The sun., 1917-08-31
CAMP DESERTIONS
h INVOLVE OFFICERS
Irregularities Alleged in Sc
lection Of Men to Create the
165th Regiment.
REPRIMANDS ARE LIKELY
Glen. Bell Urges Leniency for
Leave Takers, Many Of
Whom Return.

Two Colonels and a number Of other
National Guard officers may be repr1-
manded as sequel to the action OF l1o
mllitlamen in leaving Camp Mills. Min
cola, without permission. according 10 q
report from the camp last night. In
deed II was rumored that charges al
ready had been preferred against GER
tain officers OF regiments which gave
men-by command--to the old sixty
ninth. now the 165th
The basis of the alleged complaint Is
a report that In some instances the Of
ncial Instructions issued for the selec-
tion Of infantrymen to be sent TO create
the 1s5th regiment were not followed.
II is limited that raw recruits and men
whose records were not OF the best were
deliberately selected.
In Increasing the number OF men In
the Sixty-nnth for creation of tho l6bth
transfers were made from the Four
teenth and Twenty-third regiments OF
Brooklyn, and the Seventh and Seventy
first OF Manhattan. Each Of these ex-
cept the Seventh was represented among
the men who took French leave the
other day,
Col. Norton Enters Denial.
Col. Hewlett. Of the Fourteenth. wa
at Sheepshead Bay last night Col
Bates Of the Seventy-nrst was at Van
Cortlandt Park. and an effort TO reach
Col Fisk Of the Seventh was unsucess-
full, but Col Frank II. Norton asserted
smphatically that no complaint could be
made against any officer OF his reg1-
.rnent. the Twenty-third.
'srhA men sent from the Twenty
third were detailed in strict accordance
With the orders sent me-" said Col
Norton. "The instructions werI plain
and no option was given ME. Otherw.se
SHOULD not have transferred all Of
the men whom I did transfer. for some
Of them had been in my regiment as
long as eight or ten years and hated
to lose them. My conscience Is abso-
lutely clear"
From another source II was learned
that selections were made by lot. New
company rosters were prepared alpha
beticaliy and men were taken on . pro
rata basis. according to the size Of the
company. Usually each sixth or sew
enth man in the list was selected for
transfer. providing the instructions were
followed to the letter In each case.
Gen. Ben II Confederate.
Major-Gen- J. Franklin Bell, until re-
Gently commander Of the Eastern De-
partment, would not denounce the young
soldiers who had left without permission.
they are not slackers." he said, nor
are they unpatriotic. am sure they
want TO servo their country a. patriot
icaliy a. any other citizens. Their pro-
cetfure shows simply that they have not
the slightest conception Of what being .
rsai soldier means. No real solder ever
yas Guilty Of such childish conduct
These men have yet to learn by dis
agreeable experience that the first quail
ity OF Q soldier II to bear and forbear
many thingA"
Tho pedigrees Of soma Of the men who
returned to Camp Mills last night were
recorded and there was a report from
MineolA that the tate comers had been
placed in a detention camp to await
action By . court Of inquiry. Earlier
IN she day and on Wednesday night
other prodisals had reported. It is not
certain that offictal action Of . radical
nature will be taken against them, but
their own comrades are treating them
to one Of the disagreeable experiences
10 which Cen Bell may have referred.
Temper Of Men Ru@ed.
The returning men already are being
dubbed slacksrs and cutters and have
been made the object of abusive Ian
guage by camp mates who feel that their
actions have cast unjust reflections on
the regiment and its morale which, In
general. 10 OF the highest type.
Tho temper of the mass of soldiers
who remained faithful was rufYled
further yesterday by an unofficial re-
port that as . result Of the French
leavetak!ng OF the 10. the 165th had
lost its chance. II Is rumored that but
for these defections the officers would
have been advised before this that the
regiment was to leave for France at an
early date. This story, though unveri-
hed, v having its affect on the feelings
Of the men.
Major-Gen Mann arrived At Camp
Mills at noon yesterday and at once took
over command from Brig. Gen. Lenihan.
Following tho brief ceremony the two
eenerals entered . motor car and drove
to the city to aaa tha parade of fhe