The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-07
BOY SCOUT TANGLES
STIR WAR OF WORDS
West Accuses seton II Damn.
ing Country While Gnid-
inc Its Sons.
OTHERS JOIN SQuABBLE

Statement followed statement yester-
day in the controversy stirred by the
announcement of Ernest Thompson
Seton that h. had severed his connection
with the Boy Scouts of America because
tho organization had drifted ava from
the original woodcraft and out of door
ideals into Il wigwagging. drilling n
under the guidance of James l.. West,
chief scout executive.
Tho first statement: In the days battle
Of statements was that OF James II. West
In reply to Mr.. Seton. Then the United
States BOY Scouts. the rival OF Mr..
Vests scouts. issued II statement charg-
ing that the hoy Scouts Of America we're
attempting to raise 5000, 900 by relying
on public sentiment In favor Of prepared
ness. although the United States Boy
scouts formed the only military organ
izatlot. Next Mr.. Seton gave out an.
other statement In which no reiterated
that the Boy Scouts of America had be-
como more and more n military organ
iz,tion.
West FIRES Another D~rOadsidc.
Mr.. West then issued another state
n,cnt, pointing out the fact that the
charges made hy the United States Boy
scouts that tho hoy Scouts OF America
could not he called a military organiz,-
Ion refuted the charge of MIR. Seton
that the hoy Scouts were military. Mr..
West ut the same time reiterated that
the Boy Scouts Of America formed u
"non-inilitary. not anti-military, nom
political organic ,tior." He also denied
that the United States Scouts antedatcd
,he Boy Scouts of America. Then the
Cornhatants ceased firing.
In his first statement Mr.. West said
IN part When IL was discovered that
Mr.. Seton was Ia harmony with the
views OF anarchists and radical social
lsts on the question as to whether the
Boy Scouts OF America SHOULD stand for
patriotism and good citizenship, no time
was l"st m devcio4,ing the issue.
MIR. Seton was given u reasonable,
fair opportunity to mak himself clear
on this subject. but he hedged and
stated lie could not make n definite
promise that he would ever become "a
citizen q the United States.
Indeed he went further and repeated
Nis objection to the Boy Scout Hand
BOOK including a chapter on patriotism
and contended that the 10y scouts of
America should not undertake to have
Joys pledge allegiance to their country.
but hould leave them free to supper;
our country when they thought our
country was right and To- damn II when
they thought II was wrong
says seton Damned Country.
He personally made clear tina. he
dagi ned our country TO- most Of It's past
history. This is the real and only
l-A IA. a
scout,
ANY other cause alleged or issue
raised by Mr.. Seton has no foundation m
fac. There has been no essential, change
in the programme since It's beginning, as
shown by the handbook published In
1910. II is exactly as II was In all the
years in which Mr.. Seton served IN his
nominal relation as chief scout
The reply OF Mr.. Seton said you no.
tee that West does not reply to any If
my statements but contents himself with
calling me al anarchist and socialist.
II Ia quite the first time In my life that
any one has taken such a view OF me.
Not long ago West accused me- OF being
" 'monarchist' and said l was too auto
cratic
"Is the Boy Scout board will look
up my letter they Will find that in the
came paragraph in which / ~criticise
~ 80 ~ Nti NfH
still more severe On England for the
Chinese opium war. ] was denouncing
all aggressive warfare.
The Boy scouts are certainly be-
coming more and more n military or
g~anization. | do not c~riticise them for
that. because ! believe In national pre-
paredness. but I do object TO their rails
ing money for my ideals AS expressed
in my contributions to the Boy Scout
andbook and then applying it to a
wholly different purpose.
The case IL very clear. First. | am
not In sympathy with the present trend
OF thc Roy Scou. movement. Second.
] thlnk that | have "a national message
TO deliver. Thirl. ] can deliver that
message best through tho WoOdcraft
League. Henceforth l shall focus my
activities on that work
In the statement of tho United States
Boy Scouts. whose president IL Gen.
T.. a. McAlpin. Major-Gen. Thomas Il.
Jackson IL quoted as saying hat his or
Eanizat'on, first known az the American
BOY Scouts, Thought IL wise TO change
its name rather han be compelled by
inference IN the public mind to stand
for the peace at any price propaganda
o! the other organization' owing TO the
similarity Of the names.
Dan Beard. author and Nat!ona!
Scout Commissioners of the Boy Scouts
Of America. said yesterday without
mentioning any names:
"When "A mans been pushed aside and
placed on the shelf and gets tired OF /,
there's generally only one thing FOR
him TO DO. and that IL get back into
the spotlight somehow"