The National tribune., 1907-07-18

-. Col Chas. C. Ayres has been ordered
TO appear before Eoard for a physical
and mental examination, the Board to
meet in New York City on July II. II
is very greatly desired to have the
Colonel quietly retired without the uR-
pleasant exposures which would result
from a court-martial. There has been
so much talk and gossip at West Point
since Mrs. AyreS Went there to reside.
both before and after the "overcoat in
cident." that couTt-martial OF her
husband would be nothing more or less
than West Point scandal, which, of
course, all Army people wish to avoid if
possible. The Coloners course, since h.
and Mrs Ayres have been brot before
the public. has been such as to make Il
almost imperative that the War De-
partment shoald court-martial him. To
a certain extent he was obliged to
stand by his wife, of course, but he
need not have said what he did IN criti-
cism Of his superior officers court
martial offenSe in itseif-and he most
certainly should have replied i'll diff
ferent manner when called upon to deny
or confirm certain newspaper state
ments. Ii Will be remembered that he
returned the newspaper clippings. which
We're sent him With this request, with
the curt remark that he had nothing to
say. The plan OF having him examined
and retired for diSa ability was proposed
TO avoid the court-martial, and !s thot
to be a happy solution of the problem.
Nothing has appeared in print relative
TO the Colonefs physical condition, but
his mental equipment seems to be of Il
highly eXcitable. inflammable character
which might develop, under exafnina
ton. to be sufficiently detrimental to his
efficiency as an officer to retire him on
the ground of mental disability. Col.
Ayres has been in the service 80 years.
Tha-lSnrn
duty before he can be regularly re-
tired. II the court can find him either
physically or mentally incapable OF per-
forming his duties he viii be retired
on retired pay. The moral of this little
affair of the Ayres seems to be Hold
your tongue Am Baum des Schwei-
gems hangt Seine Fruchte-der Friede,"
say the Germans which translated
means, on the tree of Silence hangs its
frult-peace. People who talk much
are prettE sure to get into trouble
sooner or later. One of the surest ways
to gain peace of mind is to guard care
fully the tongue. 1t is better, far, to
be considered dull and unentertaining
by the superficial than by too free in
dulgence in ''the pleasures of the
tongue" as some one has wittily eX-
pressed it, say that which Will work
harm either to ones self or ones neigh
Dor.
1t would seem as if women ought nat-
nrally to be good mothers, but it is
deplGrdble fact that comparatively few
women are. In the animal kingdom
the maternal instinct is highly deve!
oped, and the brute mother gives to her
offspring the tenderest care and atten
ton during its helpless period. This
lack OF natural knowledge and ability
TO care for the young is not, perhaps.
confined to any class of human moth
1a.,~ &c ta1xa t,r
lower and poorer classes of society. 1t
is amazing that SO many poor little ba-
bies. born in poverty. of incompetent
mothers, live to grow up, but undoubt-
edly thousands and thousands are yeac-
~ sacrificed thru Grass ignorance. Re-
Gently philanthropic movement to res
cue these children has been inaugurated
in London and a school for mothers
started under the patronage of Lord
Robert Cecil and other prominent per-