New-York tribune., 1918-01-09
Courts Martial Official
Brands Methodist Charges
as Untrue
Baker to Demand
Reports Be Proved
Daniels Vigorously Refutes
Report of Intoxication
Among Sailors

w 'HAGAAAA~ ~ OAr coi'' o. ~
American army in France has been
singularly free from intemperance. 1t
has enjoyed higher rate for sobriety
than the forces at nome. There have
not been more than six reports of
courts martial Of officers in Pershing's
command on the charge of intoxication.
The trials of enlisted men for intoxica-
tion have been even less than this.
There has been no wholesale intoxica-
tion among the overseas armies such
as would justify the statement pub
lished by the Methodist Temperance
Board"
This is the answer made to The Trib-
une to-day by an American army off,
Ger informed on all courts martial to
the charges published in the temper
ance boards clip sheet Of December Is.
The answer was based on careful
perusal of the record of the department
on military trials in the overseas
forces.
1t became known o-day that the pol
icy of the judge advocate generals
Office since the entrance Of America
into the world war has been to recon-
mend immediate dismissal Of all Off
GERS found guilty of intoxication while
on duty. This recommendation is made
even stronger when the offending Off
Ger is found to be assigned to duty in
France. With the overseas forces, Off
GERS intoxicated on duty or while on
leave are Immediately dismissed from
the service upon the charge being
proven before military court, it was
asserted.
Dismissed at Once
Any action of an officer that tends to
bring disgrace upon the service or to
bring it into disrepute is punishable by
immediate dismissal, it was authorita-
lively announced at ,he department.
Secretary of War Baker said
mo reports from General Pcrshing
or from any other source have been
received of conditions as charged by
the Methodist Board of Temperance. l
have been IN direct communication
with General Pershing, and | do know
other side to provide our soldiers with
the same healthy environment as that
at the. camps on this side.
These are wholesale charges stating
no facts, giving no names or places,
and l cannot enter into controversy
with an anonymous and an indefinite
thing"
While the War Secretary declined to
dignity the temperance boards charges
with straight denial, clecting rather
to ignore the accusations, Deets Pick
oft editor of tho
declined to withdraw any of the state
ments printed in the December Is issue
of "The Clip Sheet"
Secretary of the Navy Daniels was
emphatic in his denals of drunkenness
of sailors while on leave.
Such situation could not be scri
ous without the knowledge of Admiral
Sims" said Mr.. Daniels. "If conditions
we're as pictured, Admiral Sims would
notify the Navy Department mmedi-
ately, and there would be wholesale
courts martial. Nothing of the kline,
has occurred
retary of the War Work Council Of the
I. M. c. A., who has spent much time
abroad since this country declared war
against Germany, joined with others
yesterday IN condemnation and denials
OF the Methodist charges that Ameri-
can troops in France were given to
drunkenness and depravity.
twenty-five intoxicated soldiers in
american uniforms seen at different
places IN the streets of London" he
said, might tend to create the i'm
preston that drunkenness was general
among them. But what are twenty
hve soldiers compared with the numbe,
we have abroad? Are we to Judge the
morality of the majority by an in.
finitesimal small minority?
Another who denied the charges was
the Rev. DR.. Robert Davis, membe,
of the American Red Gross Commits
the commission under Henry Y. Davi
son. SILLY and grossly exaggerated, ;
was the way he characterized the state
mentt. From my own experiences ),
he said, II can say that the moral an,
physical condition OF the America,
troops in Europe is the highest anc
best OF any armed force in the world
Senator Kendrick, of Wyoming, who
with Senator Kenyon, of Iowa, was il
france last November--a period en-
braced in the charges against Ameri
n can troops made by Methodist temper
ance advocates-said to-day:
Conditions Exaggerated
Il think the conditions have bee,
grossly exaggerated. But perhaps tn
charges are based on letters from per
sons who have observed thing whicl
forced itself on my attention while
was there. In Paris there were son
hundreds OF men-it seemed like thou
sands-who were wearing America
uniforms, but who were not actuall
in the army You could see these fel
lows going down the street, with girl
on their arms, having an uproario u
time. Seeing few of those would ere
ate quite . false impression. The poin
is that every man who wished to q
near the front lines for any purpos
had to wear a uniform. so that man
men were uniformed who were not j
the army, and many of them wore uni
forms which differed very slight
from officers uniforms. Just befor
we left the authorities rounded up %
Of these men, giving them the alte,
native Of en!isting or facing troubl.
Most OF them, believe, enlisted
"Now there may have been somc nil
1ntemperance. as WIS natural in view o
the glorious welcome after a dangcrou
Representative Medll Mccormick, o
Illinois, also expressed surprise at tn
sweeping charges of drunkenness.
Travelling constantly, as | did,
said Mr. Mccormick. "my opportunte
to observe were naturally limited. Blu
] heard nothing from any soldier o
civilian Frenchman or American O
the excessive use Of alcohol by Ameri