New-York tribune., 1919-02-06
Grievances Due to a Lack
of Efficient Preparation,
Says Mr.. Frelinghuysen
Letters of Protest Read
President Accused of Going
Abroad, Leaving the Men
Who Fought to Suffer
Netr York Tribune
WASHINGTON BureGn

WASHINGTON, Feb. accompanying
what he termed the callousness and in
humanity with which American SOL
diers are treated, through the neglect
or incompetence of the military admin
istration, to the brutality Of German
militarlsm, Senator Frclinghuysen, of
New Jersey, to-day presented to the
Senate an indictment of the War De-
partment, attaching the responsibility
particularly to General Trch. He did
this in voicing his opposition 20 The
biz conferring upon the President au-
thority 10 coEier the rank of general
and lieutenant general upon certain
officers. He said he would oppose the
bill until "thc War Departn ent rises
TO the occasion and realizes that the
private soldier is human being actu-
atcd by the same emotions th% domi-
nate presidents and kings"
at is all very we'll" said the
Senator, "for the President to break
the precedents Of a century and a
third, that he may head triumphant
PROFESSIONS IN foreign capitals, sleep
in the chambers Of ROYALTY, dine off
gold plates in the palaces Of the mod
ern Caesars, and have his photograph
taken standing in line with kings,
queens and princesses. Those are in
teresting and perhaps alluring pic
lures.
Compared TO Dray Horse.
But what Of the American private
who returns to his native shores un-
fonored and unsung, dismissed from
the service. miles away from home,
without dollar in his pocket? Is he
entitled to less consideration than an
Old dray horse, his days of usefulness
over, VINO is turned out into a green
pasture and told to eat his fill ?"
Some of Senator Frelinghuysen's al
legations were as follows:
That the chief tragedy of the war
IS the prCcraStlnatlon on the part
OF the government in the payment of
alIorments and allowances to suffer
ing, starving mothers, wives and
children of soldiers.
That the failure Of the military
postal service Is rt-breaking, uni
versal and ineXcusabe. Thousands of
sick and wounded soldiers in France
have had letters written to them re-
turned simply because they were in
hospitals instead of with their units.
That, the demobiization in general
and in detail is deplorable fiasco
which is destroying the patriotism of
soldiers and resulting in hardship to
The soldiers and burdens to the COM
munity.
That there have been neglect and
countless mistakes in notifying rela-
That there has been failure to pro-
vide hospitals that are such in any
thing but name for the sick and
wounded men now returning from
France.
That breakdown in the pay sys-
tenn has kept soldiers from receiving
pay for as much as seven months.
That there has been absolute fail
ure to provide attendants for arm
less and leglesS men on the return
ing transports.
Administration Is Blamed
Senator trelinghuysen placed the
blame for these alleged omissions and
commissions on what he called the
policy of "procrastlnation and unpre
paredness characterizing every phase
of the war, to actual inefiiciency and to
monumental lack of foresight and
iorethought which have always char
acterized this administration"
The Senator supported his indict-
mont by reading letters from soldiers
and soldiers relatives, culled from
hundreds that he has received. report
ing incidents of mail withheld from
sick and dying soldiers; OF mothers
without their allowances; of other
r1 sl.z Ill
ances for the portion of the month
represented by the time between the
death Of son and the end of the
month-the idea being that since the
son was killed in battle before the
month had elapsed the poor mother
must return the corresponding amount
of mothers kept in suspense for
months with alternate reports Of death
and wounds and then with inquiries
as to how they had received the iden-
tical information they had obtained
from the War Department.; of soldiers
returning discharged with many
months. pay due them and without the
price OF a stamp to notify their par
ents; of the bodies of soldier dead be-
ing allowed to accumulate at camps
until the undertaken had a carload TO
ship at once; of insurance policies be-
ing long unpaid; of soldiers being sent
home in ragged old uniforms.
Leg OFF, "Slightly" Wounded
"Let me briefly cite another case"
said Senator Frelinghuysen, (which
illustrates the War Departments slip
shod methods. Writing from Prospect
Plains, N. j., January 20, 1919, NJ. V.
Landmann, speaking of certain case,
says:
"'Perhaps the records in this de-
partmenb are something like those
OF the casualty division of the War
Department, where Miss Bagley
lMrs. Falconers) was assured late in
December that as they had no record
OF Private Willard Snedekers being
wounded; his wound, if any, must
have been slight one. AS matter
OF fact, he was SO severely wounded
in action October that his leg was
amputated above the knee October 4,
but the parents have never received
any notification. He arrived penni-
less but cheerful-not having been
paid for many months--in New York
January 5, and through the kindness
OF the Salvation Army was able to
send a postal to his mother to let
her know of his arrival
"a grateful country, indeed. This
soldier. minus leg, unpaid for many
months for his services in France, re-
turned to MS native land without a
penny in his pocket with which to pur-
chase a postal card in order to notify
his mother of his arrival. How do we
expect to develop patriotism in the
minds or our young men in the years