New-York tribune., 1908-02-15
SURE OF COMMISSION.
So Sag Friends of ColoneLelect
Ausfin-Echoes of San Juan.

IT,. -o.as,s aIed nv several officers Of the IN
Regiment against the granting OF commission 10
Colonel-elect Elmore F. Austin evidsn'iy rave nos
disturbed the latter his friends Ior tney seens
tn he certain that Governor Hughes Will issue fne
commission Major Austin would not discuss sns
subject yesterday but is awaiting the oecision os
the Governor, which Viii prooaoLy De fedNieo s~
time In the coming week
One officer prominent in Ghe nationai s1aiu 49,
asked Yesterday what he thought or the proueseSt
said: 'AlI of the trouble has been caused oy
few officers in the regiment who have anotneF man
in view for the office Of colonel There has been -
disturbing element the regiment for Some uInes
although good part this element LETT the resi-
rnent at the time it reduced TO battalion ioIs
inef1cencS two years ago These men nave raAeoS
I'D the old Spanish trouble. and are basins
their complaints 10 large degree on the fact tnas
Major Austin was reprimanded by Governor Roose~
velt for part in the misconduct charged aSains~
officers of the list Regiment at San Juan
''The only evidence obtained then against Austzs
was what he gave himself when witness oeforo
the board Of inquiry Major Austin Is good OF
dcer first class engineer and a man IN every
way competent lead that regiment, wnlcn IS
now designated coast artillery organizauon-
I do not think that the protests Of these officers
will cause Governor Hughes to hold up Mator
Austin's commission. the compliments are fafs
in the minority The news that there had been mora
trouble in the Sth Regiment did not come as a sur
prise to me- there has always been more or less
petty jealousy in 1t. and you can never tel "nero
# will break out next
When the list Regiment returned 70 New for1
ar the close of the Spanish-Arnerican War, and the
resignation of Colonel Wallace A Downs followed
the printed of the misconduct OF severa1
of the regiments officers at San Juan, Colonel
elect Austin. then captain. was witness before
the board Of inquiry. This board found as fouowss
Before the regular regiments began passing
General Kent personally asked Captain Elmore b
Austin, Company l., to take his company TO the
front Captain Austin declined to do so without
an from his battalion commander, VINO was
then the head OF the battalion and out or speak
hearing distance, and Notwithstanding the
fact that General Kent told Captain Austin that
IL the list Regiment could not go TO the 1ronr ho
would get a regiment that could, Captain Austin
neither took his company to the front In response
to the request nor did he report the conversations
to Major Keck-
be punished. and Governor Roosevelt said In refer
ence to him: .
''The case Of Captain Austin is puzzlfng.
would seem TO condemn him beyond redemption
having actually refused to move forward at
Kents orders. and having failed to take ro
his own commander General kent'S directions that
the regiment should forward But IL appears that
Captain Austin not grossly dereltct IN his
duty as his word would seem to imply. and that
he was largely influenced by the fact that at the
time 1t seemed that the regiment was going for
ward. I do not feel Ike holding to the sseverese
accountability subordinate officer when the thre6
highest officers Of the regiment were exhibiting
such misconduct. and I shall merely recornrnen6
that Captain Austin be severely reprinnanded