Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-27
BAKER DENIES.
Con tissusd fsosu psWs !

COntSsSssd num poOe
House of Representative, waahins-
ton, u. c.. August 7th, ieaa,
Hon. Newton y. Baker. RsorstA7 of
war. Washington, -. G.
Mr.. Dear Mr.. Secretary: In ordsf
that my attitude toward the admin
iutration and the war program may
not bo miaconstrued by what follows
in this letter, I desirs 70 say TO you
that ainos have been = member OF
the Sixty NTH Congress l have sup
ported in every detail the program
OF tho administration and war depart
ment on the floor Of tho House.
have received 80 many letters and
personal calls regarding the trsatmcnt
which the Fifty-ninth Delaware Pio-
neer Regiment has been. and 10 rc-
ceiving at the hands OF your Depart
ment, that cannot longer refrain
from calling your attention to tho
character OF these complaints wnicn
have been made to mo by the people
of my district.
The Fifty ninth Pioneer Regiment
left Camp Mcclellan on January IL,
1918, with fourteen hundred and Six
ty-fiye men. After arrival at camp
Dix, two hundred and ninety three
men of the Delaware draft quota were
assigned TO the Fifty ninth Pioneer
Regiment out of a total or twelve
hundred and eight men. The three
hundred and eight men drafted in
March were not sent to Camp DIX
but to Ogiethorpe. So, the Fifty
ninth Regiment received none or
them. on April /. three hundred and
ten men were drafted from Delaware
and sent to Camp Dix. These men
were attached to the Delaware Regi-
ment. but not permanently. l un~
derstand that the war department or
dered these men sent to the Seventy
eighth Division, and, as the Delaware
regiment Is not a part OF this dtvi-
sion. these men will be sent to other
regiments. made up of Pennsylvania~
New Jersey and New York men.
The people OF Delaware say this
10 me You can therefore see that
every effort and excuse is made in or
der that this regiment may not re-
ceiye it's nOmber to fill ii to war
strength Had the drafted men from
Delaware been assigned to IL. as we
| understand was to be done under or
ders reassembIing the Delaware regf-
! ment. il would have had it's quota for
a pioneer regiment of infantry. Thus:
1865 list Delaware Regiment
1908 In the first draft
3Os Draft March LIST
$40 Draft April 1st-
I2S Draft April 26th.
s4l9 Total.
/ understand the number necessary
for a pioneer regiment OF infantry is
thirtv-three hundred and eighteen; so
YOU can readily see that the Deia-
ware regiment would have had the
men to have completed the organ
ization Of the regiment had the draft
cd men from Delaware been sent 10
this regiment Seventy-two men have
been taken from the regiment ana
| sen+ 10 other regiments since its ar
/ rival at Camp Dix.
| The officers ofthe Delaware regiment
! were not allowed to purchase uni
/ forms from the camp quartermas'er
until recently, and they are not al
| lowed to attend any OF the DIVISION
| schools as the regiment is not a mem
[ Der of any division. All arms aho
equipment except clothing and mess
| kits were taken from them at camp
| Mcclellan on January and new
eouinment was not given to them
until April 20 Having nothing 10
! instruct the men with. the regim en'
/ therefore was making practically no
| progress.
| am informed by constituents OF
| mine that you have made the state
| mont that YOU have no interest in the
! Delaware regiment. as they were VIII
SONS Pets" This latter statement
cannot believe, but II true, l Wan'
To know II, and if the above stated
conditions are true / want to know IT,
because If such treatment las been
accorded the Delaware regiment ps
vour department. there should De an
| end nut to il il il is within the po"e'
Of Congress 10 do SO, and | think IL Is
I am not writing this letter in any
| suirit Of criticism. but with deslf'
IN learn actual conditions and be
cause am being urged by those Wh'
| have investigated the matter TO ash
for a committee 10 investigate IN
treatment OF the Delaware Plohee
Regiment by your department.
II the charges are not true. woui'
NOT want to place myself IN the posi-
ton Of fathering such resoiuuoh
but if they are true rnose reSpoh
uhIs should be brought TO book
one other matter to which ] desir
| 70 direct your attention uhdef
stand that your department resent
the action taken by the Delaware sen
! ators and myself to re-assemple IN
First Delaware Regiment, and iron
saveral sources il has come TO me tina
the war department had 1t IN 10
,he Senators and myself, and not mut|
J effort is made to conceal such att'
tude. am almost persuaded ina
| this is true because of the treat
mont which has been accorded me
times by your department; but
- is common comment by memDer
of Congress that less courtesy
shown members by the war depart
ment that in any other departmen
of the government, naturally, i mlgh
| conclude the lack of courtesy Is IN
rule in your department ana ina
treatment I have received on occa
sions is not the unusual thing
This may be the explanation or tn
hostility of many members OF IN
House of Representatives toward you
. | aanartment which has on several oc
casions been shown on the floor @
+bo House. This matters little TO m
personally as I seldom visit your dc
nsrtnent any more, because ieei
is useless with such a feeling IN you
zoar.roary because of an honest ei