The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-10
PROBE INAYRES CASE
Army Officer May Be Hailed
Before a COurt-martial.
CRITICISED BROTHER OFFICERS
Lieutenant Colonel Quoted as HaY-
ing said CroccdiIes Could BE as
Fair as Some Holding Commits
sions-WHr Department Busy I'm In
yestigation of Interviews,

While il has been determined that the
War Department VIII take coguizlnce of
the statements OF Lieut. Col Charles q
Ayres, Of the army. IN newspaper iu-
teryiew about the trouble I'm which bis
wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Fairfax Ayres. has
become involved with the military author
tiles through what is known as the West
Point cadet oyercoat incident. the de-
partment apparently has not taken action
up TO this time
Secretary Taft has gone away from
Washington without d'sp0sing ~ the
matter. and Gen. Oliver the Acting .-e
retary OF War; and Gen puvaH ths
acting chief Of stan, both admitted last
night that they had done nothing yet
1t is the settled policy Of the War De-
partment not 20 ignore newspaper state
meutS of army officers when those state
meuts are in criticism of the department.
the military establishment. or other Off
GERS Of the army
Several articles Of the army regulations
provide for the punishment Of officers or
enlisted men who indulge In criticism of
their superIors or comrades In arms In
come cases where the criticism was not
of a serious character. or no means Of
ascertaiuing the facts IN the case were
az hand, simple denials Of responsibility
by tLe officers accused have been deemed
sufficient 10 exouerate them I'm other
cases. statements Of officers that they
have been misrepresented have resulted
in ending official inquiry.
Recalls Penr0se Incident.
The most recent conspicuous incident
of this kind had 90 do with a newspaper
report in which Mai Penrose. com
mander Of the battalion of negro troops
discharged from the army without honor
for their alleged participation i'm the
Brownsville riot. was quoted as saying
that the battalion was the best disciplined
body Of troops in the service. Mai. Pen
rose was asked II he had made the state
ment. lie denied that he had uttered the
words attributed TO him. and the War
Department let the matter drop.
In the case Of Lieut.. Col. Ayres. how
ever, his Offense embodied in his reputed
criticism Of brother officers and court
martial methods is Of such a serious char
acter that the War Department finds
itself unable to overlook it,
The allegation attributed to him. that
the official reports concerning his wife s
conduct at West Point made by officers
of the army. were "cowardly attack"
the result of errose malice aud grita
against Mrs. Avres and himself. is re-
garded as iustifying court-martial pro-
ceedings, according 20 the rule Of pro-
cedure followed in the army
His reported statement that his son. a
cadet at West Point. has been perse-
cuted, is Of less serious character. but
enough TO make the department call for
an explanation The statement attrib-
uted to Lieut.. Col. Ayres, that an effort
was TO be made to force him out of the
army and that he might as we'll be tried
by crocodiles as by r military court. is
another matter which will certainly be
one Of the specifications should charges
be brought against him.
Army officers Amazed.
Army officers are amazed over the
statements which Lieut. Col Ayres is
reported to have made to a newspaper
They cannot understand how
any officer of long military experience
and thoroughly conversant with the de-
mands of discipline, could have permitted
himself to indulge in criticism of depart
ment methods and bis brother officers in
the public prints if he was in his right