W. W."
Finally, for the benefit of the reader who asks how it happens that
such incidents are not more generally known to the public, I will
reprint the following, from pages 382-383 of "The Brass Check,"
dealing with the "New York Times," and its treatment of the writer's
novel, "Jimmie Higgins":
"In the last chapters. of this story an American soldier is
represented as being tortured in an American military prison. Says
the `Times':
"`Mr. Sinclair should produce the evidence upon which he bases his
astounding accusations, if he has any. If he has simply written on
hearsay evidence, or, worse still, let himself be guided by his
craving to be sensational, he has laid himself open not only to
censure but to punishment.'
"In reply to this, I send to the `Times' a perfectly respectful
letter, citing scores of cases, and telling the `Times' where
hundreds of other cases may be found. The `Times' returns this
letter without comment. A couple of months pass, and as a result of
the ceaseless agitation of the radicals, there is a congressional
investigation, and evidence of atrocious cruelties is forced into
the newspapers. The `Times' publishes an editorial entitled, `Prison
Camp Cruelties,' the first sentence of which reads: `The fact that
American soldiers confined in prison-camps have been treated with
extreme brutality may now be regarded as established.
Pages:
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