The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-21
HE AIDED |. w. w.?
Continued from Page One.J

York City, were Sem1-Secretly prOmul-
gated among the drafted men upon
their arrival in camp These bulletins
were arguments against military serv-
ice and contained detailed instructions
as to how the drafted man might
avail himself of pacific protection. Z
Confidential letters and bulletins
were sent to commanding generals of
all national army and national guard
environments and CAMPS. the very ma
ture of which prohibited any officer
in the United States army imparting
to the public their contents. Each
confidential order or bulletin con-
tanned the closing paragraph:
Under no circumstances should
these instructions be communicated to
the newspapers.
Public opinion. no doubt was re-
sponSible for the secrecy of these in
structions. as they were of a nature
which would have been revolving to
the American public. had they known
the full facts.
"One of the first of these secret
orders provided absolute immunity for
any man who chose to refuse military
service. In part it reads:
With reference to their attitude of
Directing to military service these men
are not to be treatad as violating mill
tary laws. thereby subjecting them
selves to the penalties of the articles
of war, but their attitude in this re-
spect will be quietly ignored and they
will be treated with kindly considera-
ton
Dumbfounded the Officers.
"Officers of the army were dumb
founded that the war department
should order violations of military
laws to be quietly ignored and that
the violators of the law be treated
with kindly consideration.
1.-The number of DIRECTORS increased
and numerous complaints on the pc
l
GERS to Washington. A board of in
quiry, under the direct and personal
supervision of the secretary of war,
resulted. The announced intention of
the board was to discriminate between
the true DIRECTORS and false DIRECTORS
The range of the board, however, was
limited by a second secret order pro-
mulgated by Secretary Baker Deem
Der 10, 1917:
The secretary of war directs that
ject are issued, personal scruples
against war should be- construed as
constituting conscientious objectors''
under the instructions contained in
. confidential letters from this office,
dated October 10, 1917
Any Reason Taken.
! by that order, every man who had
any reason for Directing to military
service, whether cowardice, humantz
tarianisn1, international socialism,, bet
! lief in the principles of the l. WV.
or what not. had to be permitted to
violate all the military regulations and
| his violations had to be. quietly ignored
and the man treated with kindly con-
! sideratipn.
"One of the DIRECTORS wrote this
letter while in the guard house:
From what little news we get,
We almost go crazy for joy when we
read or hear that the red flag is
| ia pidly waving over more and more
| territory in Europe, for we know it
means liberty in the fullest sense of
| the word for those down trodden
workers..
THAT is the class of men the war
department ordered US to treat with
| kindly courtesy, and we did So"
Major Foster dismissed the cases of
the sincere religious DIRECTORS, saying
| that for such men he had the highest
respect.
For such men I have the highest
regard he said, ''altho personally j
cannot get their viewpoint That OBJ
| jector abided by all military regula-
| tions made for him, acquitted himself
in an honorable manner and is entitled
to the highest respect for the personal
| convictions he may have had
| Major Foster attended the first of
ficers' training camp at Camp Fun
ston and there received his commits
| sion as lieutenant. With the assign
ment of Gen. Leonard Wood to Camp
| Funston, he was appointed cfrfef Of
| the department of training camp ac-
| tfvities ard a1nusem ents and his eleva-
| ton in rank came with his activity in
| that assignment In private life he is
| member of an architectural firm in
Kansas City.