Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-06
S." OLD real investiga-
tion," is the cry of the
cn1Iinrr "a A.

~ soldiers at the national
home near Sawtelle. The mem
bers of the national board of gov
ernors are to appear at the home
Tuesday afternoon to investigate
conditions, which have been a
smatter of national comment for
several months.
That whitewash investiga-
tion will be made, similar to that
at the annual national encamp-
ment at Salt Lake City, is the fear
of the old soldiers. 1t is declared
that if the real facts are brought
to light and the board made cog
infant of existing conditions d
new regime will be in force at the
Southern California retreat for
those who offered their lives to
preserve the Union.
The announcement has been made
that any person desireus of giving tes-
timony in the investigation can do so.
That it would not be difficult to obtain
a number of civilian witnesses is
known, but old soldiers fear the issue,
as the edict has gone forth that any
inmate of the home who gives testi-
mony detrimental to the present officials
will "get the gate''-in other words,
will be dishonorably discharged from
the home.
Veterans Here Active
Despite the fact that a statement has
been issued that there is no truth in
the charges of the mismanagement of
Maj John c. A. Walker shows the at
titude of the G. A. R. of Los Angeles.
The veterans outside of the home have
decided to take an active interest, and
VIII produce witnesses at the hearing
Tuesday in an attempt to show that
the local board of managers have been
guilty of mismanagement. The letter
follows:
los ANGELES, Sept. 5, 1909.-TEd-
itor Los Angeles Heraldl In an issue
of a morning paper appears an article
headed, Soldiers Home Charges Fall
in which my name is mentioned in a
manner rejecting both on my reputa-
tion as an American citizen and as an
honorable member of the Grand Army
of the Republic
"The last statement I will refute by
showing my honorable discharge from
Lafayette post No. 140, department of
New York, of which / have been a
member since. January II, 1890. Since
coming west in 1907 have been affili-
ated with several different posts of
this department
1.-THE Womens Relief, Corps and the
camps and tents Of the Sons and
Daughters of Veterans have acted
strictly in their work of fraternity
charity and loyalty and with the good
of the order at heart. What 1 have
accomplished along these lines I leave
to the membership of these orders to
decide.
Disappointed by Feast
"As regards the management or mis-
management of the Pacific branch OF
Soldiers homes, coming here as an ap-
parent stranger, found that several of
my comrades of the Civil War were, as
we then termed it, members of this
home. and 7 was visited by them at my
hotel In Los Angeles and urged to visit
the home and partake of a Christmas
dinner. Suffice it to saw I was disap-
pointed in the treatment of these once
manly defenders of our country on this
days of all days when good cheer was
more than ever pervading the land.
president Roosevelt was enjoying
the best turkey that Rhode Island ever
produced, with his dear ones about the
bountifully supplied table and our
grand fleet, on its WaV to the Pacific,
feasting on an entire shipload of turkey
sent specially for our 1900 jacl1ies at
the Isle of Trinidad. while in the Saw
teIle home 5000 supposedly honored
guests of the nation-Lincoln boys
when our country needed their young
manhood service-had a dinner with no
sign of the national Christmas turkey.
Only Pork in Chunks
"There were neither Christmas decor
atoms nor the appearance Of an official,
and only pork in chunks to eat. was
disappointed i'm the treatment Of these
once manly defenders of our country on
this day Of all days when good cheer|
WAS pervading the land.
THAT night l wrote to President
TGantinued on PAGE rhresi