The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-03-22
Baker ACCUSED
OF AIDING |. ". ".
Say Ills Secret Orders Pro-
tocted PaGif:Sis.
INNER WORKINGS" rev. LIED
Mayor Foster C,,4:s>a Military Oh
jestors Were Favored IL War De-
partment Orders

knnsaS City, Mo-, March 222.-.Secre-
! tary OF War Baker was accused direct
~ of aiding and ASSISTING: the |. ".
W, International Socialists ani hu-
na;lnitarianS in their p.0 cram Of bio k
ins The construction of the army ny
Major Dick b. Foa,er, member %, lne
=, 1eral court-martial which ;r.,'n 133
alleged CONSCIENTIOUS 0bjectnrS at
Camp Funston. III an address before
the City club here.
This Wa. Gnue" Major Fo:irel' de-
clared, by extending and per, errins
The acts Of congress for the pr:,vvti0n,
cC3Ifort and solace of these u!,Struc-
Il. Mss.
4 VII i've YOU the facts. Major
T, ser continued, after rectE~ the
accusation, land YOU may draw your
own conclusions rs to whether he
Onker) Intentionally took the role of
pa ritist or Internationally aided and
allotted them hE failing to realize the
gravity Of the situation.
In making this ace:!sation, Major
Fcs.el continued. 81 consider no rlI-
rnrs. 40 srp1oS:tt.0:ts and no tlrSSes.
but base it entirely unon ny personal
knowledge of the trea -ment extended
these obS,ructioniSts. This kno Elrl~r
WAS gained from official war depart
mant orders and communication mi
tho personal llnowled@H of ohstructioi.-
lists l gained While acting as one menl-
hcr of the general court-nar1ia' Of
thirteen majors and captains bef.rre
whom approximately 125 directors
came fo.. trial
The speaker cited alleged secret OF
ders issued by the war department of
which the public knew nothing, he
said, but OF which the obstructinuiStS
were we'll Informed. as one process nf
"extending tA2 provisions Of the con
srnsSional scr 30 the advantage of the
oIjectors.'
"There was" said Ma ;or Foster. IAN
inner working of the military program.
Directors Of AL classes found prOtec-
ton awaiting in extensions of the act
of congress by secret orders, and every
man who expressed or showed any dis
inclination toward military service
found a wcll-or@anized and well pro-
mulgated propaganda of the obstruc-
tiOnists awaiting that supported him.
Bulletins and pamphlets from the Ma
tional Civil Liberties bureau, of New
York city, were scmi-secretly promul-
gated among the drafted men upon
their arrival in camp. These bulle-
tins were arguments against military
service and contained detailed nstrur-
tons as to how the drafted men might
avail themselves of pacifist protcc-
ton.
Confidential letters and bulletins
were sent to commanding generals of
~ ~ 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 con-
fidential order or bulletin contained
the closing paragraph:
"'Under no circumstances should
these instructions he communicated TO
the newspapers
"Public opinion, no doubt, was re-
sponssble 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 absOluteTimmunity Tor
any man who chose to refuse military
service In part it reads:
"'With reference to their attitude
of objecting to military service these
men are not to be treated as violat-
ing military laws, thereby subiecting
themselves to the penalties of the
articles OF war, but their attitude in
this respect will be quietly ignored
and they will be treated with kindly
consideration
"Officers of the army were dunn
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.
"The range of the board, however,
vas limited by second secret order
promulgated by secretary bdhct III
December 10, 1917:
1.-The secretary of war directs that
until further Instructions on the sub
feet are issued, personal scruples
against war should be construed as
constituting conscientious obiectofs'
under the instructions contained in
confidential letter from this Office dat
ed October Is, 1917
by that order every man who had
any reason for objecting to military
service, whether cowardice, humani-
tarianism, international Socialism, he
lief in the principles of the l. w. W.,
or what not, had to be permitted to
violate all the military regIllalions,
and his violations had TO be luierly