Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-21
A SINGULAR SITUATION
Gen. AinsWorth Doesn't SIGN
Gen. Bells Orders.
OLD CONDITIONS RECALLED
Object in Creating the General Staff
System.
FUNCTIONS OF COL. MCCAIN
Considerable Good-Natured Gossip in
Military Circles Over Order Issued
Recently to That Officer.

lnere mas Deen COnSlueTdDle 6ooo-
| natured gossip in military circles over the
fact that Col. Mccain one of the assistant
adjutants general. has been detailed by
Gen. Ainsworth. the new adjutant general,
to attest all the official orders to the army
issued by the Secretary of War through
the chief of staff. 1t is said that Adjt.
Gen. Ainsworth will not attest any order
issued through Gen. Bell, chief of stan.
and will countersign only such official
papers as are signed by the President,
the Secretary of War or the assistant
secretary Of war. The reason given Tor
this action is that Gen. Ainsworth is senior
to Gen Bell in the grade of major gen
eral, having received his commission in that
grade in April, 1904. while Gen Bell dld
not attain that grade until January, 1907.
The situation Is a singular one, without
precedent in the history of the army, and
shows that the organization of the general
staff corps has not entirely corrected the
incongruity in the military system that
caused so much trouble when Lieut.. Gen.
Miles was nominally in command Of the
army and Adjt. Gen. Corbin was in actual
command. At that time all orders to the
army were issued by Adjt. Gen. Corbin in
the name of Lieut. Gen. Miles, command
ing when in fact the latter had nothing
to do with the action. 1t was explained
that that course was made necessary by
the strained relations existing between
Root who was then Secretary of War
Purpose Of the General Staff System.
1t was mainly to correct that situation
and to insure the assignment of an officer IN
entire harmony with the President and his
civilian assistants In the War Department
that the general staff system that now
obtains was organized. Under that sys-
tenn the chief of staff Is supposed to be
the active military head of the army as
| the personal representative of the President
nd ha n
orders to the army are issued by him by
direction of the Secretary Of War These
orders supposed to be countersgned.
as in the old days. by the adjutant general
as the officer directly in charge of all mill
tary correspondence. During the early
days of the administration of the general
erals department was known as the mill
tary secretary's department. The duties
were precisely the same. the name only
being different When the general staff
corps was created in 1904. Gen. Ainsworth
was appointed military secretary and pro-
NOTED to the rank of major general.
Until Cen Bell was detailed as chief OF
staff in April. 1906 question of rank
was raised between the incumbent of that
office and the military secretary. All the
previous chiefs of staff including Gems.
Young. Chaffee and Bates. were senior in
rank to Gen. Ainsworth, and he was able to
sign orders issued by them apparently with
out loss of prestige. Gen. Bell is junior
to Gen. Answorth however, and the lat
ter has never atteSteu an OTQeT issued by
him. He delegated that duty to Col. Nc
Cain other junior officer of the
| military secretary's department That is
why the name of Gen. Ainsworth has not
appeared on any official order issued by
Gen. Bell, chief of staff. by direction of
the Secretary of War" since Gen. Bell took
his place at the head of the army staff
as the personal representative OF the
President. commander-in-chief, etc.
1t is stated also that Gen. Ainsworth has
not yet signed single official order to the
army in his capacity of adjutant general
Even the general order of March T. 1907
announcing the action of Congress provid-
ing that the military secretary's department
shall be known as the adjutant generals
department. which was issued by Gen. Bell
chief of staff, "by order of the Secretary of
War" was countersigred by Henry P. Nc
| Cain, adjutant general.
Gen. Ainsworth the Exception.
| Since Gen. Bell has held the Office of chief
| of staff he has. 'by order of the Secretary
| of War" issued orders to Lieut.. Gen. Mac
Arthur and Maj Gems. Wade and Wood, all
| commanding important military divisions
and all senior to Gen. Ainsworth well as
to Gen. Bell, and also to all other officers
| of the army (where necessary, including
| the chiefs of all the military staff depart
ments with the single notable exception
| however, of Adjt. Gen. Ainsworth, formerly
| military secretary.
All orders to the army of every kind and
| character are issued through either the chief
| of staff or the adiutant general, after per-
| sonal conference with the Secretary of War,
! and to that extent their official duties at
the War Department almost identical.
| The adjutant general. however, has the key
to the situation for, whereas he may act for
| the Secretary without reference to the chief
| of staff, all the orders issued by the latter
by direction of the Secretary Of War"
| must be -attested by an officer Of the adj
| jutant generals department and be record
| ed In that department with the knowledge
| of Adjutant General Alnsworth.
Another thing pointed out as indicating
| that Adjutant General Ainsworth occupies
| a position of greater rank and power In the
military establishment than the present
| chief of staff is that President Roosevelt
| has directed that Adjutant General Aims
worth shall perform the duties of Secretary
| of War during the illness or absence of
| both the Secretary and the assistant secre-
tary of war and that Gen. Bell shall act as
| Secretary during the illness absence of
| the Secretary, the assistant secretary and
| Gen. Ainsworth.
| Notwithstanding the somewhat anomalous
/ condition of affairs in the matter OF military
| rank and command no serious embarrass-
| ment or trouble has yet occurred In purely
military administration and the official re-
| lations of the two officers chiefly concerned
are declared to be cordial and harmonious
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