Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23
By a stan Correspondent of The Star.

OOT1HAOOL1, "lc.p GNOVCIlUcE 10
N.A.N.A)-The new national chaplain
of the American Legion, Rev. Joseph
Noyes Barnett, rector of Trinity Epis-
copal Church at Oshkosh, is known to
the War Department not as chaplain,
but as Sergt. Barnett.
The sheep herderS and COW punchers
of Western Colorado call him 1.-The fight
ing parsor." but to the majority of
people who have had the good fortune
to meet him he is simply "the Rev. joe "
THE Rev. Joe" sat on the platform
during the big Legion convention at
Boston and listened to himself being
nominated for national chaplain by F.
Ryan Duffy of Fond du Lac Next to
him sat his older brother, Francis, like
wise a minister and Legionnaire. As
Mr. Duffy concluded the eulogy Francis
put his arm around Joe's shoulder and
said: Gosh, Joe, that's such a swell
recommendation 1t must be me they're
nominating"
But it was ''the Rev. joe" who was
elected by q landslide of votes, and he
was welcomed back to Oshkosh by
Mayor T. G. Brown, r. M. MacKinnon,
newly installed commander Of the Osh-
kosh Post Of the Legion, and a cheering
crowd of friends who met his train with
the High School Band, the Legion Drum
Corps and, red flares all along the street
to his home on Algoma Boulevard
The following Sunday a special home
coming service filled Trinity Church to
overlooking, and 1.-The Rev. Joe" at the
close of his sermon thanked the people
for their confidence in him, for the Wis
conSin Legionnaires of his own Oshkosh
Post had been the ones to nominate
him originally.
Hail Fellow, Well Met.
Mr.. Duffy's nomination speech at Bos-
ton gives a most satisfactory idea of
"the Rev. Joe's" personality. He is
hail fellow, well met; cordial, yet dig
nifed, and ever mindful of the response
bilitieS that go with q man of the cloth.
Friendly and jovial, yet at all times sin
cere and deeply religious he I'M
derstands people in all walks Of life and
knows their problems and sympathizes
with their difficulties"
Small wonder that the men of the
303d Machine Gun Battalion of the 18th
Division went to him with all their
troubles.
THE Rev. Joe's' position in the war
was novel one. In 1917 he was a
clergyman, rs, assistant rector of st.
Georges Church in New York City. He
had been graduated in 1913 from Trim
ity College in Hartford, Conn. The, fol-
lowing year he entered Berkeley Divin-
ity School in Middletown, Conn, and
in 1916 was ordained priest.
II was curate when America en-
tered the, war;" said 1.-The Rev. joe"
land both my brothers had joined the
Army while was in school. was in
tenSely proud of them and had fully
determined to follow their example and
go in as chaplain when happened to
read book which changed my whole
idea.
II had gone down to Virginia on a
little vacation and had taken along
Donald HankeyS Student In Arms
Well, sat up all night reading it, and
the next morning I had made up my
mind to 60 into the war, not as q chap
lain who would live with the officers,
but as buck private. Also I wanted
to go not with the volunteer soldiers
but with the drafted men, and my draft
number was far, far down on the list.
II wanted to 60 in as soldier instead
of chaplain because I felt the church
should get near the boys; wanted to
get under their skins. Many of the
regular chaplains did this, but it was
hard. The chaplains lived with the
Officers, ate with them and were con-
Sidered their equals in rank. Sometimes
the men felt that the chaplains didn't
really understand their problems be-
cause Of the difference in living con-
ditions.
81 tried, through friend of mine in
the vestry. to get into the draft army,
but without success. So in desperation
wrote to the Secretary of War"
His Letter to Baker.
With some persuasion, the REV. Joe"
consented TO hunt through his files"
Nf he l.
tween him and the War Department.
Soon the floor of his Office was covered
with papers. and finally appeared q car
bon copy Of the letter to Newton D.
Baker.
Here it Isl and Mr.. Barnett handed
1t over little sheepishly. His reti-
cence was due to remembrance of the
adulation with which the New York
press had greeted the news of this self
same letter IN 1917.
MY dear sir" read the letter, writ
ten on the stationery of st. Georges
Church, II am writing to you as a final
court Of appeal. This Is my case.
F.. am a healthy, red-blooded Epis-
copal minister, Is years old. and / very
much desire to get into the National
Army as a private soldier. But all my
efforts so far have been unavailing. The
ironclad Army rulings d. have pre-
vented me, Tor my draft number
Is far down the list.
II made up my mind some time ago
that wanted TO go into this war as
private rather than as chaplain, for
felt that in that way could get closer
to the men. at first planned to go
into the Regular Army and passed
successful physical examination
but then concluded that the oppor-
tunities and possibilities in the National
Army (the draft Army for a person
like myself were so much greater that
I would try to enlist In that, and have
been trying for several weeks to do so.
II feel that a new. army like this,
composed of so many different types.
will meet in the course of its making
men are not eager to fight, to begin
with; often they will be disgruntled
and DISCOURAGED and IL a smile and q