New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-23
POLITICS IN GUARD?
| GEN. BUTTS TESTIMONY.
Tells WainYcight Commission That
AbHity Is Not Recognized.

Rrigadier General McCoskry Butt. retired, SAID
Yesterday at the hearing of the Wainwright
commission that the National Guard was Money
combed with politics, and that the cher quarh-
cation for promotion in many of the DIVISIONS OF
the service was the ability to tell a good story
He was the first witness when the sittings were
resumed in the list Regiment armOry. He hrst
suggested that the names Of all the officers
drawing salaries be published. and that no Off
Ger should receive more than one salary. Colonel
Frederick Phisterer brigadier general by brevet
also came in for severe criticism from General
Butt
General Butt is one of those who objected to
the fve-year enlistment term, declaring that less
than - per cent in his regiment ever served the
five years. Most of his opinions on the reorgan-
zation of the guard embodied he said. in
a letter written To the commission from Ger
many last August. In his letter he said:
My views, though entirely impartial. are not
palatable to grafters and parasites. or non pro-
gressive officers. As / want and ask for moth
ing. my opinions are fearless and disinterested.
Too much money goes TO waste in the National
Guard to-day and is expended improperly Here
on the German frontier with the Iron Division.
1 am getting a treat seeing what men and off,
GERS should do and know"
General Butt thought the major general should
teach the brgadiers how TO make camp or get
out. and the brigadiers should get out or learn
how to encamp and command. After a regi-
mental commander has served five years he
should be re2ppointed discharged. Officers
should receive only travelling expenses and en-
listed men who were employees of the city should
not be paid for duty. He also wanted brigadiers
to visit armories on other occasions than at
parades.
THE Governor comes into Office" said General
Pm tsD 4f,T-
there who has inspected his own men. and an
inspector who has a salary, and says to the Gov
ernor These troops perfect The Governor
cannot control Governors are politicians not
soldiers. great deal of politics has been put
INTO the national guard in the last few years
But the Governor goes to the adjutant general
who has been placed there as n political heller
al $1,000 year-his salary is stated-and there
is a row. The major general goes 10 the Gov
ernor and tells the executive that he wants 10
get rid OF the adjutant general As the execu-
tive knows nothing about the condition he takes
the major generals advice.
Il got out brigade for instance, on June Is
The Nice-President OF the United States spent
the day with me Afterward I had a letter
from President Roosevelt congratulating the
brigade and myself upon the showing I got
that letter on June ~. and on July l I received
orders from Albany to disband the brigade or
Ganizaton and reducing me 20 n supernumerary
This order was signed by BrigadIer General
Phisterer acting adjutant general. This was
done because that general had made breaks
with my brigade that I would not stand for.
Had there been an inspector general he would
have come down and looked into that matter
brigadier General MCLewee. inspector general
cnder Governor Morton, testified that he had
been dropped from the guard in 1896 for giving
public statement to the press which criticised
a superior officer. He said that during the
Spanish war he knew OF officers receiving pay
from both federal and state governments Sew
eral good mon. he declared. were turned down
then because they were good men. lie cited
the case Of Major Lee. of his staff whom he ap-
pointed because of his well known honesty At
a time when supplies We're being purchased
Major Lee was asked To pass favorably on mate
rial aggregating in value 100000 for which
blindness he was 10 receive a liberal commits
sion. The major did not care TO stultfy his
rank and himself in that way. and promptly
fell under official displeasure. which General
McLewee says finally caused his discharge. He
also told OF the alleged misuse OF armories or
women employed as stenographers at $500