The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-12-02
PRIVATE LEGION
AND SEC'Y OF WAR


the assistance of that organization
in securing facts relative to the mis-
treatment of enlisted men by officers
during the war.
The Private Soldiers and Sailors
Legion is deeply interested in this
matter. Being composed entirely of
enlisted men, the men who suffered
under the abusive brutality of
'officers-we have been working hard
for two years to bring before con-
gress and the public the very facts
that you are requesting the Ameri-
can Legion to supply. and all of our
efforts in this behalf have been ac-
officer-controlled American Legion
In every instance in which we have
sought redress for the wrongs done
an enlisted man. the American Le-
gion has exerted all it's power and
influence to hide the facts from the
public, and to prevent action of any
kind.
From the date of it's organization
| the American Legion has been wholly
in the control of officers. 1t was or
ganized by officers for the purpose
of securing for them. at She expense
of the enlisted men, all the benefits
possible, and for the further purpose
| of so misusing whatever influence
it might have as to prevent any in
| vestigations or inquiries which would
be detrimental or embarrassing to
| officers. BY the rules of the Amer
| lean Legion no resolution can be in
PRODUCED nor any action proposed. in
any of it's local posts, until the mat
tnrs koa sub tod 4- ND
! proved by a hand-picked committee
of officers. It's constitution, bylaws
and rules of procedure are so drawn
as to take from the rank and file of
its membership any opportunity.
carry out any line of action what
ever. Everything that it does and
everything that it opposes is deter
mined on by the officers in it's con-
troll. These men, as a class, are the
men who are now charged with hav-
| ing perpetrated crimes against en-
listed soldiers, and of having adopt
ed toward them systematic course
of tyrannouse abuses, and it seems
reasonable to assume that they will
not only fail to supply any evidence
which would tend to show their guilt.
but that they will actively and Bit
| terly oppose the attempt of anyone
else to procure the facts. Asking
these men to help in an investigation
of abuses committed by officers is
like asking a gang of highway rob-
bers and burglars to lend their as
sistance in putting down crime.
Unless the records of the War De-
partment have been tempered with,
a scrutiny of them will furnish all
| the evidence necessary to prove con-
clusively that tyranny. brutality and
abuse were the rule and not the ex-
ception in the attitude of officers
| toward enlisted men.
In the A. E. F. the various COM
panies had company fund. usually
consisting of several thousand francs.
This fund belonged to the enlisted
men of the company, and its purpose
was to buy additions tho the army
ration and to supply such comforts
for the men as it was possible to OBJ
tain. Under the regulations the COM
| pany commander had charge of this
| fund. There should be, and doubt
| less are, accountings of these funds
now on file in the War Department.
| From our general knowledge of the
| SlIudLlOIl, we UcllGNG We are WdIIduL-
| ed in definitely charging that, in
large number of cases. these funds
were not used for the benefit of the
enlisted men, but were embezzled by
the officers who had them in their
possession, and were dissipated by
these officers in drunken orgies with
the accounts of the company funds
/ La o1l fhaf &c 70 hoy
where the money went.
Among the records of the War De-
partment there should be copies of
originals of the commanding officers
of the army hospital at Savenay,
France. An examination of these or
ders will show that private soldier,
a wounded patient in that hospital,
was ordered by the commanding
officer to be confined at hard labor
for refusing to work in his ward.
There was no trial by court-martial,
nor was the wounded private given
any hearing or any opportunity of
| telling his side of the case. These
| facts will be disclosed by the official
record. which. of itself, shows that
the action of this officer was not
only illegal, but criminal-that he
was guilty of the crime of false i'm
| prisonment. What the records will
not show is that this private soldier
had been wounded by a high explo-
sive shell at Chateau hierry. which
! had torn half the flesh off his right
thigh. and had broken the tendons
of his right leg and ankle: that at
the time of his Imprisonment he was
still suffering acutely from the
effects of his wounds. and was in
dire need of careful nursing and
medical treatment. This pitifully
sick. desperately wounded Chateau
Thierry hero. being private soldier,
was criminally abused by an inhu-
man brute of commanding officer
who, we are informed. is now a
prominent and influential member of
the American Legion. We assume
that neither he nor his associates in
that organization will exhibit any
enthusiastic activity in supplying
you with the proof of his brutal
criminality.
For more than two years the ma
tional officers of the Private Soldiers
and Sailors Legion have been deal
ing with the matter in question at
first hand. BY reason of our ac-
auanitance with the complications of
the situation. may we suggest that
If an appeal such as you have made
to the American Legion be made to
| all former enlisted soldiers, without
regard to whether or not they are
| members of an organization. nlentv