The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-05-12
WHATATKINSONS SAID
Letter to the Postofice De-
partment Made Public.
A LIST OF OTIS ARMY ASKED FOR
The Design of the Prohibited Docu-
ments Was to Discourage Enlist
ments and Cause Discomfort
Among Troops In Philippines.


WASHINGTON, May 6.-The postof-
hce department yesterday made public
the letter of Mr.. Edward Atkinson OF
Boston on which the action of the de-
partment in Selling his pamphlets was
based. Many letters asking information
about the subject have reached here,
and the following statement was given
out by Postmaster General Smith:
"In view of the statement of Mr.. Ed
ward Atkinson that he sent his pam
phlets only to Admiral Dewey General
Otis and President Schurman and three
or four others, the letter of Mr.. Atkin-
son containing his application will be of
interest 1t bears date of Boston, April
%, 1899, and is as follows:
L desire to send a large number Of
the inclosed pamphlets on 1.-The Cost of
a National Crime THE Hell of War
and It's Penalties" and Criminal Ag-
erosion; By Whom Committed?" to the
officers and privates in the Philippine
Islands. I therefore desire to know
whether or not these documents can be
sent directly through the war depart
ment or may be forwarded in due course
of mail. A list of regiments is desired,
and if there are printed lists of officers
useful purpose
mo answer was made to this letter
except to send an official copy to the
postmaster general, who issued instruc-
tons to the postmaster at San Francis
co to hold the pamphlets. The spirit
and design of the pamphlets will be in
dicated by a few extracts. In one of
them Mr.. Atkinson says, I will append
one question to each reader: How much
increase of taxation are you willing to
bear and how many of your neighbors'
sons are you ready to sacrifice by fever,
malaria and venereal disease in order
to extend the sovereignty of the United
States over the West Indies and the
Philippine Isands?' Again, after de-
Bcribing what he calls The He'll of War
and It's Penalty Mr.. Atkinson says,
Lest others should be entrapped into
enlistment in the regular army or vol
nnteer service in the tropics, it will only
be fair and honest on the part of the re-
cruiting officers to be put in possession.
of these facts Again Mr.. Atkinson says,
The way has already become plain for
the youth of the land to avoid disease
in the tropics by refusing to volunteer
or enlist in the army or navy of the
United States.
The way will be found for the vol
unteers now held against their will to
get their release from unlawful service
in any other country than their own
after peace is declared
"Mr. Atkinson not only speaks thus of
and to the soldiers of the United States,
but he encourages the Filipinos to in
eurrection when he says, They have the
power to enter into international rela-
tions, and they may yet be recognized
and rightly recognized by other pow
ers'"
The postoffice department has not on
ly prohibited the use of the mails to Mr..
Atkinsons pamphlets, issued by the |
Anti-imperialist league, but has also I
closed the mails to senate documents !
Nos. so and 1863 These are the docu-
ments introduced in the senate by Sen
ator Jones of Arkansas and Senator
Caffery of Louisiana and are almost
identical with Mr.. Atkinson's pam
phletS.