Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-10
NEXT INCREMENT
70 Be CALLED ON
FIRST OF MONTH
This II Opinion OF STAFF OF Officers at
Camp Dodge as Buildings
Are Finished.
MORAL CONDITIONS ARE econ
gepor' uf State Council OF Defense
shows Surroundings to Be
Free From Vice.
Special 20 The Argus.)

IN buildings at Camp Dodge COM
,latsa staff officers at the cantonment
yesterday figured that the next mere
~onl of selective soldiers probably
could DE ordered to report here
Dee
Previous 20 this time it was con-
alderpl probable that the draft army
men would be instructed to report on
Nov I5 but because Of the fact that
the c4utonment was not completely
finished until yesterday, officers
changed their opinion.
The vicinity OF the cantonment at
Camp Dodge is free from immortality
and vice
This rs the statement Of Colonel j.
?. Harbeson, commanding the mill
tary police. to Major General E. H.
pummer, following a letter from the
state Council of National Defense to
Che general inQuiring as to the truth
of rumors TO the effect that houses
near The big army camp we're being
used for immoral purposes.
Rumors derogatory to Camp Dodge
aud vicinity, originating both inside
and outside the cantonment and being
circulated far and wide, are doing
much harm and retarding the work of
training the men from Iowa, Mime
sofa. North Dakota and part of Illi-
mol, for their part in the world war
against aut0Cracy.
Under Strietest Law.
Major w. A. Graham, division Judge
advocate, in referring to unfounded
rumors said
For some unknown reason people
seem 30 believe that the camp is a
great mysterious institution, operat.
ihg under It's own code Of law, under
DO obligation to let the people know
what Is going on within its precincts
This is absolutely untrue. The mill
tarv organization here is operating
under the strictcst Of iaw--that Of tht
federal government 1t is under obi
CATION 10 Jet the friends and families
Of these thousands Of men know wha
is going on and under what c0ndi
tons they are living There has beef
no attempt made to restrain the pub
fishing of news Of any kind with tn,
exception OF that which pertains q
movements of troops, arms, equipmen
0r information which might be o
value to the country's enemies"
There are 300 military police o.
duty at the cantonment and in De
Moines Also there is a force of dep
uty sherifs with headquarters nea
Che camp
Recently a member OF the govern
ment ON training camp activities Wis
he'd Camp Dodge Neither militar
nor civil authorities knew Of his pres
Cure
Before leaving, this gentleman dror
ned a.o the Headquarters of the mi
itary police and made himself know
to- Colonel Hsrbeson, stating he ha
found conditions TO be excellent
Colonel HarbesOn'S Views.
Colonel HarbesOn's letter TO Ger
eral plummcr follows:
1 "Iu compliance with divisiO
frs. endorsement on letter, dated DC
a. from chairman Iowa Council {
National Defense, the following II
port lis submitted:
The letter states there are persis
ont reports going around from mout
10 mouth in the state to the effect thi
tle farm houses around Camp DodE
are used for immoral purposes. Tn
] do not believe, but am writing yc
10 see IL there is some way we ca
combat the verbal reports that {
from mouth 10 mouth in isolated con
muniuCs and villages in the state
This matter has been thorough
investigated and il is determined tn
there is no foundation whatever fl
the report
Camp Closely Watched.
I2I since the beginning OF L
camp the military police have kept
special lookout for just such Trims
There has never been the slighte
Indication that such practices ext
and this Office is convinced there h
never been a single case of anythii
u. This kind in the vicinity of I
camp Iu addition TO the military 7
lice there have been four deputy sht
ils constantly on duty in and ne
The camp for the purpose of keep
the vicinity clean and proper. The
gentlemen have their secret agents
work night and day and report tt
they have been unable to find any in
cations whatever OF wrongdoing. II
office is also in touch with secret 81
vice men Of the offices of the constr,
tins quartermaster and contracto
These gentlemen report nothing
the kind The federal authorities ha
provided a United States commission
who bas,Bn office in the camp, beft
whom violators of the law can
taken at once.
go There is IN the city Of Wa
ington a commission on training cal
activities, the members of which VI
The various camps and nearby tow
and cities for the purpose OF Learnt
and reporting vice conditions. A me
Der Of this commission recently sp
more than week In the vicinity
this camp and IN Des Moines. He
bis business were unknown both
The officers Of the camp and the
officials. Before leaving, this gent
man called at the headquarters OF
military police aud made the sta
ment that the surroundings OF the s
Riers IN the city and IN the camp {
vicinity could not be more free III
vice. lt'might be added that II is
solutely known there is no sale OF
ioXicating liquor to soldiers In
camp or the immediate vicinity
JAMES p HARRISON,
- Frxk tr~tf ~ A