Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-01
TO ACT AS SECRETARY OF WAR.
Why a Bureau Officer Was Designated
Instead of the Chief Clerk.


rather sensational story appeared in one of
the New York papers yesterday morning tell
ing OF great dissatisfaction among the bureau
officers of the War department over the assign
ment of Chief Clerk Tweedale to act in the
stead of Secretary Proctor during the latters
absence. The story went on to tell of how
certain chief Of bureau had returned
to the chief clerk paper signed by
him as ''acting Secretary" with the
Endorsement, respectfully awaiting the sig
nature of the Secretary of War;" and that in
many other ways the army officers had been
showing their disapproval of the civil rule.
The designation of Gen. Macfeely as acting
Secretary, it was claimed, was all that pre-
vented an open outbreak. Then was cited the
discharge of a certain chief of division who
had years ago incurred the displeasure of Mr..
Tweedale.
AT THE WAR DEPARTMENT
this publication has fallen without any effect.
MIR. Tweedale is not at all disturbed. In fact
he says that he is rather glad the thing was
published, for it will have the effect of clear
ing up the atmosphere. He had yet to hear of
any disgruntled bureau chief, and he has never
seen any paper returned by an officer for sig
nature. The order announcing his designation
as acting Secretary is as follows, and is but a
continuation Of a custom that has been prac-
ticed In the War department for many years:
by virtue of the authority vested in me by
the act approved March 4, 1874, hereby au.
thorize John Tweedale, chief clerk of the War
department, to sign acquisitions upon the
treasury and other papers requiring my sigma
ture during my temporary absence, to begin
July ~, 1889, and until my return.
REDFIELD PROCTOR, Secretary Of War"
GENERAL MACFEELY AS ACTING SECRETARY.
Gen. Macfeely took hold of the reins of the
department this morning. under his commits
sion signed by the President. He disclaimed
any knowledge of trouble between the chief
clerk and the army, and said that the story was
undoubtedly. printed because folks like to
hear denunciations rather than praises Mr.
Tweedale, he added, would not be doing his
duty II he did not sign in the absence Of the
secretary, for the law requires him to do so.
WHY HE WAS DESIGNATED.
The commission Of Gen. Macfeely was signed
because the Secretary's absence was necessarily
prolonged beyond what he expected on account
OF the illness of his son, and there were certain
matters awaiting action that could not be at
tended to except by a person having au-
thorlty from the President. telegram was re-
ceived by Mr.. Tweedale this morning from
Secretary Proctor announcing that he will re-
turn to Washington tomorrow.
THE WHOLE TROUBLE
ions in the Offices of the surgeon and adjutant
generals under the designation of the ''record
and pension division of the War department"
coming under the Office Of the Secretary and
under the direction of Capt F. C. Ainsworth
assistant surgeon of the army The object of
the consolidation was to facilitate the work
OF answering questions sent to the War
department from the pension Office. When
Secretary Endicott entered upon his admins
tration he received a swarm Of complaints from
all SIDES that the work OF granting pensions to
ex-soldiers was seriously delayed by the slow
methods in vogue in the War department. and
he Immediately set to work to reform them.
erals Office had been pulled up square under
the superintendent of DIR. Ainsworth, and
from that time he has been pushing his force
forward in the work of card-indexi King the rap
idly disappearing records.
ACTION BY CONGRESS.
With the success of this work in view Con-
gress last session passed an act looking to the
consolidation Of all rolls relating to the volun-
teer forces during the late war under the Secre-
tary OF War, IN order to facilitate the work of
replying to queries Of the pension Office and
also to transfer all the information relative to
the soldiers contained in the old records to
cards. 1t was in accordance with this legisla-
ton that the new division was created and
Immediately howl arose from a certain clerk
predicted its failure.
DR.. ARMsTRoNo's ATTITUDE.
One man especially was antagonistic to the
consolidation. This was Dr. Armstrong, a
chief of one of the consolidated divisions,
who had held Office in the War department for
many years. His relations with the chief clerk
were apparently pleasant, but now that he is
dismissed 1T has been reported that his removal
was the result of old animus held against
him by Mr. Tweedale on account of criticism
passed by him on letter written by the chief
clerk. MIR. Tweedale this morning said that he
did not remember any such letter or in
fact any reason why DR.. Armstrong should
have been dismissed, except that by
reason Of his antagonism to the reformed
methods of the department. He opposed the
change before it was made, and after it was
consummated he had not the grace to submit
to the inevitable, but continued to talk until
he was given thirty days leave, at the end of
which he will cease to draw Uncles SANS
money.