The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-12
SENATOR SUTHERLAND REPLIES
To CRITICISMS BY CORNNELL
1.rial Dispatch 10 The IntelliScnccr.


WASHINGTON. II. T.. Feb. IL
In IN address delivered by Governor
John J. Cornwell at a banquet OF IN"
Parkersbulg Board of Commerce on
the night or the 9Th inst. he Is re-
! ported Is criuciZinG Senator Howard
: Sutherland. The latters attention
WAS called to il. and on Saturday nc
, addressed Il letter To my dear Gov
ernor" at Charleston. the following
copy being handed by the Senator TO
! the press:
II note that in one OF yG II recent
excellent addresses made at parkers-
burg Tuesday night last, YOU express
! ed disappointment that | had called
to the attention Of the Surgeon Cen
eral. when he was brought before the
Military Affairs Committee, Il letter
; written To ME by Minister of the
i Gospel OF Wheeling in which he
! cited the case of one of our West VII
ginia boys. who having died at Hat
tiesburg, Mississippi on Christmas
) Day. his body was not delivered At
Wheeling until January eth. and was
then sent charges collect with Dill
iuf $49.nO attached. His parents were
: TOO poor to pay this bill themselves
and were obliged to borrow the neces-
sary money from an undertaken.
Il want TO assure you that my call
! ing the attention OF the Surgeon Gen
eral to this matter was not done 10
any spirit of capuous criticism, Dut
VAS done in order TO prevent any such
occurrences in the future, because
believe that If practice OF this KIND
VAS permitted to continue it would
result in the SevereSt criticism and
condemnation on the part OF any or
our citizens who might happen TO
/ have boys die In our camps or else
! where while in the service would
say further that l had previously
; called the attention Of the Adjutant
General Of the Army 10 tho matter
and had left with him the original
letter in which the facts were set
forth.
al have no sympathy with the cap
tious criticism Of the war machinery
at this time, but, of course. realize
that it could not be other than IN
! imperfect instrument because II has
! so suddenly been swollen 10 great
proportions and charged with an Ut
| terly new and gigantic task. 1t IS,
however. absolutely necessary that 1t
; be made as efficient as possible and
! the sole object, believe, OF every
member of the Military Affairs Com
mittee and Of the Senate is TO assist
in this rather than to put any obSta-
ioIn i,, he 10
unduly criiciSe what is being done
have the very highest regard. per
sonally and otherwise. for Secretary
Baker. and for other officers Of his
Department who are men Of the high
est ability and patriotism. and who
are struggling 70. do their very BEST
, but they are like Senators and other
/ people, subject TO criticism and must
expect it from time TO time. Il Will
, be my effort, Of course, At all times.
TO safeguard. in every possible way,
the interests Of the boys from West
Virginia who have gone to the front,
and the families OF such, and | am
| sure that this is also your desire. and
believe that we will not be widely
at variance in the ways and means 10
accomplish this. I assure you that
shall appreciate at all times your
friendly criticism, and will BIO glad 10
give you my point OF view with ret
crcnce to any acts Of mine here"
The Wheeling soldier mentioned IN
Senator Sutherland's letter was John
Gilmore, OF WoodlaTn. Tho minis
ter mentioned is Rev w. II. Fields
OF the First Christian church.