE TRIAL.
He VIII Make It as Public as Possi-
ble-Army Desertions.
LORD CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.
INTERNATIONAL TIFF At TACOMA.
CROOK ON THE STEELE TRIAL.
He VIII Make 1t as Public as Possi-
ble-Army DesertiOns.

CHICAGO, March 12.-Gen. Crook today,
speaking of the court-martial to be held in this
city on the 18th instant at which Lieut.. Steele
will be called on to answer charges of miscon-
duct preferred against him in connection with
the late Dell Wild affair at Fort Smelling, said:
THE personnel of this court-martial has not
yet been definitely determined upon, but it
will consist of officers against whose impair
tiality and fairness nothing can be said. Every
officer in the army is indirectly interested in
the outcome of this trial. The charges of clan
nishness among officers which have been SO
freely made in the public press are in a meas
ure true, but it does not exceed the bounds Of
a proper esprit de corps which you will find
existing in the world Still less would the fact
that an accused officer was the wearer of shoul-
der straps operate to shield him from the con-
sequence of conduct unbecoming an officer and
a gentleman. 1t is my desire and it will be my
especial care, during the coming trial of Lieut..
Steel, that the investigation shall be as public
a one as the nature Of courts martial will allow.
In issuing an order to the paymaster to secure
a suitable room in which the court can hold its
sessions 1 have instructed him to see that
proper accommodations are provided for the
representatives of the press There will be no
star-chamber business about 1t If can help 1t.
pEsERTERs AND MILITARY CoNvICTs.
"You have asked me my opinion in regardIto
the number Of deserters at the present day in
the army of the United States and the reason
of the enormous percentage of military con-
victs throughout the country. You hav-
pointed out how greatly this percentage is in
excess of that found in the penal military
establishments of Europe. Much study has
been given to this problem. At last think
have solved it. There is no analogy between
the United States and foreign countries from a
recruiting standpoint. We are an intensely
patriotic people and thousands Of our recruits
enlist from purely patriotic motives. 1t is
popular mistake that this is only done in time
of war. The moment citizen dons the uni
form of private, however, no matter what his
previous position may have been, he is in
stantly ostracised by the public He can no
longer move in good society. He is simply
common soldier Thirty years ago, when all the
wilderness. there was no society there to ostra-
else the private soldier. He did not feel his
position keenly and the desertions
then were not 80 per cent OF what they
ar, now. The same cause operates to
fill our military convict prisons. A man
losses his pride and self respect when he
finds he is despised by the people he meets; that
he is stunned by his former associates and Is
no longer regarded as their social equal There
are instances of oppression and they are no
doubt found in the army, but there are swift
and impartial remedies for those who seek
them; but for loss of caste in the great court
of public opinion there is no redemption. The
people themselves are to blame for their atti-
tude toward the unfortunate private soldier
and its demoralizing effects upon him are too
apparent"