The sun., 1917-11-17
Major.Gen. Bell Questions
Mrs. HmmistOn'S Claim
About 600 Girls.
VAIN HUNT FOR VICTIMS
Officers Condemn "MaliciOus
Stirring Up Of Distrust of
Camp System"

CAMP UPTON. l.. L., Nov. 16.-Stren-
uous denial OF a statement credited to
Mrs. Grace Humiston regarding i'm
moral conditions at Camp Upton was
made tonight in signed statement
given out by Major-Gen. j. Franklin
Bel. The commanding General en-
phatcaly declared that every possible
means Of safeguarding the morals OF
both soldiers and women visitors was
being exercised and that there had
never been reported to him the slight
es, suspicion of any vice.
The charge that aroused the ire Of
beth men and officers here was made
hast night in New York at a banquet
Of the Woman Lawyers Association and
contained the allegation that AT one
of the camps there are 600 girls who
arc about to become mothers. while re-
ports have reached here of seven girls
similarly situated who have died at
Camp Upton" and that the speaker
knew Of the facts as to two of the cases
and that she was going to Camp Up
others"
Officers high in command were out
spoken in their condemnation of the
author OF the statements. branding her
as "mallciously stirring up grave dis
trust of our training camp system with
out any apparent investigation. Ger
tAinly more feeling has been aroused
over the accusations as to lax moral
regulations than has been experienced
at any time during the two months the
csltonment has been in operation.
The indignant denials OF the army
officers and men are sQuarely sub
sisn,ia,ed ny the head Y. NJ. G. A, sec
retaries and the Y. W. c. A. hostesses.
without exception all The, semi, ~
csilians associated WITH us4 carifS MA
particularly with ita na0nn2. snn11n
ual upbuildng have declared thai Camp
Upton is above the slightest suspicon
a. to vice and temperance conditions
and that the entire eantonment is as
clean as II is physically possible to
make 1t.
The camp itself including 5000
scres and a territory extending roughly
for five miles round. is under the active
military control Of the camp comma nder.
Within this area there are no saloons
Or vice resorts OF any kind and. in the
neighborhood towns outside the district
working agreement is being perfected
with the several loca authorities. Ever
since the camp was established New
York city has been flooded with wild
rumors about suicides. sunrise shootings
and attempts 70 poison wells and abso-
npfOnnle6 tala ~ . h
conditions. poor care Of troops. had food
and vice.
Investigation has shown that they
nave all been spun out OF exactly the
eame yarn. To date there has never
neen single gunshot wound case In
the hospital. There has never been one
general court-martial case, mailing the
sunrise shooting disobedience Of orders'
TO the Ananias mast. In place ~ the
suicides that city tongues have been busy
waggins about for six weeks there has
been exactly one suicide. which occurred
las, week. the result of dementia praecox
originating in childhood.
only Eight Deaths In Two Months.
Altogether there have been but eight
heaths among the soldiers in the camp
hospitals. Three Of these died OF alco-
hoiic psyChosis. three as n result OF the
'rain wreck, one from pulmonary tuber-
euloss and the eighth committed suicide.
One other soldier died in a New York
hospital AS the result OF injuries received
while on leave In New York.
Accurate comparative figures from
Washington show that Camp Upton is
The hcalthiest OF all of the great ma
tional army cantonments At present
There are less than 200 in the hospital
or confined in barracks for minor ills
less than | per cent. of the total oSG93
men in camp. In the Regular Army
anything less than per cent. Of men
On sick lists IL considered first rate. In
every way the War Department. through,
ho'h us army officers and civilian aids
Nas looked after every detail of tho
health. entertainment and moral sides oi
'he selected men. And on this account
w" Humiston statement aroused the re.
sentiment that II did.
ten. "-Ii'. s'"t~m-nt
Gen Bell's statement follows:
From Mrs Humis,on's statements
ana the questions she asked the average
reader might easily he led crroneously tc
assume that no one connected with train
ing camps had foreseen any danger
70 unprotected women or that an liat
been Indifferent to such danger; tina
no Steps whatever had been taken Il
guard against such dangers. think Il
""l. therefore. that the public shOul,
pn"w that the Secretary of War him
Hl' lS long ago rs May 80, issued mos
comprehensive instructions In detail
which d"alt WITH tho regulations gov
'rnlng the prohibition Of alcoholic li1,ior,
ear or IN military camps and Tor III,
prevention Of 'h" social evil within sucI
distances of said places as might b.
eeSirna'ed by the President
In this letter he also called attent.o,
70 the fact that he had charged III,
commission On Training camp activ'tic
with the duty of cooperating with com
'n"odtrg officers expressly for the pur
pos" ~ preventing Immortality. Tni
comm 'ssion has sent special fem NJ
agents 20 all camps whose sole duty
'o look after the protection OF wOmc,
around camps and to guard axains
anticipated dangers.
Ev~rt Pr-rnwtton Il Tskes.
II Enfso the duty OF military pole
10 "'trh- s,<.h matters carefully and Il
'Gd iion taIus rrerautions IL In not nd
usab'e trr.-trclose are taken by al
he miIitarE arEEHbort!es, using facliitle
3 co"'inEs3yET TAtrd Pogc.