The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-06
TH0MP SON SETON
HITS BOY SCOUT
CAMP AICN;QU|TS
Organizer Says Body is
Fast Becoming Too
"Jingoistic.''


ton, Ernest Thompson Seton, natur-
alist and author of books on nature,
issued a statement yesterday after
i noon announcing his resignation as
/ chief scout master of that body and
stating that since last spring he has
not in any manner been connected
with it. s-
| Mr.. Seton's statement, which was is
i sued from his apartments, NO. 512
Fifth avenue, contains vigorous at
| tack upon James E. West, chief scout
executive, whom he charges with re-
sponsibi1ity for the alleged deplor-
! able condition of affairs in the Boy
Sc~uts of Amefica. 1t also contains
the announcement of the formation by
Mr.. Seton of the Woodcraft league,
to which Mr.. Seton says he will de-
vote all his time and effort hence
forth,
No, sooner had the attack by Mr.. Sc
ton been called to the attention of
Mr.. West than he communicated with
Colin H. Livingstone of Washington,
president of the National council and
executive board of the Boy Scouts of
America, who ISSUED a statement last
night fatty contraGicting every essen
tia1 point made by Mr.. Seton, and
charging that Mr.. Seton's attack was
made for the purpose of h1ndering the
campaign which will begin here today
to raise 100000 for the Boy Scouts
of America.
Did Not Re elect Mr.. Seton
Mr.. Livingstone made it plain thai
Mr. Seton had not been chief scout
master of the Boy Scouts of America
since February last, and that his fail
11re to- hold this office was due tonne
fact that the executive board unanA
rnoussly declined to re-e1ect him to that
Office It was only after Mr. Seton had
been notified of this action, aceordlng
to Mr. Livingstone, that Mr.. seton
sought to ''resign." y
The failure to re-elect Mr.. Seton as
chief scout master, said Mr.. Living
stone. was after he had declined to
make his status as citizen clear by
refusing to inform the executive boafo
whether he intended to become an
American. citizen. inquiry aIong tPls
line, it was said, was pFompIeu ny q
letter written by Mr.. Seton to the eX-
acu+ive board in December. 1914.
wherein he made derogatory criticisms
Of the American people, American ms
torv American ideals and American
Institutions. co+,,,
The statement issued by M SETON
says -esieo is
[aaausa 7 noticed that there was
legradualE change toward policies TO
u17ic1, I am opposed. When Baoen-
powell and I organized the Boy scouts
of England in 1908 and later the boy
Scouts of America in 1910, our pur-
pose was to make all young people OF
a naricaY outdoor children. My dream
dream was to teach them the joy OF
outdoor life. AS originally formed
the Scouts of America was to be
message of conservation and broth
erhood
fIJnder James E. West, the present
chief Scout Executive, conservation is
nd
IS giving place to jingoism. 1 am not
attacking Mr.. Vests ability. He Is
a wonderful executive, but he knows
absolutely nothing of woodcraft or
nature He has no point of contact
with the boys and, might say, SYM
ooIically speaking, he has never seen
the blue sky in his life.
1.-THE study of trees, flowers and ma
ture is giving way to wigwagging
drills and, other activities of a mill
rary nature, thus destroying the SYM
bolism of the organization. AS it
stands now, nilitarisnn comes first and
woodcraft second.
Il believe in a measure of prepar-
edness but I don't think that Boy
Scouts of America is the place for mil
itarism. To sum up the history of
the Boy Scouts of America, Seton
stated it, Baden doomed it, and West
Killed it.
"
lets and the Boy Scouts of America |
handbook still carry my name and ar
ticIes signed by me. It is because I
consider this an imposition upon me
and the public, who think I am still
connected with the organization, that
I ANNOUNCE my resignation
His British AIegdance.
Commenting upon the fact that in |
February last it was announced that
his reelection as chief scout master !
has been held UP because of his |
British allegiance, Mr.. Seton said:
SCI can't understand what that had |
to do with it. There are several
members of the BOARD today who are
Britishers. Several years ago I took
out my first papers. but when the war
came up cou1dn'tsvery well take out !
my final papers. It wouldn't have BEEN
right So I am waiting until after I
the war before becoming a full hedged !
citizen in the meaning of the law
However, I am very much an Anaeri- |
can. My wife and dau ghter are
Americans. All my interests are
American
Mr.. Seton further announced that
his Woodcraft League will have head
quarters at No. II West Thirty-fourtI, |
street, and that he will be glad tn |
see there all division heads Of the
BOY scouts OF America who are dis
c'NA'7-AON WIN ~ SSStll COn01tlOnS /
that organization. Mr.. Seton saws
that he founded the league in 1902.
and that. it once had membership
of $4,000, but that through negIect
its membership greatly decreased.
Reply to Mr.. Seton
At the office of the Bow Scouts of
America, No. 200 Fifth avenue, the
following reply to Mr.. Seton was is
sued in behalf of Mr.. Livingstone:-
''The statement given out by Ern-
est Thompson Seton to the New York
city newspapers Sunday afternoon
just on the eve of the opening of our
for 100000 to finance the
Boy Scout work of Greater New York
for the next three years, has been
read to me over the teIenhona Mr. |