New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-24


By HENRY w. FRANCIS
Newton D. Baker, Secretary OF war
In a campaign speech delivered in st
Patrick's Theatre, Jersey City, on DC
tober IS, compared the Revolutionary
troops under General Washington to
the Mexican rebels.
Since he made the comparative state
ment, in my hearing, Secretary Baker
has denied it entirely on one occasion
repudiated it In part on another, reit'
Grated its truth at another time and
approved "in substance" = verbatim re-
port Of his statement on still another
occasion. The various positions taken
by the Secretary in the matter OF the
character Of the Continental troops
from the night Of October 10 to date
may be summarized as follows:
Jersey City, Oct 1e.-"Washing-
tons soldiers stole. Ihey
stole silver vessels from the
churches and melted them up to
buy things TO drink. They drove
ministers of the Gospel out of their
churches and out OF Ihe
country"
Denies, Then Admits 1t
Plattsburg, n. Y, Oct 1T did
not saw men under Washingtons
command stole. There we're many
dosarters Otherwise the
(Tribune) story seems substanu-
ally correct :,
Elmira, N. Y, Oct 19-"1 said
nothing which could be interpreted
as a comparison between the Revo-
lutionary soldiers and the Mexi-
cans. ! deny comparing them.
have been misquoted."
Detroit, Oct. POI deny tho
truth of that part (the part in
question: Of the report"
Flint Mich, Oct 20.-"Our own
toldiers did drive out loyalist min
listers from their churches and sp-
piled what they got toward meet
ing their expenses. OF course, it
was not probably so often tas In
the case Of Mexico) that We had
cases Of sppropriating from the
churches In our Revolution. but, n
any case, we did drive out loyalist
minister"
The frst statement OF Secretary
Baker was made In defence OF the
Administration Mexican policy, which
concluded the Secretary's first address
Of his present campaign tour.
Forget Own History"
The allusion to Mexico, upon which
! took notes, was taken down by a
stenographer and was as follows:
"Some people say they cannot IN
derstand the Presidents Mexican pol
icy, and I want 10 tell you why. They
have forgotten our own history and
the Declaration Of Independence, and
the President has not forgotten either
Why are we impatient at the MeIieans
We say they do not respect the lives
and property OF our people. Perhaps
they don't We say they do not pay
their honest debts. They don't W.
say they arc q ragamuffin lot We say
their money is not any good. That's
true. Il is worth only two or three
cents on the dollar. We say they dc
not respect Church property. That
also, Is true.
"The amazing thing Is that people
never respect these things In revolu'
ton. We had revolution, and from
the beginning to the end OF that the
conditions in this country were SO like
Mexico that it is perfectly astounding
to read.
"WashinIton's Soldiers Stole"
"Washington's soldiers In the march
TO Valley Forge stole everything the!
could lay their hands on. They stole
the silver vessels from the churches
and melted them up to buy things e
drink. They drove ministers OF TIT
Gospel and preachers of churches on
of their churches and out of the coun
try. The money OF the so-cslled Con
federation was so worthless that wher
they tried TO make the merchants tax,
it the latter hid their provisions II
their cellars.
"The President Of the United State.
is in favor of letting the 100000 PEG
pie in Mexico, who have not had ar
opportunity TO do so, fight out theil
independence the way we fought ours
Whenever you hear anybody say they
cannot understand the Presidents Mex
lean policy. tell them 10 20 and reac
the Declaration Of Independence anc
the Golden Rule"
Suggests No Change
The partial Reputation Of the frs,
statement and the avowal that the fore-
going report Of IL as published In The
Tribune was substantially correct
came in a telephone conversation which
| had with Secretary Baker, who was
In Plattsburg. n. Y. Mr.. Baker wa,
asked what correction, IL any, should
be made in The Tribune story. he sug'
gested no change.
The denial at Elmira, N. Y, was made
to . correspondent of The Associated
Press, as was the denial az Detroit. The
reiterAtion of the statement at Flint
Mich, was made to q correspondent OF
"The Chicago Tribune" This last eI-
preston OF :he Secretary at Flint
Mich, is confrmatory OF the speech de-
livered by him at Jersey City. Up To
the time Of going to press no further
change In HIS view Of the character OF
Wsshington's soldiers had been re-
ported.
Baker Blames Fisks
The last concept, Mr.. Baker explained
to his interviewer at Flint, wns based
on information CLEANED by tho Secrc-
t.rv from John Fiake's "A rnerieao Rev.