The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-12
SALE WILL REPLY
TO ART|LLtRYMEN
MAY RETALrATE ny MAKING
PUBLIC THE FINDINGS OF
INQUIRY COURT.

Acknowledgement Sale has not yet
replied to the letter from the non
commissioned officers OF the four COM
panies OF the Coast Artillery Corps,
Recently disbanded after an investi-
cation BY court of inquiry, in which
the men demand an explanation OF
their summary dismissal from the
service.
That he will reply is beyond doubt
and 1t Is intimated that the findings
OF the court of inquiry, which were
Kept secret out of consideration for
the members Of the corps. may be
made public In retaliation for what Is
termed their indiscretion In inferring
that politics was at the bottom OF
the disbandment Of the corps.
The letter received by General Sale
Is in part as follows:
Having waited in silence for some
explanation from the big military
moguls OF the State AZ to why we
enlisted men were pushed out OF the
service without any forewarn.ngs and
what seems to us now to be- without
any redress for wrongs which have
been untustiy inflicted upon US and
still being In ignorance az to the
cause of such drastic means baing
taken. we earnestly implore you to
tighten our burden by putting upon
US the brand of the findings of your
honorable military court or remov-
ing from HIS the puhiic's pointed I'm
ger Of scorn and disgust and letting
us die military organization In ease
or one for which this grand Old State
must hang her head in shame.
Pain Heaped on Them.
There have been among US few
who could no longer bear the pain
that WAS heaped upon us In not know
lag the courts military judgment
upon LIS. and these few have burst
forth IN pleas to Richmond for n
paper of some kind to show that they
have teei' honorably discharged from
the service or that they are not men
that would be ashamed 10 ask an
other organization to enlist them and
in answer TO these pleas there have
been given but few words OF encour-
agement and hope to these men that
they shall ever know how their mill
tary records stand In Richmond, but
In each case they have been referred
for information as they desired to
tho company commander under whom
they served. and which commanders.
as We understand, are upon the rec
ords OF the military court as incom-
petent officers. Surely any fair-mind-
ed person can see that II they were
incompetent to act as officers that
they cannot be competent enough to
pass Judgment upon the military
bearing and record OF those who were
under
We do not question the honesty or
the procedure Of the military court
that Investigated the coast artillery.
but we do contend that it was the
duty OF the court al we'll as the gov
ernor and yourself to find who those
| were that were guilty OF incompe-
tence and have had them court
t tailed and then ordered a new election
OF officers instead OF making us suffer
for the sins or lack OF knowledge OF
some officers. who. although incom-
petent were commissioned In Rich
mond.
In the examination OF these new
officers In Richmond you and the ex-
sningfng board would have been able
to reject those that were not suita BILE
and given to us officers who were
| capable and who could have gotten rid
| Of those undesirable elements which
arc bound to creep into all such or
| sanixations. We cannot believe that
| this court could have found us all
/ incompetent. but that we will have
to think until you In some manner
| enlighten us. as we were all given the
| same treatment. We know of no
court In the land that would convict
| man without giving him some chance
/ of defense This Was not given 10 an
enlisted man In the service but one
and his military record. as the men
| know him. shows nothing but incom-
| potency, INSTRUMENTATION and all else
/ that would be detrimental to the con-
| troll and good standing OF military
/ organization, and this is tho man, we
understand, whose testimony the
prosecution relis3 aspofs.-' =eaa g,
=. lnfantry's Animosity.
We have heard for some time the
i feeling OF the Infantry towards u.s. and
have In our, possession Letters from oar
military friend. former Adjutant Gen.
eral Anderson apprising us of the an
isnosity held against us by the infantry
| We are constantly hearing the remark
made by the public that the order
| for disbandmeut WAS caused by Do
litical influence used by the infantry
We de not say that such Is the truth
but II such Is true. how are we 10
know and what can we expect but
| that we will be treated In the same
manner ff we were to again organize
|
| np-A RAapnp>