New-York tribune., 1918-03-13
ship carried roster of those aboard, but
the roster sank with the ship" etc.


Department. That list gave the name and
designation of every one on board, soldier
or civilian, excepting the crew, whose
nemos were on file in the Cunard Offices.
The War Department did not publicly
announce that "it did not know precisely
what units had sailed aboard the Tus-
cana." The War Department knew and
told the press what units aboard.
1t is true that the ship carried roster.
| and SO far as is known, the roster sank with
the ship; but duplicates of this roster were
on file in the War Department.
1t is not true that "after many days and
nights nobody, least of all Mr.. Bakers de-
partmcnt, knew who were saved and who
were lost" The survivors were landed at
many points on the coasts cf Ireland and
Scotland. AS fast as they could be gath
I cred together their names cabled to
the War Department. In giving their
names to the newspapers there was no more
delay than was necessary to insure that the
information should be accurate.
1t is not true, as the editor of "Collier's
Weekly" writes further: Each man wore
metal tag on his wrist, but by dispensa-
tion of Mr.. Bakers humanitarianism the
tag was blank" The regulations of the
War Department require the captain of
each company to that his men wear
metal identification disks cord around
the ncck-not the wrist. If these disks
were missing or blank it was by no "dis-
pensation of Mr. Bakers humanitarianism."
1t was in contravention # his orders. In
brief, the editor of "Collier's Weekly' has
written a series of unmitigated misstate-
ments about the sinking of the Tuscana
and the work of the War Department. The
government has no power of censorship to
suppress such falsehoods. 1t has. no power
to punish the editor who writes them or
the publisher who issues them. 1t can only,
by making known the truth, attempt to
counteract the work which "Colliers" ap-
parently desires to do toward weakening the
faith of the American people in the gov
ernment and its war measures. Why "Col-
lier's" should wish to dc this the editor
and publisher know best. Why they should
use such bald falsehoods in order to attain
their end is also their secret. But the read
ers of "Colier's" should understand that
the periodical is abusing their confidence
as grossly if it were a paid German or
gan circulating pro-German SANDERS
On February 16 Haywood Broun, corre-
spondent of The New York Tribune, pub
lishcd an account of how the War Depart
ment had assigned eighteen major generals
to one ship sailing for France readjust-
ment was made, he said, that only five
went on the boat. He continues: "'But'
said the man who told the story, that wasn't
, the funniest part of it. Code messages were
sent to each of the major generals ordering
him to be ready to start for overseas SER
vice a specified date, and twelve of the
eighteen replied over the open wire, in un-
adorned English, 81 will be ready to sail for
France on -" and added the date men
toned in the code mcssage.'"
This was not very serious SANDER 1t
merely convicted the War department Of
ridiculous inetfcency and made twelve
major generals look like anonymous idiots,
But the fact is that the War Department
does not transport its forces overseas. That
is done by the navy. The War Department
does not assign officers to the ships on
which they SAIL That is done by the COM
mander of the port from which the ship
leaves. The War Department merely mott
fles the officer to report for duty at the
port; he may not sail for weeks after ar
irving there Consequently, the department.
would not wire him in code and he would
not need to answer in code. In fact. Hev-
wood Broun's story was complete false
hood.
After he had printed it he was notified
that it was impossible He now renl;es in
The Tribune: 81 am sorry to have written
an anccdote which was untrue but tho con-
dltlon which it was meant to attack EXISTS
mere Is not enough secrecy about imnor
tant matters of military information md
too much about things which would he tro-
mendously useful in America and of no use
in Germany" WV
now ooes an accusation that the War
department assigned eighteen major oon
erals to one ship prove that there is "not
pho,,&
military information" or too much ahou+
other things? How is the lack of socrocv
or the superabundance of it proved against
tne war Department either by the code
wire to the major generals or bv tbe;r
answers! Would it be unnecessary oauton
for the department to wire a Saline data
IN code? Or do the uncoded replies nrove
the War Department guilty of u lack of
secrecy! Not at all. Haywood Broun's ex-
planatlon iss merely as false as the storv
for which he apologizes A'
He and The Tribune have been b,,s,, fou
some time with a campaign to make tbo
war department ridiculous in the ovos 80
the american people, and to that end he
all" ING tribune have not hestated to
publish any story that came tn bord
whether it was true or not Th;u ""o' :
patriotic contribution toward winn;no ~
war Tor which America should be rrntofn1
1t is not within the province Of tho
committee on Public Information to renlv
to criticisms of the Administration. It ;s
within the province of the committee to
reply to and expose falsehoods about +bo
government and its war measures. .whethar
these f"lsehoods are circulated by naid
German propagandists or by those whose
aims are other than German, thouph the;r
weapons are not Such publicists in Ger.
many would probably be quickly called h.
tore firing squad Here they must be ,cft
TO face the reproof of popular indipnntior
me committee, accordingly, has cited tha
eaitors and publishers and writer's named
above hefnrn tho n,orul c.. .tcu