New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-01
Officers Kept
On 'Troopslnip
Under Protest
Request of One Man on
the Adriatic to Telephone
to Sick Wife Is Rejected
Many Complaints M ade
Red Cross Workers lauded.
but Veterans Get Only
Whistle loot i'm Harbor

a protest that kept just within the
bounds of subordination, but neverthe =
less was bitter, was made last night
in the lounge of the White Star liner
Adriatic, when 140 casual officers. in
Guiding majors and colonies, were in
formed that they could not go ashore.
One officer whose name was with
held, had n wife and child seriusly irl.
He begged to go shore to telephone to
his home, which is outside the city.
but permission was refused This
brought storm of protest from
brother officers, who sympathized with
MIN, and urged a captain from the Port
of Embarkation to grant his request.
The officer from Hoboken, whose
name is said to be Captain Joplin, ex-
planned he had no authority to grant
the request, as he had come from
Hoboken with orders to be read to all
casual officers.
Coloners Appeal FruitIess
Colonel George Montgomery, of the
Ordnance Department in France, a
West Pointer who was in charge of the
casuals, urged that the man be per
mitted to go ashore and telephone
Two hours after the vessel had locked
his request had not been granted.
The casual officers crowded about the
captain from the Port of Embarkation
and asked if they could not be sent
ashore in charge of corporal's guard.
explaining that they were gentlemen
and would not run away.
Lieutenant Alton A. Brodv. Of the
18th Aero Squadron, who brought down
TWO German planes and was captured
by the Germans, said to reporters:
on can put me down on record rs
saying that when we were captured bv
the Germans we received more courta-
Gus treatment than we have received On
our homecoming at the hands of the
Port Of Embarkation.
Everywhere on the ship the officers
were complaining that the Port of En-
barkation had permitted Y. NJ. C. A. and
SNS'' "oihciS 10 20 ashore, and
that the discrimination was not RIGHT
as these workers were subject TO Tho
same army regulation.
Colonel Montgomery said:
Here is n major among. us vino L,s
SICK wife and child that is reported
dying, yet he cannot go ashore to per
word to them. My wife is one tho
pier but cannot speak 70 her.
Lack of Greetings Regretted
When the captain from Hoboken
read the order that the Sam Browne
belts would have to be taken off he
1ore the men went ashore in the morn
ing there were groans. One officer
shouted "Well, by Heaven won't take
mine off until get an order to do IT,"
One officer who declined to give his
name, said:
What is all this talk about recep-
ton committee greeting US GU our
nome coming. This ship is not trans
port. It's a prison ship. Why does
not this great reception COMMITTEES do
something instead of going down the
bay and footing whistle. That is no
reception.
The same sort Of thing obtains now
over at the ports of embarkation over
in France" said another officer. II
sat nearly three months with nothing
to do just because of confusion and
orderf Of this sorts
Major Frederick Palmer asked about
the disposition of baggage and in
formed the officer from Hobokcn that
he would not leave his luggage on
board, as he had an abundance Of
valuable papers and documents that
could not be replaced if lost or stolen.
The captain from Hobokei. under.
took to explain something about the
orders he was delivering when enc
officer with many decorations on his
breast said;
"You nood'nt tell me anything about
overwork, We work twenty-four hours
out twenty-four over in France"
Tho Mon said they did not complain
40 much about being detained aboard
tho ship overnight. but they did think
1t unreasonable not to permit thon to
60 ashore for few moments
Sheep Census Runs High
The world census OF sheen runs 60