St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1918-08-17
COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF SER
BIAN EXPEDITION NOT
YET DECIDED ON.

Press interview of the Secretary
of War, August 8, 1918:
II went West to confer with Gen.
Graves. Gen March announced to
you yesterday that he was going to
head the force to Vladivostok, and
had him meet me in Kansas City SO
that we might have conference.
"While in the West I visited Leav-
enworth. I have always been very
much interested in the problem
there, and l am especially interested
in it now, because with this very
large increase in the Army of course
the number of young men who are
likely to go there for breaches OF mil
isary regulations will be increased.
have long regarded Leavenworth
as one of the most progressive and
hopeful institutions for dealing with
delinouents that there is in the
world. know no place where l
think the discipline is more helpful
than at Leavenworth, and the return
ct men to the Army through the dis
culinary barracks is really just as
fine a thing as l know of anywhere.
l do not know of any retormatory
institution that does as fine work as
Leavenworth. I saw the disciple
nary battalion training, about 500
r.cn sent to Leavenworth for various
infractions of military. law, a I'd they
are a body of the most splendid.
suple-bodied, bright-eyed young men
you can find anywhere.
Reporters Not Indispensable.
II do not see sny conscientious
cbjectors at Leavenworth; think
most of them have gone tc Fort
Riley.
with regard to the question as to
whether newspaper reporters are
men engaged in nonessential work.
do not hesitate to say that tue
gathering Of news is an indispens-
able industry, but whether certain
person is indispensable to that In
dustry l think must be determined
upon the facts. l think the question
of his indispensableness would de-
pend upon the possibility Of replac-
ing him. l know the situation In
Cleveland rather better than most
places, and there are on each OF the
newspapers there men OF consider
able years, beyond the draft age. aud
l should imagine there were good
many men in Cleveland VINO would
be able to do pretty expert news
paper reporting. II you can get
enough older men to take their
places. the younger men would not
be indispensable"
Serbian Expedition.
Regarding the commander in CHIEF
for the Serbian expedition, the Sec
rotary asid:
/ should suppose the ranking
officer would be the Japanese gen
eral. l understand they are going
to send a lieutenan. general and we
are sending a major general. and un'
doubtedly the officer of the highest
rank will preside q. any conferences.
Whether there will be any more def
mite commander in chief l do not
know. I infer from the Presidents
statement that the size of the Japan
ese force will be approximately the
same as our own.
"The enlargement of our military
program was based upon study Of
the subject made by the military rep
resentatives of the supreme War
council. and recommendation from
them.
IAN announcement regarding the
parts of our enlarged pro-
gram will be made soon.
"The Secretary OF the Navy and
have discussed the question CT ex-
tending the draft 70 cover the men
needed for the Navy informally but
no conclusion has been reached. l
should not be willing to say anything
nm this subject except by conference
and concurrence with him."
Try the Farmers want ad. colum.
II will bring you the best Of results