The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-29
MNSOLENCE IN THE DEpART-
MENTSv

|
Several weeks ago The Times Dis
patch commented upon what it de-
| scribed as nsolence in the Federal
Departments at Washington. The oc-
casion of this article was the alleged
discourtesy which Colonel Joseph V.
Bidgood, Secretary of the Military
Records of Virginia. received when he
! applied to the War Department for
| the muster-roll of the Clarke Rifles.
This comment was predicated upon a
| report that Colonel Bidgood had re-
| ceived scant consideration from the
| ton. Remembering other alleged acts
| of discourtesy displayed towards
| other applicants for information, not
| only in the War Department but in
| other Departments of the Government.
| The Times-Dispatch INDUCED in severe
| disapproval of the attitude of Govern
ment employees towards plain citizens
applying to them for information
touching matters of public and official
record.
The officers of the War Department
feel themselves much aggrieved by the
observations of this newspaper and
have asked for such information as we
may have. or may be able to obtain,
with regard to the Bidgood matter. in
order that thorough investigation
might be made, it being the purpose of
the Adjutant-General's Office to protect
an ,I.;,, -
of that office for information against
insolent and discourteous treatment of
any kind. We regret very much that
we cannot comply with the request of
the Department further than to say
that Colonel Bidgood applied to the
Adiutant Generals Office for informa-
ton touching subject in which he is
officially interested, and that his re-
quest was not responded to in the way
he Desired
We would not Intentionally do the
War Department or any other Depart
ment of the Government at Washing
tin or their representatives. the least
injustice. and. therefore. " , wish to
withdraw any offensive or unwarranted
statement Of opinion we have made
touching this particular matter. We
do this cheerfully because we have re-
ceived from the Hon. Robert Shaw
Oliver. Acting Secretary Of War; so
excellent statement describing the
methods adopted for the preservation
OF the invaluable records now com
mitted to the care OF the War De-
partment. We quote as follows from
Mr.. divers letter and commend it
most heartily to the considerate at
tention of those who may feel that
they have not had from the officers OF
the War Department the attention
they wished:
1T was found several years ago
that the records of the Union and
Confederate Armies had become so di-
lapidated through the years of CON
slant handling TO which they had |
been subjected that it was necessary |
to adopt strict measures to preserve |
these invaluable records from total |
destruction, and in order to prevent
turther injury resulting from the
handling of those records, the Secre-
tary or War WAS compelled to order
tRat no one should be permitted to
handle the original records excepting
those employees who are especially
trained in their use and care, and that
even such employees should not be
permitted 10 have access to those rec
ords except when reference to them
is absolutely necessary in the trans
action of the current business Ct the
Department,
IN addition to this, 1t was found
that requests for copies of or tran X
scripts from the official records in the
war Department from the different
States, both North and South, and
from various Union and Confederate
societies. from historical, memorial or
other associations, and from private
individuals as we'll. had become so nu-
marcus that 1t was impossible 10 COM 4