The Washington herald., 1921-01-05
LEGION ASKS AID
OF CONGRESS IN
STACKER FIGHT
Wires VOlstead to Sum
mon Baker and Palmer
To Explain Situation.

Congressional aid was sought by
the American Legion yesterday in
an effort to obtain from the War
Department and the Department
of Justice the names, which at
last accounts totaIed more than
1TO.OO Of the men who are cIassed
as sIackers.
The War Department. through
Newton D. Baker. Secretary of
War, announced almost a year
ago that it intended to give the
FULLEST publicity to the list of
men cIassed as draft evaders or
deserters so that they might be
unprecedented. This order has been
subject to constant modification
and delay and has not been full
nlled yet. \ list was placed in
the hands Of the Department of
Justice but efforts Of the Ameri-
ran Legion to obtain it so that
Legion members might join in the
search for violators Of the law
was met with the statement that
the Department Of Justice did
not need the help Of the Legion.
Seek Reason for InactIon, II Any
The Legion yesterday. through
+. ". Galbraith. national COM
mander, asked Representative Vol
stead, of the House judiciary Com
mittee, to summon Baker and A.
ATffrhaI1 Do
reason for shielding the slackers
might be
Despite efforts that are being
made in Congress TO extend the
statute of limitations insofar as il
pertains to violators of the draft,
officials of the American Legion
fear that the men who failed to
answer the call for service will
escape punishment due to the dila-
tory tactics Of the War Depart
nent Under court martial regula-
lions there is no statute of limi
tatiOns on desertion. mUtiny or
plurder but the attitude Of Baker,
as evidenced in the BerEdOl case,
has been that men who were not
induCted into the service could be
tried only for draft evasion.
Text of Telegram.
The text Of the telegram which
Jhe legion addressed to Nolstcad
follows.
I am informed that as chairman
Of the House Judiciary Committee
now considering the watson bill,
you are empowered to call before
that committee the Secretary Of
War and the Attorney General Of
the United States to ascertain the
Facts surrounding the mysterious
ofhcial silence which invests the
war Stacker situation. l sincerely
believe this will be done and that
no means will be spared by your
committee to bring to light the
reasons which have aCtuated the
War Department or whatever
branch Of the government is re-
sponsible in failing to publish the
names Of known slaCkers. The
American Legion, after repeatedly
urging the publication Of this list
MAS Informed by the War Depart
ment several months ago that these
names would be published at the
earliest possible date. The Ameri-
ran Legion is unwilling that those
who deserted their country and
aefed the law in the hour Of nation
al peril should 90 unpunished for
their treaChery. 1t is unfair to the
millions who served. an af,ront to
The thousands OF disabled who are
Etin paying the price Of victory,
4 betrayal Of our heroic dead and
an insult to those who mourn them
hat a single known Stacker should,
Without retribution, enjoy the bless
Inrs Of a national liberty he lacked
the manhood to help defend.
"F. w GALBRAITH.
National Commander.
The American Legion"