Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-07
Curtis Barrett, Who Served
in France, Replies to Gro
yer Edmondson and Gath
ering Adjourns

GAINESVILLE, Ga, Aug 5.-An
extremely tense situation gripped
the 1000 or more persons at the Wat
here Wednesday when curtis Bar
rett, former soldier, who made an
excellent record in the world war.
went to the stage and made a most
vigorous and scathing reply to
Grover Edmondson's reflections on
the American army officers and pri-
Yates who risked their lives for the
glory of the Stars and Stripes on
the bloody battlefields of France.
Edmondscn, who right at the be-
ginning Of his speech bitterly at
tackled the American Legion, stating
that it was composed mostly of Of
flcers bent on perpetuating mill
tarism in this country. declared that
officers had often needlessly exposed
priyates to cruel hardships in the
training camps and ON the battle
fields. He charged that the service
Of most of the members of the Le-
gion who went to France was char
acterized by their capacity for
drinking wine and neglect of duty"
Barrett Answers Attack
1t was at this point that young
Barrett arose and asked the speaker,
who himself had been sent to France
in the uniform of his country, If he
might have a moment to make reply
to this denunciation. Edmondson
consented, and the former soldier,
with firm tread and set expression,
advanced to the platform. Pointing
his finger at the speaker, he said:
Your statement sir, Is a will
full and deliberate misrepresen-
guilty of treason; in peace you
are guilty Of >unspeakable cow
ardice. / enlisted in the war as
private soldier in 1917. and l
spent twenty-three months in
France ready and willing any day
to sacrifice my life for my coun-
try. No man knows better than
you, who has dishonored the uni
form you wore, that you wilfully
and deliberately state an untruth
in what you say of the Ameri-
can Legion. I don't propose to
sit silently by and have your
SLSldIlcHIS 80 ulCHdl10HSSu, anu
here and now I denounce them
as false"
There were cries of put him out"
from Watson partisans, but the
youth who had enlisted as private
and risen to the rank of lieutenant
stood his ground.
Il dare you n to try to yp put m me out IT,
the crowd on me, and I guess You
can put me out, but 1 care you TO
do it, .@.,.szr.. g. e-.r...,as...s.
When. a few Watson supporters 4
moved towards him, he showed not
the slightest sign of fiinching, and
the movement was halted. Mr.. Wat
son checked the threatening storm
by moving that the meeting adjourn,
and the crowd filed out of the audi
torium, leaving young Barrett, who
is brother of Charles S. Barrett,
president of the Farmers union and
a son of the late Mr.. Thomas j.
standing where he was, not
withstanding the, fact that Grover
had got but little way in
his speech when the interruption
came. 20 "a
Young Barrett said after the meet
ing that the repeated attacks which
had been made at various Watson
on the American Legion
and the characters of the men COM
posing it had so aroused him that
lC NOu1u nave tdhSH IIlC SScp uS ult
if he had known that he risked his
life in doing so. 4
There were no personal encounters
as a result of the great confusion
which broke up the meeting, but it
looked at one time as if almost any
thing might happen. The incident
has been the one topic of converse
ton on the streets Of GAINESVILLE
since yesterday, Many express the
opinion that it will seriously cut
down the vote for Watson in this
county in the senatorial primary.
watson Denies Opposing War
Mr.. Watson himself preceding Ed
was given courteous
hearing, although ne too vigorously
criticized the Wilson policies and
the American Legion. The majority
of the crowd was made up Of his
supporters from this and surround
ing counties, and they showered the
speaker with applause from time to
time. He denied that he had OPP
posed or done anything to impede the
progress of the war, asserting he
had urged declaration of war imme-
diately after the sinking of the Lusi-
tania.
He criticized Senator Smiths plat
form, making humorous reference to
his record as to cotton, but merely
to Governor Dorsey and the
League of Nations. He answered
at length an editorial in the Macon
Telegraph.
In his arraignment of the Ameri-
can Legion, he charged that it was
composed ALMOST exclusively of Off
GERS.