From the News

Dated: January 29, 1919

Mr. Justice Hodgins Finds That Complaints of Men Were Justified

All Hands Guilty of Failing in Discipline

Lack of Co-operation and Faulty System the Trouble - Plenty of Food Aboard

Ottawa, Ont. Jan. 29

Both of the officers in charge and the non-commissioned officers and men returning on the steamship Northland come in for adverse criticism in the report of Mr. Justice Hodgins on the voyage of that troopship last month, an investigation into the the conditions of which was instituted early in January.

The report, which has just been received by the government, is a comprehensive one, comprising of nearly forty type-written pages.

The men, particularly the non-commissioned officers, are blamed for their failure to observe the usual military discipline and to perform the duties of them in the matter of cleaning the latrines and eating and sleeping quarters.

Complaints Justified

Their complaints regarding the latter, however, are considered as fully justified, while on the question of food, their complaints are, in the main, sympathetically upheld. In the latter respect, the lack of a proper system of serving, and the fact that the ship's galley was situated too remote from the places where the meals were served, are held as primarily responsible.

The report states that there was an adequate supply of food on board to meet all requirements, and that the cooking was, as a whole, good, although occasionally the food was badly cooked, but holds that such incidents were exceptions which might happen in any mess or eating house.

After pointing out that the accommodation on board the troopship, while probably equal to third class conditions I pre-war times, and of a nature which might be cheerfully endured by troops on their way to the seat of war, “eager to get at the enemy.” the report states they were not such as the Canadian soldiers should be either asked or permitted to put up with, when returning to their homes.

Matter of Pride

“The outlook of the men,” Judge Hodgins stated, “has now completely changed and they no doubt complain of much that in itself is far better than they had to put up with during the war. But it is a matter of national pride to ensure that they should have ample sleeping, seating and eating accommodation and such provision for ventilation as will enable them to make the voyage in relative comfort.”

With the military officers - both the conducting party and those in charge of the district troops - Mr. Justice Hodgins is less sympathetic.

“I find,” says Judge Hodgins “that no one in the conducting staff took personal, direct and continuous control or oversight of the men's comfort and discipline and that there was no one in the galley who was familiar with the proper scale of rations, and that the result was confusion and dissatisfaction which might have been remedied if taken in hand at once and in a practical way.”

In reaching his conclusions, the commissioner states:

Acknowledges Sincerity

“I acknowledge the candor and sincerity of the officer commanding troops, who had served for over two and a half years through campaigns which included St. Eloi, Regina Trench, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70 and Passchendaele and also of his staff and it is a question whether after the war experience I have referred to, it would be fair to ask any officer to take the position if it is to be other than as he viewed it and as needing activity and concentration.”

The report states, in addition, that owing to the fact that the regular trained conducting parties were all occupied on account of the large number of troops being returned to Canada in December, the one for “Northland” had to be hurridly made up. In consequence, only two of its members had any experience and that only in clerical and pay department work. Also, as a result of this pressure, the various military district officers had no opportunity to make acquaintance with the personnel of their units before sailing. To these two causes, the report says, much of the consequent confusion and want of discipline was due.

Lack of Co-Operation

A lack of co-operation and the workings of a faulty system, together with the shifting of responsibilities on the part of the officers are held as responsible in considerable degree for the discomforts of the voyage.

Some of the sections in which the returning men were quartered were overcrowded, while others had space to spare, involving inadequate feeding facilities and disagreeable living conditions consequent upon rough weather conditions, which cause sea sickness in the sections where the men were required to both eat and sleep, it is pointed out in the report, were among the evils which might have been corrected had there been forthcoming efficient and sympathetic efforts.

Dealing with the matter of messing, Mr. Justice Hodgins says:

“So far as the evidence relates to this branch relates to this branch of the subject, I find that no efficient dealing with the situation, either by the non-commissioned officers or the orderly officers was displayed. The real weakness was the total absence of any systematic effort to understand or to cope with the difficulties of distance, restricted space for eating and short supplies to the pantries and serving tables. Speaking generally, the chief steward's department, the orderly officer in charge of each military district and his non-commissioned officers, and the officer conducting troops and his conducting staff, would seem to afford sufficient force to tackle these difficulties. None of them managed to do so.”

No Trace of Realization

The confusion attending the serving of food is then dealt with, and the report goes on to say:

“In the face of all this, there is no trace of realization, either by the orderly officers in charge of the military districts or by the conducting staff that anything was wrong.”

The failure of the officers responsible for the men's comfort to “go below” to study conditions under which the men were living also comes in for Judge Hodgin's criticism.

The refusal early in the voyage to allow the men the use of the promenade deck - a privilege later accorded them - is also dealt with in the report, as is the lack of discipline prevailing on the troopship.

The report says that no ill-feeling existed aboard the Northland, and states that had it not been for the holding up of the ship by the health officer at Halifax, who suspected a case of smallpox and the bitter disappointment of the men at being compelled to spend Christmas day aboard under trying conditions, little might have been heard of the voyage in the way of complaint. In this respect the report states:

“The men were bitterly disappointed on the Christmas morning. A hurried dinner was prepared and eaten in great discomfort, owing to the fact that all the tables were encumbered with beddings, etc.”

Regarding the connection of the admiralty with the Northland, Mr. Justice Hodgins states:

“I have heard nothing in the inquiry which in any way reflects upon the British admiralty.”