Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-04-26
MAJOR DEMANDS
EDITORS APOLOGY
CONTINUED from page one)

| we are az loss 10 understand why ! ne Reg-
isler heretofore friendly TO the college baltal-
|. ion and always protesting undoubled patrio-
tism, should send forth to the world in lis
last issue such unpalriolc and misleading
statements As you know, the writer Of the
letter Is Of German extraction; the fact that
he once served as q soldier In the federal
army lends an added suspicion to the umor
that he Is at heart pro-Geman; for an ex-
soldier who was true patriot would be en-
Coumgng not slandcIng body Of young
men who are training for national service.
The pupon OF the whole communication inn
presses one strongly Of German propaganda,
cunnIngly designed under the guise Of Civ
ing helpful criticism TO place the Middle
bury College Battalion in a false and uniayor-
able light before the public
In order to close this unfortunate incident
and to restore the cordial relations which
have heretofore existed between the battalion
and The Register Office we come to afford you
this opportunity to make apology before us
for having allowed your paper to be a means
for promulgating so fragrant and unpalrotic
Misrepresentation Of the conduct and bear
ing Of the members OF the Middlcbury Col.
legc Battalion.
No signature being appended, it was
taken for granted that the letter was
written by the Major himself in behalf
of himself and the battalion. The Reg
isters willingness to publish it, or any
other statement the Major desired to
make, was heartily expressed The
Majors intention, however was that
The Register should accept his COM
munication with its charges that the
Register harbored a suspicious person,
entirely on its own account, and it was
desired that the editor should make a
formal apology to the battalion.
The Register declined the opportun-
ity; the editor asserting that the paper
had never criticized the battalion and
having now as always, a pride in it.
felt that it could not apologize for an
ofiense it had never committed, promp-
ted or intended. The facts as to the
publication of the original letter of
criticism were explained by the editor
in an interview as follows
Leon L. SchwarZ who entered the
employ Of The Register Company
few months ago, was known by us to
have served many years in the United
States Army. Upon his entering our
employ he exhibited credentials from
number of American military officers,
testiiying to his excellent character and
service, and letter of honorable dis
charge which was dated some time
prior to the war. One of the com
mandatory letters was from the West
Point Military Academy These let
tiers were genuine. The fact that Mr..
Schwarz had seen so much military SER
vice seemed to make him recognizable
as a critic of military department. We
never detected in him any pro-German
tendencies; in fact as evidence to the
contrary, upon the outbreak of the
present war he was instrumental in or
ganlzing and drilling one of the first
companies of the Home Guard, later
incorporated as the First Vermont
Volunteer Militia at Brandon. He is
subscriber to the first and third Liber-
ty Loans and is awaiting his call to the
colors under the present draft.
"On Thursday of last week, we called
Mr., Schwarz' attention to an unusual
speech which the Major was credited
by the College Campus" with having
made. The speech rang very strangely
III our ears, as it made an American
military officer appear to be magnifying
himself or the honors he was bestowing
by linking mention of his birthday with
the comforting of promotion upon a
member OF his command 1t was Mr..
Schwarz' opinion as an ex-army man
that if the Major were in the regular
army he undoubtedly would have been
called to account for such breach of
American military etiquette. The Reg
lister, on its own initiative, made only a |
slight news mention of the unusual |
speech
Later i'll the day Mr. Schwarz APP
preached us and requested that we al |
low him to submit communication to |
The Register in friendly criticism of
the Major and the department of the |
battalion. The privilege of submit !
ting letters to The Register has al
ways been open to everyone, and all
communications having any point
to them have been accepted
and published, not on the editors re-
Sponsibility, but i'll accordance with the
neutral practice that is expected of
every editor.
The letter accordingly was written
without any prompting on our part,
and published without any question
that it was German propaganda.
Upon its publication Major McFar-
land protested; it appeared that The
Register, though disclaiming any part
in the criticism of anyone except the
Major himself, was to be held liable to
him for the letter that had been hand
ed to us. The next development was
the duly impressive appearance of the
Major and his command in force"
Learning at the editors desk that
no apology was properly to be expected
there, the officers asked, and were
permission to visit The Regis
er pressroom and to interview Schwarz.
Mr.. Schwarz's original criticisms
lad been roughly as follows:
(1 Appearance and lack of military
bearing in passage of the Battalion
through the village streets on Wednes-
lay when it had been out for a fare
veil ovation to DR.. Ross.
W That some men wore tennis shoes
instead of regulation footgear.
80 That Others were without blouses.
az That some were without caps.
(5) That some had blouses unbut-