El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-01-02
The Funston Majors


Two majors OF the United States
National army who have been sta,
toned at Camp Funston In Kansas
since the outbreak Of the war, have
been honorably discharged from
the army BY Secretary Of War Baker
because they are alleged TO have
teated that peculiarly viperous
brand Of make shift soldier, the inn
pressed conscientious object0rs'
with too great severity.
The action follows a protest by
Upton Sinclair, a Socialistic Bolshe-
vik, whose opinions on the war, as
far as we are able to analyze them,
differ no whit in purpose and effect
from those of Eugene v. Debs or
Scott Nearing or Victor Berger or a
hundred other leading lights Of pro
Germanism or pacifisln, who are in
jail, sentenced to go there, under in
d~ictnlent or who ought to be in Jan
Mr.. Sinclair has a great deal mora
influence, despite his type and be
liefs, with the Wilson administration
than has. for instance, Mr.. William
Howard Taft or Mr.. Elihu Root or,
Colonel Roosevelt. To a secretary
of war. once himself a pacifisb now
exhibiting s-entimentalism gone maud
lin. the appeal of Socialist Sinclair
was as effective and as moving as
1t was to Joe Tumulty who in this
instance as in many others, may be
discounted as a piece of nomencla-
ture and regarded as standing for
the administration.
That the discussion OF this most
disgusting episode in the history OF
the war, one even rivaling the per-
formances of William r. Hearst, may
be founded on a solid predicate OF
information, the. correspondence on
the subject of tenderness and mercy
toward conscientious DIRECTORS" be-
tween the war department, the
White House and Sinclair is now In
The White House,
Washington, duly 80, 1918.
My Dear MIR, Sinclair;
Referring to your recent coFn-
m~unication, the president. has
asked me to invite your atten-
tlon to the ihclosed copy Of q
letter which he has received
from the Secretary Of War. sin
eerely yours,
Secretary to the President.
War Department,
3 Washington, July ~, 1918.
Dear Mr.. President:
Thank you for sending me
Upton sinclair's interesting com
~municatlon.
think, however. he should be
informed that we are now doing
absolutely all that public opinion
Will stand In the interest Of con-
scientious cbjectors and others
whose views do not happen to
coincide with those of the vast
majority Of their fellow country
men.
gJ have given directions that all I
the court-martiaI cases having to Il
do with these people shall be
carefully and syrnpathetically re-
viewed, in the light Of the expe-
rlenee gained by the special I
board OF inquiry, Consisting OF
Judge Mack, Dean Stone and Ma q
jor stoddard. Il
The terms Of imprisonment /
which conscientious obiectors 4
may, In the last analysis be {
compelIed to serve. will be /
served in the disciplinary bar
racks az Fort Leavenworth, {
where the man have a whole :
some outdoor life ana are kept I
busv upon things that are 7
worth doinr. Most Of the on :
scientious obIectors who declined i
"a accept military service II any 7
form whatever. are now enaaaed /
N Earm work Il a u~rIvatese pay I
throuoh degeneration between The I
denartment az ~aurjoulture and i
The war department. 4
AZ not know How many of !
what Mr. sinclair calls political I
pTisonars are novv under he con I,
raj ~ M department Of Justice, /
but II vou care d hsye me 10 Z
y. could md adj from fIe at (
tornsJ nehsraI whether fhere are !
anv ~crisorers under his direction
whom he thinks Il Wise to have \
transferred 10 fort LeavenNorth. q
Respectfully, II
NEWTON D. BAKER,
Secretary Of War. a
In the propaganda to defeat the d