Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-14
SCANDALS IN GUARD
Organized Militia of New York
May Be Investigated.
HUGHES MAY USE PROBE
Charge That Powerful Cabal Hushes
Up Complaints of Graft.
HINTS OF IRREGULAR PRACTICES
Allegation of Rake-offs in Armory
Contracts - Diversion of State
Property to Private Uses.
HUGHES MAY USE PROBE
HINTS OF IRREGULAR PRACTICES

NEW YORK, February 14-Following is
a list of the assertions made to Gov.
Hughes within the week concerning the Ma
tional Guard of the state of New York by
men of experience who have the interest of
the state militia at heart:
The National Guard of the state of New
York today rests upon an unconstitutional
law whereby the functions and powers of
the governor have been usurped by the
major general commanding the guard and
his staff.
The National Guard is today and has
been for a decade in the control of a cabaI
responsible to itself in fact for all its acts
and deeds. although by a stretch of the
Imagination it is responsible to the COM
mander-in-chief the governor. The same
eabal guides, directs. inspects, purchases
and disburses for itself, reporting only to
itself and checking its own acts
The power of the cabal has been so great
mat Tor years any member of the guard,
nigh or low, who has dared to oppose it has
been thrown out of office and thrown out of
the guard.
Suppression of Scandal.
1.-THE power of the cabal has been so great
that until the Wendell case it has been able
To suppress all scandals. dsregardng EVIL
dence of every kind. hushing up or ignor-
ing all charges and complaints.
Superficial investigation has revealed
that graft fiourishes in the guard: that the
list Battery is only one of many Organiza-
tions in which irregular practices, if not
worse, are common, and this includes de-
partments not directly connected with the
military organizations.
This graft in the main consists of Jock
eyed contracts for armory work, the diver
sion of state property for private use, the
utilization of armory employees. paid by the
county, for private enterprises, and the en-
ployment of armories for private functions
wherefrom no return is made to the city or
county for the cost of heating and lighting
Recognizing the interest of Gov. Hughes
in the matter, in personal interview and by
letter these men have supplied him with
mass of Information which they have de-
clared is sufficient to warrant an official in
vestigation Into the entire matter and a
reorganization of the service on other lines.
They have recalled to him the former
position of the guard as the best In the
country and they have pointed out to him
the Wendell case and other scandals of
which the public has had little more than
whispers to convince him something is
wrong. They have made no direct accu-
sations against any officer individually but
they have condemned the system unspar-
ingly. They are today greatly encouraged
in the belief that the investigation and
the reorganization will come.
In the Wendell Case.
That Gov. Hughes Is interested in the
disclosures of the methods used by the
division headquarters was made plain on
Monday when Adj Gen. Henry appeared
before the Wendell court of inquiry with
a special order commanding the court to
hear him and to accept all documentary
evidence regarding the resignation of the
Asst Battery's commander.
In his direct, uncontradicted statement
the adjutant general showed he had been
placed in false light by published inter-
views with Maj. Gen. Charles L. Roe He
produced official documents to prove that
not only had Maj. Gen. Roe approved of
the resignation of Capt. Wendell, but he
had urged its acceptance; he had declared
over his own signature that two of his own
staff officers had investigated charges of a
similar nature and had found them false
and he ended by suggesting the dsband-
mcnt of the battery.
Further witnesses revealed that Lieut.
Col. y. b. Thurston had made an investiga-
ton, so called. and the colonel himself on
the stand admitted he had questioned three
men in one case, but had transmitted to
Wendell himself in two other instances
anonymous complaints on which later &C
ton was taken to unveil the entire situation.
One thing was apparent to the court and
to the public throughout the entire pro-
ceeding. and that was that the National
Guard of the state of New York is today
directed and controlled by a major general
who has also the sole power to inspect,
audit and review his own conduct; that the
governor has no other means of knowing
how the general commanding the guard is
administering his office than the reports of
the general himself-ta situation which is
now being protested against by every man
who desires to continue the guard as the
most efficient institution of It's kind in all
the states.