New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-31
Accused of Sending Unfit
Men and Equipment
to the 165th
Talk of Court Martial
Twenty Absentees Return to
Camp Mills and Do
Fatigue Duty
fSta- Correspondent

CAMP MILLS, l.. l., Aug. 30.-Serious
charges may be preferred against the
colonies of two National Guard regi-
ments and the captain of another
which contributed units TO the 165th
Infantry here.
II became known to-day that adverse
criticism of the equipment Of. the de-
tachments was made in reports turned
over to Brigadier General Michael j..
Lehman, commander of the SD Bri-
gade. The reports were made by Cap
tain Curtis, the AID Division ordnance
expert.
The next step in the action against
the officers will be for General Leni-
han to turn these reports over to Major
General John F. Organ, commander
of the 9th Division, L. S. A. It is I'M
derstood that this step has been taken.
May Be Court Martialed
officers at the camp would not dis
cuss the criticism of the equipment the
New York detachments brought into
camp with them. 1t is believed here,
however, that General Organ will take
action on the reports, and officers make
no secret of the fact that they believe
there are possibilities of court martial
should it develop that the officers I'M
der fire have been guilty of dereliction
of duty.
Units of approximately $50 men each
came to join the old 69th from five
New York regiments. Men of some OF
these units came into camp without
belts, leggings, shirts and other equip
ments. Then, at inspection, it devel-
oped that an astonishingly large num-
Der of their muskets were absolutely
unserviceable. They were promptly
condemned and acquisitions were filed
for new ordnance.
Colonel Hne would not discuss the
situation in any way. 1t is known,
however, that when the officers of his
own command reported adversely on
the equipment OF some of the detach-
ments he asked General Lenihan to as
sign a man from brigade headquarters
to conduct an Independent investiga-
ton.
Captain Curtis did this. He turned
his reports over TO General Lenihan.
Some of the muskets brought in by the
men from other commands were rusted
and many were out OF gauge. General
Organ will probably make careful
investigation of the reports and then
take action should the criticism indi-
cate that there has been laxity in any
of the New York units.
II has been no secret here that the
officers of the old 69th were not at all
satisfied with the personnel OF some OF
the units sent to make up the new
l65th. 1t has been evident from the
first that many of the men were not of
the type the Goth wanted. Many of
them were mentally and physically un-
fit for the rigorous work ahead for
them. The officers of the 69th were
willing to take raw men with posi-
bilities, but some of these men, they
said, would never make soldiers.
The War Department ordered that
every seventh man on the roster of
certain New York units be sent to join
the 165th. They were to bring with
them perfect equipment.
Once. the adverse reports are in
the hands Of General Organ the next
move in any action against the Of
fcers under fire will be up TO him. II
was pointed out here to-day that il
NAV develop that the officers of the
New York units really sent the best
equipment they had to Camp Mills
with their men. If this should be
the case, that too will require investi-
cation.
Twenty Absentees Return
Twenty of the men from the 14.h
and the 23d regiments of Brooklyn
who took French leave from camp, re-
turned to-day. They were put on
fatigue duty under the eye Of the pro-
vost guard Action on their cases
will be taken shortly.
Seven hundred and fifty men, COM
prising the first battalion of engineers
from South Carolina, came into camp
at Z O'Clock tonight. They were un-
der the command of Major j. NJ.
Johnson. The South Carolina boys
become the Srst battalion Of the 1l7th
Engineer Regiment.
General w. A. Mann, who is 70 COM
mand the flrSL RAINBOW DIVISION, pdlu
his frst visit to Camp Mills this morn
ing. He brought with him a staff of
twenty-seven officers. General Mann
left for Washington after an inspec-
ton of the camp and will come here
to take over the division next week.
His staff remained in camp.
The rain ended the drill this after
noon. Major William J. Donovan took
his first battalion and fifty sets of
boxing gloves out TO the edge of
Hampstead Plains at o'clock. He had
planned an afternoon of bouts for the
men, but he ordered them back in
double time when the storm broke.
While walking along Franklin Street,
Hampstead, tonight three soldiers,
members of Company A, OF the 165th,
were struck by an automobile owned
and driven by Silas Anderson, of Nine
ola. Corporal l.. Fleming sustained a
broken hip. Corporal j. Stillans a
sprained ankle and Private Charles
Sheehy decorations of the face and