New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-18
.SLUR BY BAKER
AROUSESPROTEST
Continued from page I

eminent to bring these patriots to the
/ level Of Mexican bandits.
81 resent that LIBEL"
! Before presenting the resolution Mr..
Burroughs expressed his opinion pri-
! vately:
Bakers words are a disgusting ex-
| hibition of what some call American
patriotism. ! am dumfounded that the
Secretary of War, of all others, should
speak in such fashion Of the Revolu-
tfonary fathers. | would like to see his
remarks circulated among the state So
cieties the country over. / don't know
whether Baker had any ancestors in
the Revolutionary armies or not. he
talks as if they were Tories. and /
should Judge from the tone Of his
speech that perhaps he has lltue
Mexican blood in his veins also"
James de la Montayne, treasurer OF
the Sons of the American Revolution,
characterized Mr.. Bakers remarks as
"undignifed, un-American, unpatiiotic
and absolutely untrue"
Josiah c. Pumpelly, for eight years
historian of the Empire State Society
and an authority on Revolutionary
times, was consulted as TO the histori-
cal correctness Of Mr. Bakers asser-
ton.
Every Word Untrue"
81 never have heard the equal Of 1t, !"
said he. "The statement is disloyal
and untrue. every word of it. In all
of my readings and researches | have
found nothing to substantiate such
charges. The conduct of the armies Of
the lighting colonies was noble and
heroic throughout, and the winter at
Valley Forge should be revered as one
of the most sublime chapters in Amerl-
can history. President Wilson should
repudiate Baker at once
'If n man working for me made such
an assertion" said Arthur Hinman, an
; other member, I'D fire him. The same
ought to apply TO Baker, who is WORK
ing for the American people, now the
nation Washington's soldiers created
an tell you a member of our So
ciety you ought to look up and inter
view on this point" suggested W. Z.
Smith. a member Of the Seventh Regi-
ment veteran corps.
"Who7" -,
theodore Roosevelt. Teddy could
express my sentiments exactly
Secretary Admits Speech
A Tribune reporter had the follow
ing conversation over the long distance
telephone last night with Secretary
Baker, who is at Plattsburg: -,
"Ir. Secretary, The Tribune would
like to be sure that its report OF your
speech at Jersey City last night was
substantially correct
"Yes."
"The Tribune story begins like this:
The behavior of Washington's army as
il marched to Valley Forge was little
better than the conduct of the Mexican
revolutionists to-day
eyes"
"Did you, in effect, make that state
ment, Mr.. Secretary?
"No (pause). ! didn't say the men
under Washington's command. | SAID
that when Washington's troops started
their march to Valley Forge =. .
great numbers Of his soldiers desert
ed"
"Let me recall your statement to
you, Mr.. Secretary, as well as can
You said after talking about prepared.
ness): Now a word about Mexico
You spoke Of the hard task OF the
American troops-'sitting stili-and
then you said; -,
"'People say the Mehlchns uoH iu
spect fife and property. They don !.
/ 1t is said that they don't pay their
debts. They don't. That they don !
respect church property. They don't
And so on through the
/ yes"
Conditions Like Mexico
"And then you said: But people
never respect these things in revolu-
tions. We did not respect them In our
Civil War"
y "That Is substantially correct.
"You continued: 'Washington's sol
/ diers In the march to Valley Forge
stole everything they could lay their
hands on: took silver vessels out OF
the churches and sold them to buy
/ drink. They drove ministers out oil
/ the churches. Their money
az said vessels were taken from
churches-yes; | said all that, but
/ did not mean that the men under
/ Washington did it. Many deserted i
meant that conditions were like those
/ in Mexico"
"Tben you meant that the deserters
/ did these things 2" -,
""No. tpausel, don't know who did
! them"
Then what CORRECTION III my
should be made in The Tribune story"
81 think the story seems substan
/ TALLY correct, except that ] didn't say
men under Washington's command
"Mr. Secretary, will you do The Trib-
une the favor Of telegraphing the tex
/ Of your speech to our ofice--coliect!
mo. | can't do that | haven't the
/ time, for one thing"
"Have you a copy Of your speech ?"
mo, have not; neither copy nor
notes"