Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-23
Fl. HARRISON
STORY SCORED
: BY COL. HATCH
Says Place No 'Madhouse" and
No S1O,SOO,OOO Trucks
Are ROtting.
PRINTED IN CLEVELAND

Col. Everard E. Hatch, commander
at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, today en-
phatically denied that "$10,s0O, 900
worth of trucks are rotting" at the
fort and that the fort is mad
house"
The colonels denial followed the pub
lication of such, statements in Cleveland
newspaper in the form of a dispatch
under FIT. Harrison date line.
"The article" declared Col. Hatch. us
incorrect misleading and essentially
. false
PROPAGANDA SEEN
BY COMMANDER.
Col. Hatch, in his statement, brought
out these points:
1. That the article savOrs of propa-
ganda against government officials in
order to create Dissatisfaction among
classes "whO are without opportunity
TO know the truth"
2. Indianapolis was selected for
the storing of the trucks because of
Its splendid geographical and railway
location.
g. Every actor vehicle belonging
to the governments was in storage by
of hard work,
4. The cost 30 the United States
OF watching or guarding these trucks
is essentially nothing"
Col Hatch II his statement said e1
animation of the work at the fort is
lnvitEd. His statement follows:
''Our country, before the world war,
during itz progress, and since its close,
has been cursed By the propaganda Of
German SCENTS and sym pathizers, as we'll
as by that OF lzwleEs elements-the I.
W. We and anarchists. This propa
ganda has frequently taken the form OF
SANDER against government officials, in
order to Great dissatisfaction among
GLASSES who arc without opportunity TO
know the truth. Honest Americans are
entitled to know the axact conditions that
exist at Bt. Ben5Gmin Harrison. 1t is
not true. as stated, that 200 trucks
are rott1ag' or that the cost OF watch
ing those trucks ~ at least four times
their value
CAPTAIN MISNAALED
AND ATIsQUOTED.
There is no Capt. r. 7. King quarter
master, at this station. There is
Capt. W. S. King. He has not been
Correctly quoted. No one has ever sought
Information from any one at this post
lowing ara the facts relative 10 trucks:
g Because Of It's geographical and rail-
way location, and OF ths large govern
ment reservation. Indianapolis was natur-
ally selected TO receive thousands Of mo-
tor vehicles, for protection and care, from
all over the central United States, from
temporary camps and depots which were
abandoned, from time to time, after the
armistice. In the beginning there were
no storehouses for their accommodation,
but imme diately the work of construct
ing inexpensive sheds was commenced.
These vehicles, under the exigencies Of
the service, arrived much faster than
sheds could be completed. They were
parked, necessarily, in the open, but were
blocked up from tires and springs, and
the engines flushed with heavy oil. In
August when 1 arrived at this station.
the government had approximately 1900
h of such vehicles-about 1000 of which
were without shelter. Application for
fk hority to construct additional sheds
Astorage was made and the importance
eeof earnestly urged. Authority for
Rch construction was received in due
J course. More time was consumed in con-
struction than ordinarily should have
heen, because of difficulty in procuring
labor. but by the middle of December
sheds were completed and every motor
vehicle belonging to the government was
in storage This condition exists now.
STORED VEHICLES
CAREFULLY PROTECTED.
Excepting few vehicles turned over
and awaiting shipment on the railroads,
every motor vehicle at this station is
nnder cover with all weight blocked off
from tires and springs, engines thor
oughly flushed with oil and motors
turned over once a month. They now
number about 5000. They are in perfect
condition and are not deteriorating. In
confirmation Of these statements, I cite
Mr. IseMaster, assistant to the highway
commissioner of the state of Indiana,
who was at this post today arranging
for taking over certain trucks under
ORDERS and who observed the condition
of about thirty trucks being turned over
to the department of agriculture. Ex-
cepting for occasional abrasion of paint.
ne stated to the motor transport officer,
First Lieutenant John Fl. Thomas, these
cars are in irst-class condition, and es-
sentially eqsul TO what they were when
first taken from the factory-motor, diff
ferentials and transmission perfect
Neither Capt. King, quartermaster,
nor any one at this post has anything
TO do with selling cars. Cars have not
been sold, and are not being sold, be
cause of orders from the war depart