Evening star., 1932-07-28

! theater in the middle Of the block
| Shortly after 8 O'Clock a bugle called
the veterans to assembly, and Comdr
Waters took the rostrum and made an
impaSsioned plea for the veterans to
gradually evacuate the area and con-
centrate at Camp Bartlett.
The group was sullen and frequently
heckled Waters with such cries as
What do you think we are-children?
Give us our bonus" Let EN- come and
take us away" Wen fight the whole
damn works" and so forth
Waters denied that he was backing
down or surrendering In any way to
either the United States Government
or the local authorities.
"If any of you are Of the opinion that
Won can't be put out of the District,
you're kidding yourself" he declared.
''It's all right to holler what you'H 40
and what you won't do. I haven't any
power or desire to force you to do any
thing. I've defied every constituted au-
thority for you men. I've found you
can get away with defying police and
city authorities. Glassford and his po-
licemen are pretty good fellows, but
when you start defying the Federal au-
thorities, which don't take any con-
sideration Of the human element, you're
going to get licked. We can't lick the
United States Government. We can't
physically fight the Government. II
you stay here you're going to get mar
tial law, and be chased out of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and if you don't
think so you're crazy.
There's always such thing as out
whiting the Government, but when
United States troops are called to escort
me out, I'm going out, but I'm coming
back, too. I'm going to be the first man
they place under arrest, when martial
laws declared, and Ill be tried by a
court martial"
Waters then pleaded with his men
to gather all In one place at Camp Bart
lett, where permanent billets could be
built and the men entrench themselves
for a long hard siege. He declared:
They scattered us all over the
damned District on purpose, knowing
we could do better If We were all to-
gether. When you refuse to cooperate
with your leaders, you're playing right
into the hands of the opposition"
He said he had the money to build
semi permanent shelters for at least
200 men Immediately at Camp Bartlett.
He said the money comes from Wash
ington woman who has plenty" He
then read the message sent him by
Gen Glassford, bearing the order of
the Treasury Department that the first
building scheduled to be razed be
evacuated, beginning at 10 o'clock.
Closing his speech, he asked the men,
viii you move, or won't you?"
A loud chorus of Noes" went up,
and while another veteran, H. Koel,
was exhorting the veterans to heed the
advice of their commander, the shout
ing assembly broke Up and scattered
over the camp, mtngling with the ap-
proximately so policemen who had
lust arrived on the scene.
Meanwhile, John H. Bartlett, former
Assistant Postmaster General, owner OF
the tract occupied by Camp Bartlett
sent the following letter to Gen. Glass
ford:
Dear Supt. Glassford:
"I do not wish my cooperation with
YOU to be misunderstood. l permitted
the ex-serv1ce men to occupy my 30
acre estate solely at your written re-
quest in order to help out in critical
situation. 1 assumed then, and I as
sumo now. that what you do is agree
able to the Government and to the
District. I will not sell, lease or permit
to occupy, unless it is to help the
Government, the District and your or
ganlzation to work out Q peaceable
solution of what may be serious. I
will gladly cooperate to help these un-
fortunate people, but cannot go coun-
ter to the Government. I hook to you
solely and not to the ex-service men to
handle my property IN the interests of
peace, and to restore it to me when it
has served that humane and patriotic
purpose.
yours very truly,
JOHN H. BARTLETT"
White House Farley Held.
After the White House conference
Yesterday it was known that the
President had instructed the At
torney General to determine the
legal steps necessary to bring about
the evacuation. the Chief Execu-
tive holding that employment was
heing held I'D hDause of the inability