Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-23
DECORATION OF
. SOLDlERS'.GRAVES
CAUSES ROW
CHARGES ARE MADE AGAINST
HEAD OF HOME
VETERAN TO ASK PRESIDENT
FOR COURT OF INQUIRY
Declares Superintendent of Sawtelle
Institution Refused Women Per-
mission to Strew Last Rest
ina Places with Flowers

II RUM and bugle have sounded
ID reveille in G. A. X, posts ana 40
~ camps of Sons of Veterans III
Los Angeles and the. old guard and
the new are up and ready for the ray
The beating of war drums is all due
to a report that Colonel T. ]. Coch-
rane governor of the Home for Dis
| abled Soldiers at Sawtelle, had an
no11nced that on Decoration day no
flowers would be strewn on the graves
Of the twenty-five hundred dead sol
diers who are taking the hnal sleep
| in the burial grounds adjoining the
| home
Colonel Cochrane emphatically denies
that he ever issued any such order OF
made any statement that might De
SO construed. On the other hand, 1t Is
| as stoutly asserted that he did say
that no flowers would be strewn on
tbe graves, but that the simple cere-
mony of decorating the graves with
Aags would be observed. He is alleged
To have so informed the women OF the
Women's Relief corps of Uncle sam
post. G. A. r., who have annually on
Decoration day gone, to the nome ana
placed flowers on the graves ol lhc
dead patriots.
IT was said that Colonel Cochrane de-
clared he had no money with which TO
defray the expenses of the women ana
that they thereupon asserted that they
would pay their own car fare and FUR
nish the flowers, but that he told them
the only decorations would be the flags
which were to be placed on the graves
by the old soldiers.
Members Of w. S. Rosecrans camp
No. 2, Sons of Veterans, hearing this,
took umbrage, and at meeting held
early last week passed a resolution
severely condemning the governor for
his alleged ruling.
Text of Resolution
The resolution was signed by the
members of the committee on resolu-
tions. They will be widely circulated
and a copy will be sent to President
Taft with a record of whatever further
action is taken with reference TO the
incident.
The graves will be decorated on May
81. Decoration day falling on Sunday,
| and both flowers and flags viii be used
The resolution is as followst
| Reliable information having reached
! this camp that the governor of the ma
tional home for disabled volunteer sol
diers has, in the most arbitrary man.
ner ruled that the heretofore existing
beautiful and pathetic ceremony OF
strewing flowers over the honored dead
heroes of the civil war, now numbering
more than 1000 once brave men who lie
at rest after a record won in defense
of our country and its cherished flag,
shall be abolished on a pretense too
trivial to be considered, by a govern
ment owing its existence to the heroic
sacrifices of those noble patriotic sons
husbands, and fathers who, in the hour
of peril. gave the best years of their
young manhood in defense of united
country, given into their hands to per-
petuate by the beloved Father of his
country, the noble American citizen
George Washington; and we, the sons
of those noble sires honoring their
memory and the valued legacy they
have left to us in most emphatic man.
ner, protest against this arbitrary rul-
ing against the loving ceremony of our
mothers, sisters and other patriotic
women of that noble auxiliary to the
Grand Army OF the Republic, the
Woman's Relief Corps;
"Be it resolved, That we, as
citizens, and the future defenders of
our common country, demand that a
court of inquiry be instituted by the
president of the United States to ex-
anime into the methods of management
of the national soldiers home at Saw
telle, California, and at once return
them tc the original benificent objects
intended by then and still grateful
people.
"And be it further resolved, That a
copy of these resolutions be sent to all
of the Grand Army posts in Los An
geles and the affiliated organizations;
also to the press"
Superintendent Explains
Col. T. j. Cochrane, superintendent
of the soldiers home when inter-
viewed Yesterday afternoon regarding
this matter. said:
"The report that I have issued an
order prohibiting the placing of flowers
on the soldiers graves is absolutely
false and without foundation. There
will be no change in this years serV-
ices other than the fact that the plac-
ing of the flags on the graves will be
done exclusively by the veterans"
SUPERINTENDENT Cochrane read from
the orders issued for the Memorial day
exercises as follows:
"At the cemetery, after formation
has been perfected, members of home
companies, at a signal from the trum-
pet will place flags upon the graves
this service being completed, the line
will reform and march to the circle
around the flag, and the officers of the
Grand Army of the Republic will read
selections from their ritual, the lduleS
and children will decorate the monu-
ment and graves with flowers; the
firing squad will fire three volleys to
each of the cardinal points of the COM
pass and the bugle will sound taps.
This will close the ceremonies at the
cemetery when the companies will
march in order to their respective
quarters and be dismissed"
Management Is Blamed
Grand Army men are dissatisfied with
the government of the homes. 1t IS
asserted that the management is faul-
ty, but primarily they charge the
shortcomings in the control of the
homes to the method more than to the
men, Behind it all is the movement,
which is not new, but is stronger now
than ever before. to have the man
agement and control of the homes
placed with the war department and
the responsibility for the proper and
lust treatment of the. old soldiers fixed
on that department.
This sentiment is becoming crystal
lized throughout the country. it is said,
and Grand Army men are urging the
abolition of the commission in New
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