The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-03-22
MO COMMENT IS MADE
ON FOSTER CHARGES
maker l. Nbscnt From Washington
and ncmnining OFFICERS Make
No statement ON Case
WHOLE PROBLEM HARD ONE
,,,rrc, Orders Issued Ia Keep Down
spread Of Objcctors Is Informal
Expression OF Officers.

VN~mNGTON. March 2l.-ln the
,r.,n,r Of Secretary Baker and As
,..4nt Secretary kcppel. no com.
mont was available at the war de-
,,r,mrrt on statements made IN
L,,.r4 CIV today by Major Dick n
, rnsi>r charging that secret orders
sued hy Secretary Baker covering
,he treatment OF conscientious oh
,,rt0r- had served to stimulate l.
a. " aud other radical propagand 1
in ,I, army II WAS pointed out,
lov,,rr. mat the orders of the war
u,p4rimout during the war In this
regard had been inserted In the Con
rrr.,ioull Record some weeks ago.
including those orders from which
Major Foster read excerpts to sup
mort bis contention,
Tho conscientious ohjcCtor prob
lem vH, more troublesome at camp
Funston where Major Foster was on
dgN. than any other post IT was
aid and Investigations Of various
kinds were made during the war 10y
The military agencies becauec Of the
situation lt that camp.
Most M Funston.
Tho largest number OF men in the
ror.,irnuuus obioctOr class at any
camp was reported from Camp Fun.
sion and some instances OF alleged
extreme scrNlty I'm treatment OF pris,
oncrs therc were reported. InvCsti.
r,tions were ordered. but no dis
gnlintrv action was taken against
any camp authorities. The record
M the var department also contain
tHt ttts
fropi charges made ~ to disCrimina
ton y Major Foster I'm his admin
isfr3tou 0f camp concessions. M
warrant for action of any sort
against him was developed. however
and .n recommending him for pro.
motion. Major General Leonard
Nood commanding. said he had dis
phyed great efficiency IN bringing
order ont Of chaos in the affairs oi
tho pas' exchange. which had beer
plared under his supervision.
Snme officers informally cNprcsscd
, 4hc opinion that they were not sur
ur.sed that so-callcd secret orders OF
the war department as to conscicn
uous ohiociors had been interpreted
In the ligh, put upon them by Major
Foster. The whole problem Of oh,
jertors was a difficult one to handle
Il was said, and many conferences
and debates were held at the depart,
mcnt with both military and Civi
representatives. before the orders In
question were issued
To Prevent Spread.
The suggestion that the pruhihi
ton against publication of the order,
contained In them was intended tC
conceal the action of the war depart,
ment from the country at large wa,
not considered seriously by these Of
fIccrs who said the actual purpos,
was 10 prevent a spread of ConsCien,
tlous obiector disaffection through
advertisement Of the problem these
cases presented.
The lntiWutiOn OF Major Foster
That secret orders had gone to III,
local dram boards was said by wal
department. officials to be withou
basis One officer said that sine,
there We're nearly 500 900 OF these
boards. IhN secret would have ha,
10 be- shared with probably 10000
officials and attaches wholly outsid,
lhe war department or the govern
ment service and to which they wert
related, for the most part, only 10y
Voluntary service. Under those con
duons, IL was said, the policy o
maintaining secrecy as to any Of tn,
functions developing upon the boart
was practically non-existenta