The San Francisco call., 1906-06-19
Mayor Agrees in View
That Army Is Need
ed No More.
Best for City to Take
Over Administration
of Affairs.
General Offers Plan in
Letter to Finance
Committee.

General Greely is bent on removing
the army from San Francisco on July /,
and Mayor Schmitz acQuiesces. The
general regards the con6%rfons such
that the local authorities can cope with
them without difficulty and insists
that il is better for the city 10 take
care of itself as soon as possible. In
protest TO the request that the regulars
be retained three months longer, Cen
eral Greely has sent the following COM
munication to the relief finance COM
mittee. showing why the troops should
be removed and offering plan for the
. care Of the homeless through municipal
and Red Cross authority:
HEADQUARTERS PACIFIC DIVISION,
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. June 10, 1906:
Mr. James D. Phelan, Chairman FL
nance Committee OF Relief and Red
Cross Funds. Hamilton School, City
Sir: I understand from the morning
papers tlat A telegram signed by you
and Mayor SchmitZ has asked the re-
teDtiOn OF the army on duty in San
Francisco for ninety DAYS from July /.
have seen Mayor Schmit1 this
morning and he concurs with me in the
belief that the relief of the army on
July ! is in the public interest, and
after consideration of the opinions eX-
pressed by Iae in this letter l trust that
The finance committee Will agree in the
wisdom of withdrawing their request
The spirit Of American institutions Is
obviously adverse to the quartering Of
troops in times OF peace in large cities,
which Is IN this case supplemented by
reasons OF a practical and economic
character. From all sources there is a
consensus of opinion that the services
0f the army for relief purposes in San
Francisco was of great public benefit
10 the city of San Francisco and the
State Of California. That July ] marks
the date on which Federal troops
should cease TO guard stores. control
camps. administer order and provide
sanitation for civilians quartered on
city grounds or private property is my
CITIZENS NEED WORK.
Your attention Is called to the fact
that there are classes of worthy citi-
zens who in considerable numbers are
now deprived Of their ordinary means
Of gaining . livelihood. either by lack
OF public funds or from destruction of
private business Among these may be
mentioned dremen. policemen, school
teachers and physicianss
Your attention is particularly called
10 the fact that a certain number of
such persons could be given temporary
employment by the Red Cross organi-
cation IL the present guards and camp
cminlstratiOns of the army were with
drawn. In short, the officers and men
OF the army are now performing duties
and rendering services which should be
performed and rendered by the desti-
tute men in san Francisco I submit to
your committee whether it is advisable
20 taNOr policy which diScriminates
against civilian labor, because the work
Of the army is done without expense to
the Red Cross funds.
II the Red Cross was not amply SUD-
piled with funds there might exist a
necessity for free army labor. but such
is not the case The morning paper re
ports that Mr.. Bartnett is favoring the
immediate distribution of the greater
part of six million dollars now in the
possession Of the committee.
LET MEN EARN LIVING.
OF all the methods of relief. that
which most commends itself to me
from { careful consideration of this
question is that advanced by DR.. E. T.
70 DeYine and known under the general
term Of rehabilitation. There is no
better way Of rehabilitating a man
than by allowing him to earn a living
salary. In this case il can be conjoined
with the care and relief of the desti-
tutes, who are rapidly being reduced in
number.
1t has been unoficiaIIy advanced that
the withdrawal of the army would in
volve conditions Of disorder, and thai
sanitary conditions would not be as
carefully observed as under strict mill
tary methods. 1t is believed that the
rigidlY enforced methods of the army
cannot be equaled by ordinary civilian
control. and il is also acknowledged
that the suggestion of 4 soldier with a
gun is more potent in enforcing order
than the directions of a policeman
with a club.
On the question Of order and sani-
tation experience has shown that the
people of San Francisco are self
respecting and desirous of conforming
10 proper methods of life as regards
the three important points of order
decency and cleanliness. That this is
a fact and not an opinion is shown by
. the conditions attending the $4,000 peo-
PIE now under canvas in the city of
San FIbncisco. OF this number $4,000
are under military supervision, while
25.O00 are scattered elsewhere through
out the city.
HEALTH AND ORDER GOOD.
About 10000 of these people have
been continually under military super
vision and 5000 more have lately been
taken in charge. 1t might be thought
the 25,0O0 other people supplemented