Arizona republican., 1916-12-10
Funston Makes Waym Reply
 To Dlsabb0lmted. EvaMgehst
[RepubIiean A. ?. Leased wIrel

DAN A Dec. J.--Ala- jor General Frederick Funston, com manding the department of the south, tonight replied to the Rev. J. $. Cam brell. secretary of, the executive board of the Baptist General Convention, eX- plaining the generals reason for not permitting revivals in the military camps here and along the border. Numerous Baptist conventions had adopted resolutions condemning what they understood to have been the gen erals actions, and suggestions were made that President Wilson. as com mander in chief of the army, be asked to take official cognizance of the mat ter. A resolution asking for informa- tion on the controversy also has been introduced in congress.
 General Funston gave out copies of the letter to the press in which he says in part:
 From time to time l have been re- ceiving copies of resolutions passed by various Baptist bodies condemning my supposed stand relative to holding re- ligious services among the troops on the border, and also have received 6 number of very unjust and in some cases abusive letters from clergyN1en of the same denomination. Incidentally l might say that I have had more let
 
 criticising it.
 This whole disagreeable incident. with all of it's annoyance to me, of course. arises from the statement made by you after your visit to the headuarters a couple of months ago in which you sought to obtain permission to conduct a series of revivals in the border camps. You stated your business 10 Col Barnum, chief of staff. Il Col. Barnum statesd at that time what denomination you belonged to: it made no impression on my mind and if he had it would have made no differ ence whatever
 T told that officer to explain fully to you that while religious services along the usual lines were conducted in the camps by chaplains and other clergymen and were welcome 1 could not give my consent to the holding of revivals therein, giving the word as I was justified in doing. it's usually ac- cepted meaning. 1 told Colonel Bar mum to explain to you why revival services would be out of place in a mil itary camp. citing the disgraceful per formance in San Antonio last winter as an example of what revivals are apt to develop into and drawing, to a cer- tain extent. on a general knawledge as 10 how revivals or 'protracted' meet ings. as they are sometimes called. are usually conducted.
 T further instructed Colonel Bar mum to say to you that I did not ac- cept, in fact resented, the implica ton that because man had put on his country's uniform he was necessarily lost, or worse than other men: that I thought there were people who had stayed at home who needed revivals worse than the soldiers did.
 Under the circumstances you may imagine my astonishment when read your statements to the effect that had said that l would not allow the soldiers to be told that they were lost You must know as well as I do that the sermon that should be preached to the men was never once considered or mentioned, and with all due courtesy l feel compelled 10 say that your mak- ang repeatedly the statements you are quoted as making are absolutely in- eXcusable and do me a great injustice The only time the word lost was used by me was when I said that 1 did not accept the view that because a man put on his countrv's uniform he was necessarily lost"
 Il say frankly that l would not want to take chances on allowing a series of reyivals or protracted meetings in these great camps l am justified in giving the word revival its usually accepted meaning-a series of meetings con- ducted day and night for an indefinite period with loud eXhortations and sing ing and much emotionalism.
 How about the rights of the men who do not want to attend revivals and who do not wish to be disturbed bv them? Are they to be compelled to leave the camps which is their home and wander about down town or through fields to get away from them Has a man no rights because he is a soldier? There are many religious people who disapprove strongly of re- vivals with their attendant emotional Ism And. anyhow. be man religious or lrreligious, be he Christian, Hebrew or Aohammedan, no other perssH has right to rub his belief or his worship into his face-that is. to bring it into the place where he has a right to be and where he canot escape it without abandoning that place.
 Soldiers must be protected from im- position by their superior officers, and If these officers from weakness or other reason fail in their duty their only recourse is submission or riot; and it is safe guess that the latter is what you would have got with typical old fashioned revival in any one of the camps
 Every regiment has its chaplain and 1 these practically represent every Christian denomination-man of these Continued on Page Two)