4 | Letter from General Greely to James D. Phelan
HEADQUARTERS PACIFIC DIVISION
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
June 15, 1906.
Mr. James D. Phelan, Chairman,
Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds,
Hamilton School, City.
Sir:—
1. I understand from the morning papers that a telegram signed by you and Mayor Schmitz, has asked the retention of the Army on duty in San Francisco for ninety days from July 1st.
2. I have seen Mayor Schmitz this morning and he concurs with me in the belief that the relief of the Army on July 1st is in the public interests, and after consideration of the opinions expressed by me in this letter, I trust that the Finance Committee will agree in the wisdom of withdrawing their request.
3. The spirit of American institutions is obviously adverse to the quartering of troops in times of peace in large cities, which is in this case supplemented by reasons of a practical and economic character. From all sources, there is a consensus of opinion that the service of the Army for relief purposes in San Francisco was of great benefit to the city of San Francisco and the State of California. That July 1st marks the date on which federal troops should cease to guard stores, control camps, administer order and provide sanitation for civilians quartered on city grounds or private property, is my conviction.
4. Your attention is called to the fact that there are classes of worthy citizens who in considerable numbers are now deprived of their ordinary means of gaining a livelihood, either by lack of public funds or from destruction of private business. Among these may be mentioned firemen, policemen, school teachers and physicians.
5. Your attention is particularly called to the fact that a certain number of such persons could be given temporary employment by the Red Cross organization if the present guards and camp administrations of the Army were withdrawn. In short, the officers and men of the Army are now performing duties and rendering services which should be performed and rendered by the destitute men in San Francisco. I submit to your Committee whether it is advisable to favor a policy which thus discriminates against civilian labor because the work of the Army is done without expense to the Red Cross Funds.
6. If the Red Cross was not amply supplied with funds, there might exist a necessity for free army labor but such is not the case. The morning paper reports that Mr. Bartnett is favoring the immediate distribution of the greater part of six million dollars now in the possession of the Committee.
7. Of all the methods of relief that which most commends itself to me from a careful consideration of this question, is that advanced by Dr. E. T. Devine, and known under the general term of rehabilitation. There is no better way of rehabilitating a man than by allowing him to earn a living salary. In this case it can be conjoined with the care and relief of the destitutes who are rapidly being reduced in number.
8. It has been unofficially advanced that the withdrawal of the Army would involve conditions of disorder and that sanitary conditions would not be as carefully observed as under strict military methods. It is believed that the rigidly enforced methods of the Army cannot be equalled by ordinary civilian control and it is also acknowledged that the suggestion of a soldier with a gun is more potent in enforcing order that the directions of a policeman with a club.
9. On the question of order and sanitation, experience has shown that the people of San Francisco are self-respecting and desirous of conforming to proper methods of life as regards the three important points of order, decency and cleanliness. That this is a fact and not an opinion, is shown by the conditions attending the 43,000 people now under canvas in the City of San Francisco. Of this number 18,000 are under military supervision, while 25,000 are scattered elsewhere throughout the city. About 10,000 of these people have been continually under military supervision and 8,000 more have lately been taken in charge. It might be thought the 25,000 other people supplemented by the 8,000 lately transferred, would in the past two months have become centers of infectious diseases or the centers of disorder and violence, which has not been the case as infectious diseases have been sporadic and the conditions of order have been such that as far as I know no murder has been committed and only one or two assaults have been made.
10. It appears to me that the time has arrived when some definite plan of organization should be formulated. At present no one connected with the Red Cross has any power to act, not even Dr. Devine, save as to certain expenditures for rehabilitation which in limited amounts have been appropriated.
11. To illustrate a practical method of handling this question, a definite line of organization is herewith suggested. It is worse than useless to expect that the interests of the tens of thousands of people and sums of money running into the millions can be economically and efficiently administered by men giving such part of their time as remains after transacting their own business, to the questions of relief. There must be not only a paid personnel but to obtain men of character, efficiency and skill, they must be well compensated.
12. The Finance Committee should allow no money to be spent except on estimates which should be submitted monthly in advance so that they may be properly discussed by the Finance Committee before paying the money. Emergencies can be met by allowing a small sum for each particular department for contingent expenses. It is believed that the duties of the Finance Committee should be confined to questions of policy and considering of estimates and authorizing them formally.
13. The executive work should be done by three men who should receive a salary of not less than $5,000 per year. One member should be a special representative of the Red Cross and as Dr. Devine would probably not remain many months and his services are needed as an advisory to the Finance Committee, it is suggested that some one be named by Dr. Devine if he will not serve himself. The second member should be named by the Mayor of San Francisco and the third should be selected by the Finance Committee from individuals familiar with the industrial, commercial and business interests of San Francisco. This committee should divide the duties between themselves.
14. Supplies should be centralized and should be in charge of a carefully selected man to receive $10.00 per day, with an assistant who should receive $5.00 per day. This official should under no circumstances have anything to do with the purchase of supplies but only be responsible for their receipt, care, and issue.
15. Each camp should be placed under a very carefully selected officer of the Fire or Police Department who is on furlough; preferably to be Captains and Lieutenants of the Fire Department and Captains, Lieutenants and Sergeants of the Police Department, and should be paid according to the size and importance of the camp. The familiarity of these men with the people of San Francisco and their habits of authority should enable them to properly supervise these camps, which naturally would be under the general direction of one of the three executive members of the committee. The present surgeons should be replaced by doctors of executive ability and standing of which it is understood that there are many without practice. There should be about one doctor to each seven hundred persons and their pay should be from $3.50 to $5.00 per day.
16. At places where guards are necessary, civilian watchmen, drawn largely from furloughed policemen and firemen and male school teachers, should be placed in charge. It might be added that wherever opportunity for women’s work offers, it should be given to school teachers of standing now on furlough.
17. All expenses of sanitation and policing of these camps should be at the expense of the Red Cross. While they would be naturally subjected to inspection from time to time by the sanitary officers of the city yet such officers would, it is believed, not interfere unduly with the arrangements in these camps. There should be special police officers on duty at night at the larger camps, these also to be paid employees.
18. In short, an organized, well selected and properly paid personnel is indispensable to the successful handling of the relief work.
19. Supplementary to the executive committee, there should be an agent charged with the rehabilitation work, acting under the special direction of Dr. Devine or his successor. The policy regarding rehabilitation should be liberal and a very considerable sum should be set aside therefor subject to distribution as Dr. Devine or his successor might direct.
20. Briefly this letter looks to action and organization, which cannot progress satisfactorily while the Army is conducting independently a part of this work. There are large sums of money on hand and the public naturally has a right to demand results.
21. Valuable time is being lost as regards questions of shelter and rehabilitation through lack of suitable organization.
22. The Committee will think perhaps that I have expressed myself very forcibly in this matter, but my great interest in the adoption of the best and speediest means of restoring normal conditions in San Francisco and in the relief of its destitute, will, I hope, be viewed as excuses for my speaking freely and fully, and offering definite advice relative to the work in hand.
23. In view of the great importance of the interest the municipality has in this work, I have furnished a copy of this letter to his Honor, Mayor E. E. Schmitz.
24. May I then express the hope that the Finance Committee will agree with me that the Army will be withdrawn on July 1st.
25. I may add that should the services of say half a dozen officers be needed in the way of advice and aid during July, I should be glad to take steps looking to their detail provided the Secretary of War approves which I believe he will.
Very respectfully,
A. W. Greely,
Major General, Commanding