New-York tribune., 1920-10-25
Baker Secretly
Kept Reds Out
OF w ar Service
Issued Orders Which Set
Aside Draft Law as
Passed by Congress and
Encouraged All Slackers
Guarded Them in Camp
AT Same Time Overseas Vet
Grams Denied Reirials:
Fighters Denounce Action

hecorcS OF investigator show that
Secretary Newton D. Baker issued
secret War Department orders during
the draft and training camp periods
of the war, which set aside the draft
law as passed by Congress and gave
slackers and conscientious objectors
encouragement in their course of evad-
ing military service.
Among those protected by the War
Secretary were avowed Communists,
|. ". WIS, radicals of many varieties
and others with personal scrupes"
The law set forth that religious be-
lief was the only excuse which might
exempt drafted soldier from COM
batant duty. Records show that Sec
retary Baker altered this provision by
secret orders so as to include con-
scientious objectors to war and men
with personal scruples" against mill
tary service. Pro-Germans. radicals
and ordinary towards thereupon de-
veioped personal scruplc." against
fighting for the United States. Their
objections were political, social and
personal, and the records show that
Secretary Baker protected them.
On September 20, 1916, six months
after he became Secretary of War. Mr..
Baker was campaigning for President
Wilson in the He kept US out If wrr"
me as professional pacifst. ! belong
to every peace society know Of, and it
is my contention we ought to substi-
tute reason for force"
JustiGes Wilson'S Bandit Policy
On October &c, during The same cam
peign. Secretary Baker justified Presi-
Of oil lC, h
ditry 10 70 unnampered in its slaughter
Of Americans IN Mexico by comparing
Mexican bandits with the Revolution
airy army of Washington. Speaking at
jersey City. ne said, in part:
"The amazing thing is that people
never respect these things Oife and
property in a revolution. We had a
rev luton, and from The beginning to
the end Of that the conditions in this
country We're so like Mexico that it
is perfectly astounding to read. Wash
iee rs soldiers IN the march to
Valley Forge stole everything they
could lay their hands on. They stole
the silver vessels from the churches
and melted them ur to buy drink. They
drove ministers of the gospel and
preachers Of churches cat of II eli
churches and out Of The country The
money of the so-callcd confederation
was so worthless that when they tried
10 make the merchants take it the
batter hid their provisions in the cell
lars"
When we had declared war com
manders of training camps began to
fnd disloyalty and "personal scruples"
among men drafted for military serv-
ice. Congress had decrced that rei-
Eious convictions alone we're reason
able objections 20 combatant military
service. The draft boards strictly fol-
lowed this rule.
War Department Order
On October IT, 1917, the following
order was issued from the War De-
partment:
Army. " VIC
70 the Commanding Generals of
az Nationai Army and National Guard
Division Camps
IS bject IN cientiors Obiec1ors.
u. The Secretary of War directs
that you be Instructed to segrega e
the conscientious objoctors in their
divisions and to place them under the
supervision of instructors who shall
be specially selected with a view of
assuring that these men wa be han
dled with tact and consid Grafton and
that tie questions be answered FULLY
and frankly.
% With reference to their attitude
Of object,ag to military service, these
men are not to be Treated as violating
military law the eby supjoctilg them
selves to penalties Of the articles of
war, but their attitude in this respect
will b. ouie,ly ignored and they will
be treated with kindly consideration.
Attention in this conMccN ION is invited
to case where a numlrs Of conscien-
tious ohjectors in one Of our divisions,
when treated ii this manner renounced
their original objectious to military
service and voluntarily offered to give
their best efforts to the service of the