The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-11
D. 4. R. BRANDS
OMAN SPEECH
AS OUTRAGE
Address Tends to Make
Traitors of Prisoners,
Chairman Charges.
CALLS FOR 0GDEN'S AID
De Paw University Head Is
Blasted for Remarks
at PendIetOn.

Charging that the address made
prisoners at the Indiana state re-
formatory by President c. Bromley
Oman of De Paw university last
Sunday tends to make the prisoner
disloyaI traitors and anarchists,
Daughters Of the American Revolu
ton today besought Attorney Gen
eral James M. ogden to prevent
repetition of such an outrage"
Action by ogden was asked in
letter received at the attorney
generals office today from Mrs.
Electa Chase Murphy, Muncie, state
chairman on national defense of
the Indiana Society, d. A. r.
The letter said:
Patriotic citizens must have been
shocked on reading the speech of
DR. G.. Bromley Oman, president
Of De Paw university, before the
prisoners in our state reformatory
at Pendleton yesterday. The In
dianapoliS Star quotes him in part
as follows:
HE decried the practice of ma
tons entering into secret treaties,
and declaring that the slogan of
America First must be interpreted
as meaning America first in world
service and not be the first to go
into Mexico and steal oil lands
UnhOIy Pot Seen
The plain and unmistakakle in
tent OF his speech was to charge
that our government made prac-
tice Of engaging in some sort of I'M
holy conspiracies with other nations,
and that we have gone into Mexico
to steal oil lands.
LET it be remembered that this
speech was made before 1900 pris-
oners who were not in position to
contradict his false and slanderouS
utterances. Those men are suffering
= from punishment and disgrace.
Many of them are young men who
feel that they are being over
punished.
Some feel that their inprison-
ment is entirely wrong. All of them
are thinking of numerous in
dividuals whom they believe to be
at all
''CriminologiStS agree that prison
life is characterized by spirit of
protest and discomfort. 1 am not
saying that those prisoners think
correctly. 1t is sufficient to know
that from their point of view they
feel that they have been wronged.
Hits at Oman
"They think every one unSympa-
thetic toward them and they are
apt to become soured toward society
because of real or imagined injur-
les. They are all too apt to feel
that such man as OMAN is their
champion.
There are many criminal lead
erS among them who will be glad
to use those false statements of Ok
mans as a text in delivering lee
lures of their own to the prison
colony in support of their commun-
tstic and anarchistic sentiments.
If it were Oman who spoke 1t
1t would not be so bad, though bad
enough-but DR.. q. Bromley Oman,
president of De Paw university
will carry weight. His statements
will tend to weaken the loyalty of
the better class of prisoners, and 1t
will tend to make traitors and an
archists of others.
Il am hopeful that you will be
able to bring some influence to bear
that will prevent a repetition of
such outrage"
Ogden will acknowledge receipt of
the letter. He is a member of the
board of De Paw trustees which
brought Oman to the Greencastle
university. Mrs. Ogden is a mem
Der of the D. A. r.