Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-27
STATEMENTS MADE AT STRAND
BY INvALlDEo SOLDIERS De.
cLAReD UNTRUE.
BOTH MEN MAKE AFFlDAviTs
SAYING THEY TOLD UNTRUTHs
Both Are Absent Without Leave and
Will Return to Dss Moinss Tonight
in Charge Of Offioer-CounoiI Of De-
Tense Acts Promptly Upon Learning
of Public uttcrances.

! Public utterances made last night at
the Strand by Privates Louis G. Ralph
and Walter +. Bruhn. invaded SOL
| diers from overseas who have been
sent to Fort Des Moincs for hospital
| treatment, got them into trouble today.
| Acting on Information as to state
| ments the men had made which were
| not at all complimentary to the Amer
| lean manner of carrying on war, the
| loyalty committee of the council OF
| defense had the men brought before
the committee this afternoon. In
| searching examination conducted by
| Chairman +. G. Pierce, of the COM
| mittee and c. II. e. Boardman the
men admitted that they had mace
statements wholly false. Both MADE
anidavlts denying the statements
made.
Ralph's Affidavit
| Private Ralphs affidavit IL as
follows:
estate Of Iowa, Marshall County, IS.
| 81 l. G, Ralph, being first duly
sworn, on oath depose and say that l
| am a private in Company, l, OF the
Ninth infantry; that am now located
| at Des Moines, in the reconstruction
hospital at Fort Des Moines, and that
am absent in Marshalltown, Iowa,
| without leave.
| IL further say that I am the person
] who made the second address at the
| Strand Theater last evening; that in
| the course of my remarks l pretended
| to quote from q speech of General
| Pershing to the effect that We were
not to take any prisoners for the rea-
| son that it costs forty cents o day to
| feed them. This statement Of mine
was absolutely and unqualifiedly I'm.
| true. General Pershing never made
any such speech that am aware of.
| II further stated, in the course of
my remarks, that the American SOL
diers had special sharp knife which
was used for the purpose Of cutting
out the German prisoners eyes or
binding them. This statement is also
false and untrue 1885,.
Il further stated, in>the course of my
remarks, that the commanding officer
| would give an order to a person having
| charge OF German prisoners. to take
them fifty miles back Of the line and
report back to the trenches in twenty
minutes. which was coupled with the
further statement of mine that tho
only way that you could do this was to
shoot the prisoners. This statement is
false and untrue, and no such order
! was ever given. irn
| Il further said that the American
! soldier In charge OF eighteen German
| prisoners was instructed to take the
prisoners and shoe them; that the
American misunderstood the order and
| took them out and shot them; and that
the officer said to him, THAT was all
! right this time. but don't let 1t occur
again." This statement Of mine as to
| any such incident Is false and untrue.
further made the statement that
America had fifty miles OF machine
| guns IN line, with the guns only five
1eet apart. This Statement is untrue.
L further made tho statement TINT
America had fifty miles Of cannon, hub
| TO hub, three deep. at the front. This
statement was untrue.
ANY statement Of mine, specific or
| general, that purported to deal with
any mistrcatment or cruelty TO prison
ers taken by the United States troona
was false and untrue. and I hereby re-
tract said statements, and assert that
Same were made without warrant and
| without authority.
Il indeed regret <1at I should have
made such statements, and tho onlv
excuse that can give is that these
statements seemed to please the crowd
ana therefore made them.
further say that am a volunteer
IN the United States army; that I en-
listed In April, 1917, and landed in
FRANCE In December, 1917, and was In
active service in tho United Statas ar
my for nineteen months; that vas
gassed In the trenches, and was In
valided back TO tho United Statas for
an operation, and that I have nsver
rully recovered either mentally or
physically from tho injuries rscetyed
while in active service,
"Iouis g, Ra,ph.-
sruhn's Statement.
The sworn statement made by
Private Rruhn Is as follows:
State Of Iowa, Marshall county. g.
Il. Walter p. Brnhn, being drst duly
sworn, on oath depose and say that /
am q private in the Fifty third, Bat
terry g, First separate brigade, Of tho
United States army, and am now To-
Gated in the reconstruction hospital at
Fort Des iMoines.
Il further say l first enlisted In tho
United States army on Nov, 8, 1917,
and re-enlisted in May, 1917, from
Wisconsin; that / landed in Franco
in September, 1917, and was in active
service for over ten months, that I
was gassed in the trenches, and sur
fered from exposure and hardship and
was invalided back to tho United
States, and am now under treatment
for the injuries thus received.
y am the person who made the
first address at the Strand Theater
on the evening Of Sept. 26, 1918, and
heard the address OF IL, G. Ralph. who
was the speaker who followed me,
certify that heard Ralph make the
statements which are contained In his
affidavit which I have heard read,
and that know Of my own personal 4
knowledge that the statements made
by Ralph arc untrue, and that tho
same should never have been made
by himI that any statement that the
United States army, its officers or
men. were guilty of any cruel and in
human treatment towards the pris-
oners they have taken, is incorrect in
every particular,
4 do not know why Ralph made tho
statements that he did, save that they
seemed. to please the crowd, and that
that was probably the cause thereofj