The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-02-06
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WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. tie
is a strapping. husky fellow. Before he
went to var to click hell out OF the
Kaiser" as no expressed it, but, as
the scholarly academicians abstratly
and more politely phrase It, to make
the world safe for democracy" he fed
fuel into a locomotive boiler on rail-
road in West Virginia. And he made
high wages doing It.
Like so many others, he didn't rea-
| lie the big adventure. He never got
out of camp on this side. At the pres
ent time, be is doing chambermaid
work at ST.. Elizabeth's hospital. The
specially there is care Of the insane.
There are contagious, loathsome dis
ease cases there. His dEties are to at
attend 20 all inds and interrnittently
tend the boilers, that being right in
his line
Uncle Sam is paying him $50 a
month end giving him Indifferent
chow. Working alongside Of him are
civilians drawing SIS for performing
1.-The same mental tasks But wages of
twice that aount would't iduce him to
stay at ST. Eiizabeth's twenty seconds
liz hecould ge: away from there. But he
can't. All efforts made to release him
have failed. Congressman woodward
had row With the lieutenant over
him today. The former waxed wroth
and swore. He also threatened. The
| fight for the release of this soldier
who didn't get to fight, who enlisted
Tor the PERIOD of the emergency"
who is perfc rming debasing mental
service anl running the risk4of catch
! ing disease goes on. Why pay SIS
for labor when you can compel It at
SO? That appears to be the attitude
OF so many OF the government officials
the military officials ha Cling de-
mobilization especially-that it is an
open, odoroNs scandal. Senators and
Representatives are outspokenin their
anger and Indignation. It dosen't seem
to worry the military autocrats though.
There are West Virginia boys IN the
aviation service at Barron Field. Ever
man, Texas, who say that they enlist
ed "for the period Of the emergency.
which they claim is ended, and they
want to get out and take their places
in the industrial world. They are ex-
pert mechanics, say that they have
jobs waiting them at good wages, and
dependents who need the monetary
fruits Of their labor. But they can. 4
set out OF the service. They can't get
their discharges, an official order has
the audacity to state. whether or not
they care to remain in the service"
Here is the order that proves this
almost unbelieable statement of facts:
Following Is an extract from let
ter received this date from the office
Of the Director of Military Aeronau.
tics. which is self-explanatory:
There arc no enlisted men avail
able at present to take the place OF
Ienlisted men desiring discharge. You
should cetain the minimum number
authorized Tor your station, regardless
of whether or not they care to remain
/ in the service, until their services can
be spared or until men are availagle
TO replace them. When they become
available, men will be assigned to your,
depot to release those desiring dis.
charge.
by order Of Lieutenant Colonel
Turner"
Edward G.. selmser. End. Lieut., A.
is. NJ. A.. Adit..
The Wesl yirginians send a letter
written around this order to Com
gressman woodward. They charge that
the flyers in training at Barron Field
are not being trained for active mill
tary service. hut as soon as they make
their commissions are to be retired to.
tho Reserve: that they will, for the
most part, use their knowledge for
commercial purposes as means Of
livelihood. They state that they did
| not enter the service for that pur-
pose; charge that they are deceived
and defraurded; that they are held
to perform highly skilled, technical
mechanical services for 81 a day, af-
ter "the period Of emergency" is pass
ed, and that they are entitled to be re-
leased to work and enjoy the higher
wages which they are able to command
in the Industrial market. They are
sure to pledge their loyalty to the
government, butt the number and
tone Of complaints are significant
features OF their Communication. Con-
gresham Woodyard though that the
members Of Congress should read their
letter and have the privilege Of re.
flecting deeply upon its contents, SO
he asked and received consent to have
1t priatel in tho Congressional Re
cord.
1t is ve:y much harder to get them
out of The navy; generally speaking,
1t is impossible. Their conditions Of
enlistment were different. The navy
can hold them without camouflage and
|trickery, and it is holding them. "They
tell you very frankly down there Gre.
ferring 10 the Navy Department),"
said Congressman Stuart F. Reed to-
day, that they are holding boys be-
cause they reed them on the new ships
that are passing into the government
merchant marine. They say that they
are short o. men and that they can't
get them under the volunteer system
NOW that the war is over. This means
that they are going to run the gov
eminent merchant ships on the $50
!a-month-a4nan plan. They couldn't get
Americans to man the ships at that
price otherwise. Nor would the Lafol-
lette seamen's law permit 1t. But this
is a species Of polite shanghaing.