The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-05-11
RECRUITING
To
Be REVISED
Maj. Phelps Says Com
plants, If True, Are
Justified
WANTS POLICE
TO TAKE A HAND
City Hall Tent Is Not
Under Control of
the Army

Backing Mayor Marx in his
criticism OF the recruiting methods
employed by the Patriots Of 1917 az
the city hall recruiting tent. Msjor
+. r. Phelps. who has charge ~ On.
listing tnen for the army in The De.
troit district, said Thursday that me
practice OF calling men towards and
using improper and indecent lam
guage 10 encourage enllstments VAS
entirely out OF place
IT'S all wrong" said the major.
speaking OF the complaints that had
come To the mayors once concern
ing drunken men being permitted
10 take the platform 10 address the
crowd IN front OF The recruiting tent.
rhe major called Al the mayors
once AZ $3.50 O'Clock. but the mayor
had not vet returned from lansing
George T. CASTOR, past command
or Of the Spanish. war vet
Grams. was the first person the major
encountered in The city executive
once.
NO one is more anxious than !
am 10 stimulate recruiting said Mt
CASTOR 10 Major Phelps "bu,
recruiting should be- done un
der proper and decent condi
ions Some OF the things tha,
5ave happened in front OF the city
ball in tho last few days are moth
ng less than a disgrace 10 the city,
md how does anyone expect good.
clean cut men 10 be enlisted when
they are called towards and names
much worse by drunken men in sol
diers uniforms During the last few
DAYS ! have witnessed many dis
graceful scenes from The window <
" the mayors offie, and personally
made complaint 70 him concerning
some Of tho things that were taking
place in front of he recruiting
toni
Let The police arrest the first
drunken man who causes trouble in
front OF the, recruiting tent and aft.
cr two or three such arrests there
will be- no further trouble. said the
major in reply Your complaint is
really the hrst concrete one that
has been made 10 me personally. al
tho Mrs Galley said something sey.
cral days ago about a drunken man
interfering with the recruiting.
The tent in front OF the city hall
is entirely our OF my Jurisdiction.
Tho n'en n uniform about the re-.
cAnt,ng ient arc not in my charge
rs every one of IN. IS men ! have
in Detroit are used In my once
- agree with YOU that the meth.
DDS Of recruiting should be- changed.
II all The reports that have come 10
tho mayor are based on fact"
The major said that the men in
uniform seen regularly around the
recruiting station are mlitiamen.
most of them from the Thirty Arst
and 1hirty.third infantry 10 was
suggested 10 Tho major that the
army should place commissioned
officer or someone with authority A.
the tent 10 take charge Of tho On.
listments. as the city hall station
nov ic sending on An average Of
100 recruits day to army head
quarters. about so OF which arc ac.
copied daily.
One complaint 10 The mayor told
~ man in uniform dragging a flag
around in the mud in fun view Of a
crowd OF spectators with only one
90 two raising their voices IN pro.
test
Major Phelps saws. howcvcl thai
thr recruit, which have been cnt
20 him from the tent arr of tert
high quality and thar fully So per
cent of them are acceptable He
also says that about 50 per cent o.
all the recruits he is getting are rec
commended by those In the tent