The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-23
STANDS BY WOOD
President Disapproves the Koch
Ter Court Martial.
Leavenworth officer Was Ac-
quilted by the Verdict.

Washington, March %. = Captain
Lewis M. Koehler, Fourth cavalry, who
was court martialed for making re-
marks derogatory to Major General
Leonard Wood, his commanding officer,
was acquitted. He will be restored to
duty without prejudice. The result of
the court-martial proceedings was an
| nounced at the White House last night.
With this announcement was made
public a statement from the president,
in which he disapproved the verdict
Mr.. Roosevelt's statement follows:
1.-The proceedings, findings and ac-
quittal in the case of Captain Lewis NJ.
Koehler, Fourth cavalry, are hereby
disapproved. I entirely concur in all
the secretary of war says of Captain
Koehler and of General Wood, and of
the poor showing made by the court
which last passed upon the case.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Army officers in commenting on the
verdict, agreed that it is a severe re-
Election upon General Wood, and that
upon it. They said that had the court
martial not decided that the charges
made by Captain Koehler had been
substantiated he would have been found
guilty. While none of these officers
would talk regarding the case for pub
LEGATION, the views they expressed indi-
cate clearly that in their opinion Cap
tain Koehler has been fully yindicated.
President Roosevelt in taking action
on the findings of the court-martial was
placed in an awkward position. In
transmitting the papers to. Mr.. Roose-
welt, Secretary Taft stated plainly that
the president could not approve the
findings without indorsing the charges
made against General Wood by Captain
Koehler. Such action, Mr.. Taft ex-
planned, would have made it necessary
for him to order that General Wood
also be contaminated. In his state
ment Secretary Taft sharply criticized
Koehler and it is with these views that
Mr.. Roosevelt concurS.
Captain Koehler distinguished him
self in the battle of Jolo, in the Philip
pines. He was in command OF two
companies in Jolo. Major Hugh Scott
was in command of the post at JoIo
and was civil governor of that island.
KOehler found fault with the manner
in which Major Scott performed his
duties, and as a result was court mar
tailed and sentenced to be reprimand-
ed. Major General Wood. as COM
mander of the division of the Philip
pines, administered the reprimand- In
a letter to the war department Captain
asserted that the language
used by his superior officer showed
This letter astonished officials of the
war department When submitted to
President Roosevelt by secretary IaI1
the president ordered that Captain
Koehler be court martialed. The
court martial proceedings were held
in the Philippines. The findings of the /
court martial reached the war depart
ment a month ago. Since then they |
have been before Secretary Taft and I
the president. So carefully have they !
been guarded that until today few
officers at the department knew what
the verdict was. Meanwhile Koehler's
friends in and out of the army have |
warmly defended him. Senator Long |
and Senator Curtis and others mem
bers of the Kansas delegation inter- /
CANAAN Koehler is brother-in-law
Of D. r. Anthony. He married a sister [
of the Leavenworth editor