Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-11
AMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.
orrren. event. CLEANED from IN


Army and Navy Register.
The use OF military title as com
mercial asset" is looked upon with marked
disfsvor in the War department. General
Bell. chief OF stan OF the army has eX-
pressed the officiRl sentiment in this re-
spect In his comment In submitting to the
secretary of war the case of an officer OF
the army who was making use OF his rank
in the military service in connection with
the promotion of q private mining venture.
The chief OF the stan says:
Though a record for long and honorable
service in the army carries with IL n repu-
tation for fair dealing II is not calculated
to augment the possessor's judgment OF tho
value or reliability OF commercial PROPOSE
tions. Furthermore, an ofieer's title is con-
ferred upon him for use in the military
service and he has no right to use 1t ss
a commercial asset' 1t is considered that
an offlcer OF the army who uses his tito
to advance the interests OF a commercial
enterprise places himself in an attitude un-
favorable to him as a soldier"
Announcement of a purely official charac-
ter has not yet been made OF the appoint
ment Of Brigadier General Jesse M. Lee to
be a major general and OF Captain ]. J.
Pershlng to be a brigadler general but the
appointments will be made on the occasion
OF the retirement OF Lieutenant General
Corbin. The appointment of Captain Per-
shing has been pending for some time and
is now to be made in fulnllment OF the
presidential promise made when Captain
Pershing's gallantry in the Phiiippines--of
no questionable sort-attracted the atten-
ton and gained the enthusiastic commend
alton OF Mr.. Roosevelt who named Per-
shlng in an annual message TO congress as
an example of individual military achieve
ment. The appointment has been post
poned from each recurring vacancy In the
grade OF brigadier general, but those who
are familiar with the situation at the
White House and the War department un-
derstood perfectly well that the appoint
ment would be made on the first oppor-
tunity. President Roosevelt appreciates the
fact that the incident will invite further
criticisms OF the administration, but the
certainty of any such visitation does not
scare him.
A Washington correspondent gives the
following details regarding the playing Of
Always in the Way at a soldiers funeral
in the Philippines. One stanza Of q private
soldiers answering poem" has been
printed in the United States:
William l.. Lawrence, a private of the
United States marine corps. while In the
performance Of his duties was drowned at
the marine station OF Olongapo. At the
funeral his commanding officer. Captain
II. /. Barss. ordered the marine band to
play as a funeral march the popular rag
time air, "Alawys in the Way" The order
almost caused a mutiny before the band
had finished the piece, which was played
against the protest OF the band leader. A
few days later the Cable News a Manila
daily, published some verses written by
Private A. l. Price of the hospital corps,
Of which the following is the opening
stanza:
We don't object to hikin' although a hun
dred miles of sun.
We don't object to charEln' up a mountain
We don't object to nviu' on soldiers
rations straight,
We don't object to dyin'. but to reach TIE
golden gate
With ragtime funeral marches when the
band is made to play
1t does sound q little awkward-"fou're
Always In the Way"
A copy OF the paper reached the secre-
tary of the navy, who referred IL to the
War department with a request that
charges be preferred against the poet"
A cable message was accordingly sent to
the military authorities at Manila. where
Price was on duty, and he was placed in
close confinement in the guard house at
Fort Espana pending the investigation.
Editor O'Brien OF the Cable News stated
that his paper was prepared to back UP
the statement with regard to the ordering
OF the Questionable music at the funeral,
and that he assumed all responsibility for
the publication Of the poem"
After some three weeks confinement
Price was ordered released and restored to
duty without trial, and a complaint was
filed in the Navy department against Cap
tain Barss, who probably will be brought
before a general court-martial
The oficer diselaims any intention of
disrespect to the dead marine, offering In
explanation statement to the effect that
the band is made up OF F1lipinos, that the
Objectionable air was one OF the few pieces
which they were able TO play without the
notes. that It was played in funeral time.
and that, but for the unfortunate title,
Always IN the way" would not have been
SO inappropriate as would appear.
Barss was appointed from Indiana, his
home being in Peru, that state. He served
as a volunteer in the Spanish American
war; and Is said to be very unpopular with
the enlisted men.
Price is well educated young man with
considerable literary talent. He has been
reduced from hrst-class to second-lass
private in his corps and sent to Moroland
for duty in the field.
That most valuable of oficiai compila-
lions, the Army distance book, has been re-
vised in many important particulars and
will be distributed TO the service in the
next few weeks. There are numerous adj
ditions and there are many changes, which
were rendered necessary by the alterations
in the railroads during the past year or
two Then. too the law over the bond
aided roads has been repealed and since
June II there has been no such require
ment This new situation is responsible
for much work in revision, also.
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