The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-05-08
WHO HELPED AT
CAMP WHEELER

Since conditions at Camp Wheeler IN
the fall of 1917 are very inappro-
pliately being made an issue of this
gubernatorial campaign, and since
Cats is blowing loudly about what he
did and says the newspapers of the
state abused instead of praised him
for it, the Star begs leave to call at
tertion to little history which no
BODY can dispute.
The first Florida newspaper to-
speak out emphatically Of conditions
DIT the Camp Wheeler base hospital
was the Star. One of its staff attend
ed the funeral of one Of our Marion
county boys whose death was prob
ably fastened if not caused by neg
lect. He heard from the dead boys
sister, who was with him in his last
moments, the pitiful story of how be
passed thru many agonizing hours al
most unattended, and how her pleading
for a little relief for him was barely
regarded. He returned to the city
Immediately after the funeral and
there meeting Congressman Clark re-
told the sad story to him, and Mr..
Clark Immediately wired to the war
department regarding the case. The
next day an article describing the
| young soldiers suffering and death
was printed in the Star, with COM
ments on other cases of neglect-the
| first outspoken story of such things,
so far as we know, ever printed in any
American paper-and it caused con-
siderable shake-up at Camp Wheeler
and elsewhere.
A few days later, the Star received
a letter from j. S. Bitch, then secre-
tary to the governor, thanking it for
it's article in behalf of the boys, and
giving it to understand the governor
greatly approved of it. We do not
think that any paper criticised Gov.
Cats for going to Camp Wheeler and
trying to help the Florida soldiers.
But the truth is, Florida papers did
not hear much of the governor be-
ing at Camp Wheeler until he COM
menced to brag about it. They they
very rightly said he had done only
his duty and it was bad taste for him
Ito praise himself. No man who die
anything for any of the boys did any
more than the country had right tc
Il expect him to do, and a man who
CLAIMS a public Office because he die
much, or little, for the soldiers in
those days has the same small anC
contemplate spirit as a man who
does a friend favor and then re-
minds him of it.
When we go back to those days il
October and November, 1917, and view
them in the light of subsequent expe1
fence, we must admit that CamI
Wheeler was nothing to make pc
litical issue about two years and {
half later. The war had just begun
and our boys had but few weeks be
, fore left home. Our souls were sor,
, from the parting and gloomy will
what we feared was about to- come
Congress had not prepared for war
, and it hadn't prepared because thu
people had given it to understand
; they didn't want it to prepare. A yea:
and half before they had driven on
+ of Office an excellent secretary of wa
. who knew what was coming and want
ed to prepare for it. He wanted al
= army of 650,000; they turned hin
down and consequently they had t.
raise one of five millions. In the sum
, mer of 1917. the war department
n built thirty or forty training camps
In the fall it filled them with untrain
y ed men and began to make them int
2 soldiers Of course, there was sick
q ness and death in all of them
+ some, far worse than in Wheeler. TIL
p war department did not tell abou
Q these things-it had taken up a tas
: in which men had to die if the natio