The Mena weekly star., 1919-03-27
SAYS THAT BAKER
 AIDED THE 1. W.,,W.
Major Dick Foster Charges That Se- cret Orders Protected Pacifists-- Objectors, Conscientious or Oth-
 erwise, Ordered Treated Kindly.

active department of the government the War Department"-was charg- ed in an address here yesterday by Maj. Dick B. Foster, member of a court rt-martial at Camp Funston, Kas., that tried 135 alleged conscientious objectors.
 He accused Secretary of War Bak- CT with Intentionally or uninten- tionally aiding and assisting the l. w w, International Socialists and humanitarians in their program of blocking construction of the army by extending and perverting the acts of Congress for the protection, comfort and solace of these obstructionists.
 "In giving you this story of con- scientious objectors, want to assure you have no personal reason for do- ing so," Major Foster declared in his address, which he read.
 'I am an American citizen, an ex- officer of the United States army and as such feel that every American is entitled to know conditions which sur rounded the induction into the army of the true conscientious objectors and the false conscientious objectors which included Industrial Workers of the World, International Socialists, and anarchists. and slackers.
 "Gave Aid to Objectors."
 "The gravity of the situation is not realized by the American people. 1 propose to show these clements of unrest have perfected an organiza.- tion in such clever manner that they have reached the foundations of the most active department of the gov ernment-the War Department"
 Here Foster made his charge that the secretary of war had "given aid" to the objectors and then read para graphs from what he declared were official orders providing that all those having personal scruples against war should be construed as 'conscien- tious objectors.'"
 Let me impress upon you what these secret orders meant" Major Foster continued. "It meant that every soldier in the United States army could have, at any time, gone to his commanding officer and, upon stating that he was opposed to war, taken off his uniform and refused to do military service"
 The officer related how objectors who were in the guardhouse awaiting trial would refuse to line up for mess, throwing themselves upon the ground, kicking and screaming. The objec- tors set up hunger strike, he said, and rattled their mess kits for hours at time and could not be stopped.
 Alleged Letter From Baker.
 "In the midst of this condition" Major Foster went on, ''we took from conscientious abjector a circular sent out by Upton Sinclair, Socialist leader, in which he reprinted letter from Newton D. Baker to the presi- dent of the United States, answering the president in regard to a com plaint Sinclair had made of mistreat- ment of Socialists. That letter said:
 "I think, however, that he should be informed that we are now doing absolutely all that public opinion will stand in the interest of conscientious objectors and others whose views do not happen to coincide with those of a vast majority of their fellow coun- trymen.'
 "Mr. Baker was right. He was do- ing all that public opinion would stand in the interest of conscientious objectors, and thru his secret orders was doing more than public opinion would have stood, had the true con- ditions been known.
 Ut became evident, finally, that some latitude must be allowed in dealing with the obstructionists, SO an order was made permitting eth trial of objectors whose attitude in camp was defiant or who were active nj spreading propaganda. A joker, however, was added, in the provision that the findings of court-rnartial at all camps, involving conscientious ob- jectors, should go to the War Depart ment for review.
 "The weight of that joker was ap- preciated by the objectors and by the National Civil Liberties Bureau, the organization directing obstructionists activity. They flooded the camps with circulars, calling attention to the fact that Secretary Baker was giving the objector proposition his personal attention. Every one of their bullet ins showed their direct communication with the War Department thru Mir. Reppel tan assistant secretary of war). The bulletin declared MT. Kep- pei had advised the National Civil Liberties Bureau and objectors to wait until the entire draft was in camp and at that time MT. Baker would do the whole job up thoroly for all conscientious objectors.
 Alleges Secret Orders.
 The speaker cited alleged secret or- ders issued by the War Department, of which the public knew nothing, he said, but of which the obstructionists were we'll informed, as one process of extending the provisions of the con- gressional act to the advantage of the objectors.
 i The secretary of war directs that unti further instructions on the sub- ject are issued, personal scruples against war should be construed as constituting "conscientious obisctorsn under the instructions contained in confidential letter from this office dated October 10, 1917.'