Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-13
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.

'ars ago in counsel with our leading on
8, II was decided to enforce a rule against
! use OF tobacco by our officers The evils
J :, ts use and associations were 30 evident
z y we so fully shared the opinion of our
ninent officers that the law prohibiting
It's use, together with that OF intoxicants
drugs, was 80 important that we en-
sd abstinence from their use as a condition
emhership. Some two years since
of soldiers rules and regulations was
:. rom England, in which 1t was distinctly
~ &: that this was no longer to be the
ri We stopped the sale OF the book and
wrote, showing the strong feeling OF our
people here on the subject, sending copies
Of prominent stan officers letters and Civ
ing our reasons for the maintenance OF the
law. We were told in reply that America
must come into line with other countries
and the law be abandoned. We refused and
crossed out the paragraph in the books, and
told London of the harm such a change
would accomplish They wrote us the fol-
lowing ultimatum on the subject: You
should let 1t be known Immediately what
your own view OF the matter is (as though
our view had not been that of our officers.
on the question: privately to the officers
VINO confer with you on the subject and
that you regret very much that you issued
the orders that you did, and that they were
issued with misrepresentation on the sub
Jeot, and without the knowledge of inter-
national headquarters, and that, OF course,
the general has had far wider experience
than you have had.
ITO this we replied: We cannot possibly
do this. as with our present feelings II would
be Incorrect for instead Of wishing we had
not issued such a rule, we only wish you
would declare this a law to the whole world
I'VE have since learned that leaders IN
other countries have had their judgments
forced on the same subject. The effect of
this issue was not so much the determining
of what happened in the case Of this par
ticular rule, as in evincing their policy in
ignoring the judgment OF responsible officers
rnd the varying conditions of various coun-
tries and in endeavoring to force us to state
that which has been untrue and an outrage
on our consciences
ANNEXATION TO CANADA.
IS. During his last interview with us in
America, the general stated he wished us
to assist the struggling work in Canada by
giving up certain portion Of the United
States to be annexed to the Dominion. We
expressed our willingness to further assist
our comrades in Canada with money (having
already helped them financially, but that
the annexation of American territory to
Canada was quite impracticaple and would
damage the work Our arguments carried
no weight, ard the general considered them
unreasonable. When we spoke of the ma
tional feeling, he closed the controversy by
drawing his finger down the map of North
America In four sections declaring that ulti-
mately he intended to cut the countries in
three, joining each to a secticn Of Canada,
to break down any national feeling that ex-
listed. We said such division, would ruin
the work in this country, where
the unbroken union of the states meant so
much. After the general returned to Eng
land, lengthy correspondence followed in
which we gave number of reasons against
this annexation. They forced us to make
tbe annexation, and at the present time the
army work in Dakota, north Montana and
north Washington is governed from Toronto
and we have been told the officers hardly
dared to let the citizens of these states know
that their money goes to the Canadian head
quarters. 1t was intended upon our removal
from command to divide this country.
80. Though we repeatedly urged after the
resignation Of our chief secretary, William
Evans that for the sake Of the advance and
safety of the work in America, 1t was alb
solntely necessary to choose for that po-.
sition an officer from the ranks in this coun-
try, who was an American citizen and ia
miliar with the thought and sentiment Of
the American people, our request was ig
nored by international headquarters.
1--WE wish the army no evil and should
not have thus written had they taken our
advice and remained silent.
"BALLINGTON BOOTH,
MAY B. BOOTH"