The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-01-25
THE WATSON INVESTIGATION

the Gainesville News, written by the
editor thereof, who had abundant per
sonal contact with the toughest edges
of the war. And in speaking Of the
Gainesville unit with which he went to
Camp Wheeler, he closely described
liar experience, and Of which no man
has ever "beefed" about his dangers
and hardships during the war. Editor
McCreary's article follows:
The Watson investigation into al
legged eruelties, inflicted upon enlisted
men in the United States army by
their officers, has dragged the high
name of the American army into the
dirt and so far as ye editor can see
will neither remedy the wrongs that
might have already been done or do
anything to prevent their recurrence
in the future.
If Watson was such friend to the
enlisted man, why was he not in
| France looking out for him when
these alleged gross injustices were
being committed, instead of at home
defending draft evaders and CRITICS.
ing the actions of those that were do
ing all in their power to defeat the
imperialistic army of Germany?
Then We would like to ask, suppose
| Watson proves conclusively that some
illegal hangings were committed in
| Germany, what will be done about it?
Won't they be treated as lizard boiled"
Smith was treated? He went "Scott
free; why shouldn't the others be al
lowed to do as he did?
| Ye editor does not doubt in the
least but that there were some good
American soldiers killed in France for
nothing more than going to Paris or
to some other city without leave of
| absence and then there were many
other abuses heaped upon the enlisted
men by cruel, inefficient officers, but
this was not generally the case. The
officers of the fighting units, as a rule,
were men that were dearly loved by
every member of their company. Had
they been unpopular, or hard and
cruel officers, probably they would not
have come back. Some member of his
company would probably have ac-
counted for message being sent back
home "killed in action"
Ye editor entered the army as
private, went as high as a regimental
sergeant major, fell back down the
ladder, and was discharged private.
| He spent six months in France, two
of which were in the hospitals, and
| while in the hospitals he came into
contact with men from various fight
| ing units. The writer found that
these men some of whom had been
| literally shot to pieces, were almost
unanimous in singing the praises of
their officers, but practically all took
pleasure in cursing the "hard boiled"
| ones that were in charge of the prison
| camps and the permanent camps back
| in the interiorsof France, and if there
was any mistreatment of soldiers it
| Was in these camps and not in the
trenches. However, the American
army was built into four million men
from nucleus of a few thousand in
about fifteen months and there was no
more chance to get all good men for
officers than there was to get all good
men for soldiers. There is no doubt
but that there were dirty ones in both
ranks of the army.
Some of the evidence that has been
introduced in Washington is enough to
make the commonest prisoner in the
army sick at his stomach. The story
about Major Opie shooting down an
enlisted man in cold-blooded murder,
in the presence of other soldiers, is
more of a disgrace to the soldiers
present than to any officer The Amer
lean soldiers, as a whole, were men,
they were not near as afraid of death
as they were that they would miss
their next meal, and to tell the public
that Major Opie shot down one of
tneSe boys IN cold-blooded murder and
then returned to his home in Virginia
is absolutely ineonceivable and unbe-
lievable. 1t is a pity that if Major
Opie committed the act that he is ac-
cused of that he did not shoot down
all present, for they are not fit men to
wear the uniform of the United States
government.
Now comes Harry K Walmer, of 81
West list street, New York city, and
testifies that while in France he was
compelled to sleep on bare floor in a
stable. Lucky boy, he had a floor to
sleep on with covering over it. Many
others would have given half their
lives to have been able to have crawl
ed out of the mud into horse stable