New-York tribune., 1919-01-31
Beck Attack Kearst-Nade, Say Soldiers;
No Committee Sent From Hospital No. 3

fHeprinted from yesterdovs "RrooAlgn
Eaglc")
Patients and officers at Debarkation
Hospital No. 3, in the Grecnhut build
Ng, Eighteenth Street and Sixth Ave
nue.. Manhattan, to-day denied emphat
!cally the statement made by - men
who visited Borough President Riegl-
mann err Tuesday that the patients of
DeSarkation Hospital no. were in ac-
cord or the protest against the speak
ING OF James NJ. Beck at the Academy
mass meeting last night.
Accusation that the attempt on the
part OF soldiers to break up the mass
meeting at the Academy of Music last
night was part Of movement sup
ported by Hearst was made by three
patients who lad attended the mass
meeting and also meeting which, they
said, was organized by Hearst forces
at the Elks' Club in Brooklyn. The
three We're Sergeant J. W Eisenhauer,
of Baltimore; Corporal Edward +. KAN
merer, Of Buffalo, and Private Louis
Alexander, Of Philadelphia.
Scores OF patients who were inter
viewed at the hospital to-day said they
had never beard OF "indignation bed
side meetings." or any other kind Of
meetings at the hospital 10 protest
against Mr. Beck. In fact, many of the
wounded soldiers knew nothing about
MIR. Beck. while others had gained their
first knowledge Of him through a news
~. tl,.J
for soldiers.
Il should think" said one soldier who
was walking about with the aid Of
crutches that these mass meetings
would hurt the cause for six months
pay. heard a major the other day say
that Congress was going to pass the
law to give US six months extra pay
If that is true. believe any kind of
mass meeting. especially one of a ques-
tionable character. would hurt the
chances the law has Of passing I'm
sure | would have heard something
about meeting in the hospital if there
had been one"
Officer Discredits Committee" Story
This statement and others of SIM
liar nature were in direct contradic-
ton of the remarks made by the men
who came to see Borough President
Ricgelmann. In regard to these men,
a high officer at the hospital said:
The men certainly misrepresented
themselves if they said they were sent
as any sort of a committee from either
the officials or the patients Of the hos
pital. Officially we take no stand in
the matter. AS far as the patients are
concerned, | am quite sure that they
did not appoint any committee to go to
Brooklyn"
The indignation committee which
consisted Of Neill A. Wilkes, of North
Carolina; Albert Hebert, of Maine;
Fisher Pyles, OF West Virginia; D. A.
Sosebee. of Georgia.; Oscar Ritland, of
Iowa; Sam Levin, of Illinois; Joseph
Berenotowicz. of Ohio, and three
others from North Carolina, Tennessee
and Illinois, told Borough President
Riegelmann. when they saw him, that
their hospital was up in arms against
this here Beck who kicked us out of
Madison Square Garden.' and that all
the patients had appointed them to
come to Brooklyn TO make protest.
Though they we're not very eloquent
and needed the aid Of J. A. Hastings,
q civilian attached to War Camp Com
munity Service Station No and liv-
ing at 142 kosclusko Street. to help
them state their grievances, they were
clear on the point OF the unanimity of
the patients of Debarkation Hospital
No. in the protest against Beck In
cidentally, j. A. Hastings is said to be
d brother of one of Hearsts circula-
ton men.
OF thirty-two wounded soldiers