New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-19
Mrs. Humiston's Charges

o Il
Mrs. Grace Humiston is now beginning
tn back away from her seml-hysterlcai
charges of immortality at Camp Upton and
other military camps. She has so lar not
produced scntilla Of evidence to support
tor doscrintion of conditions at Upton
General Bell has called on her for speci-
fcations and proof. But she has re-
Trained from answering him and Is now
parleying with Washington over request
N 90 there and tell the War Department
what she knows about immortality IN and
near the camps. She demands that she
rece;ve an invitation directly from Secre-
tarv Baker. and suggests that he now give
her an assignment as special camp IN
vestigator
II would be deplorable error to turn
loose on such duty woman as reckless
in her surmises as Mrs. Humiston seems
N he. She says now in her telegram 70
RAYMOND B. Fosdick, the director OF the
Commission on Training Camp Activities
that she made no serious charges against
limited States soldiers" Yet the charges
which she sponsored were nothing II not
sensational. They were apparently OF the
same cloth out of which were constructed
the charges current in England at the
time when the first Kitchener armies
went into camp. The British public took
a. fare value for while the rubbish cir
culated about a vast army Of British war
r,otbersY But il was quickly demon
strated that this army was almost entirely
imaginary. There were many Mrs. Hum
istons on the job in England for couple
Of months. Then the facts caught up
with their imaginative outgivings.
The United States entered this war late,
and has been able to profit from the be-
ginning by the experience Of the other
belligerents. One lesson we have thor
oughly learned-that concerning the vital
importance of clean conditions of life for
the soldiers. From the military as well
as the social point of view vice is an
enemy which a nation at war must fight
without quarter. It's ravages are as much
to be feared as the ravages of shell fire.
Probably no nation has ever before gone
to war with so firm determination to
stamp out the sort of vice which has been
heretofore tolerated in armies and about
camps than the United States has shown
since il declared war on Germany. Read
the records of our other wars and you will
find nothing like it
The most extensive provision has been
made for hygiene in camps, for clean liv-
ing and for healthful diversion. Ath-
letics. moving picture shows, canteen and
club facilities, all have contributed to
create more natural camp conditions and
more wholesome atmosphere. Camp life
has become far more attractive and re-
spectacle than it ever was in the old days.
Intoxication has been nearly suppressed
and the more brutal impulses of soldier
ing. as the world has previously known it,
have been kept in check.
It would be a scandalous and disloyal
thing to spread baseless charges indicating
that all this exemplary humanitarian work
has gone practically for naught. There is
nothing to show that it has failed to pro-
duce the most salutary effects. The War
Department would know, the hundreds Of
camp workers would know, the soldiers
in the camps themselves would know if
there had been, in spite of all the effort
made at betterment, a relapse 10 the de-
plorable conditions Of the past. We do not
believe there has been a relapse of this
sort. Vice cannot be stamped out all at
once. But manifestly the morale of our
new armies is higher than the morale Of
any other armies we have ever had. Any
sweeping intimation to the contrary runs
against all surface evidence and all the
probabilities. 1t should not have been
made, even in the most guarded way, with
cut the amplest backing of facts.
In our opinion Mrs. Humiston has SLAM
dered the great body Of the men now in
our training camps. Instead Of giving her
an opportunity 10 pursue further her inves-
legations Of army immortality, the War De-
partment ought 20 compel her 20 uncover
her evidence, if she has any. The reputa,
ton Of the new armies is precious 20 them
" end 70 the country. It should be cleared
Immediately Of the stigma put upon it by
what sounds like the idle chatter of an
irresponsible muck-raker.