The diamond drill., 1918-06-22
SORRY PUBLICAT'N
WAS Permitted
ADIuTAHT GENERAL SAYS BOARD
MAS WRONGFULLY CENSURED
NOT SENTIMENT OF ALL
Y. N. c. A. Worker Who Accom-
panied the Contingent Denies
All Boys Were Discontinued

We stated in last weeks issue that
we would publish this week the let
ters which we expected, but did not
receive last week. The first letter in
order is that from Adjutant General
Bersey. The telegram that he refers
to is not published for military rea-
sons, but anyone who wishes to know
its contents may read 1t by coming to
the office. Suffice 1t to say that Gen.
Bersey made protest to Washington
on the equipment that the government
furnished and the telegram is in re-
ply to his protest and denies his re-
quest for other equipment. The let
ter OF Gen. Bersey follows:
] The Diamond Drill,
| Crystal Falls, Michigan.
, Dear Sir: In response to your let
ter OF June Sth. enclosing clipping OF
the Iron River-Stambaugh Reporter.
1 regret that such publication was
permitted, inasmuch as the facts are
as follows:
Under the selective service regula-
tions the duty OF the local board is to
assemble the men TO designate lead
| ers; to provide transportation re-
quests to point OF destinations; 10
1 nrnvida trapgnnrtatfOn ,ao,oa.. g.
sleeping accommodations IL the travel
requires more than twenty-four hours; !;
to provide meal tickets to cover the
| meals required.
The federal government provides
| schedules for rail transportation and
local boards are not permitted to de-
viate therefrom. These schedules in
dicate the feeding points and the
methods of furnishing meals, or
lunches enroute. The local board is
not permitted to deviate from this.
The federal government provided
sleeping arrangements and when the
local board has furnished the trans
portation request covering such, its
duty is completed. At this particular
time, sleeping cars are insufficient to
cover travel and, therefore, in many
instances long Journeys must be ac-
complished In day coaches. The fol-
lowing telegram is quoted for your
Information, and 1t may be referred
TO, should you so desire, I'm some pub
lication, but as II Is an official com
munication, Il is desired that you do
not reproduce II in toto, as 1t Is in
formation that is not desired 10 be al.
lowed in any way to get to enemy
ears, as II could be used for their
beneit.
The foregoing telegram speaks for
itself, and was the result OF many ef-
forts from this office TO procure sleep
Ing car transportation for this partic-
ular movement. II can be readily seen
that as 80 many tourist cars are re-
quired for east and west troop move
ments using from four to eight or ten
days, or longer, per trip, that the use |
OF such cars on north and south trips |
OF twenty-four TO thirty-six hours in
duration would be very difficult to pro
cure. II Is also a fact that while there
are not enough sleeping cars 10 cover
all these movements, many standard
sleepers have been withdrawn from
ordinary passenger service and con-
Verted for the time being into tourist
sleepers for use by the government IT
soldiers.
You have seen the railroad sched-
lies and you know from them the ar
'angemefts made to feed men on these
rips. The local board merely fur
fishes the meal tickets and the gov
through It's control OF the
'ailroads, furnishes the food. There
re unforeseen contingencies arising on
recount OF the large movements which
ometimes cause trains to be late and
hus these meals and lunches arc not
yailable az the usual meal hour.
his is an incident OF soldering that
; quite common. and is not usually
OF by soldier. as he soon
earns to cat whenever food is avail
bic and to try and retain always
ONE avgilable until the next luppiy