Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-10
funston TELLS
why He BARRED
CAMP REVEALS
commander of Border Troops
Says He Did Not Want Serv-
ices Forced on Those
Not Inclined.
REPLIES TO PREACHERS
Declares Criticism of Him Un-
Just and His Position Mis-
represented.
SOLDIERS, ARE NOT so BAD

San Antonio, Tex, Dec. o.
Major General Frederick Funston,
commanding the Department of the
South, tonight replied to Rev ]. S.
Jambrelt, secretary Of the executive
board OF the Baptist General conven-.
ton, explaining the generals reason
for not permitting revivals in the
military camps here and along the
border. Numerous Baptist conven-
tions had adopted resolutions con-
demning what they understood to
have been the generals action and
suggestions were made that President
Wilson, as commander in chief of the
army, be asked to take official cogniz-
ance of the matter. A resolution
asking for information on the con-
troversy also has been introduced in
congress,
Gives Out Copies.
General Funston gave out copies
ofthe letter to the press i'll which he
says in part:
From time to time ! have been.
receiving copies of resolutions passed
by varioHs Baptist bodies condemn
ing my opposed stand relative to
holding religious services among the
troops OH the border and also have
received a number of very unjust and
in some cases abusive letters from
clergymen of the same denomination.
Incidentally l might say that | have
had more letters approving my and
than | have criticizing it.
This whole disagreeable incident
with all of is annoyance to me, of
course, arses from the statement
made by you after your visit to the
headquarters a couple of months ago
in which you sought to obtain per-
mission to conduct series OF revivals
in the border camps.
Would Have Made no Difference.
"You stated your business to
Colonel Barnum, chief of staff. If
| Colonel Barnuin stated at that time
what denomination you belonged to,
lit made mo impression on my mind,
I and ii, he had it would have made no
difference whatever.
IL told that officer to explain fully
to you that while religious services
along the usual line were conducted
in the camps by chaplains and other
clergymen and we're welcome, I could
not give my consent to the holding of
revivals therein, giving the word, as
| was justified in doing, its usually
accepted meaning. | told Golonel
Barnum to explain to you why re-
vival services would be out OF place
in military camp, citing the dis
graceful performance in San Antonio
last winter as an example of what
revivals are apt to develop into, and
drawing to certain extent on a gen.
eral knowledge as to how revivals or
'protracted' meetings, as they are
sometimes called, are usually con-
ductsd.
Resented Implication.
81 further instructed Colonel Bar
mum to say to you that | did not ac-
cepk in fact, resented the implication
that because a man had put on his
country's uniform he was necessarily
lost, or worse than other men; that
thought there were people who
had stayed at home who needed re-
vivals worse than the soldiers did
Under the circumstances you may
imagine my astonishment when ! read
your statement to the effect that
had said that | would not allow the
soldiers to be told that hey were
los. You must know as we'll as
do that the doctrine that should be
tpreached to the men was never once
considered or mentioned, and with
all due courtesy ] feel compelled to
say that your making repeatedly the
statements you are quoted as making
as absolutely inexcusable and did me
a great injustice, The only time the
word Lost was used by me was when
| said that | did not accept the view
that because man put on his coun-
try's uniform he was necessarily lost.
y