Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-20
MOUNTAIN OUT OF 4 MOLEHILL
GEN. BROWNIES VIEW OF ARMY
AND NAVY UNION FURRY.
National Commander Discusses FL
nancial Troubles and Lays Stories
at Door Of Enemies.

That the financial troubles OF the Army
and Navy Union will be satisfactorily
settled within sixty days was q state
ment made last evening by Gen. j. Ed
win Browne, national commander Of the
organization. He also declared that GER
tain persons here are seeking to make q
mountain out of a molehill because of
personal enmity toward him. Gen.
Browne came over from Baltimore yes
terday afternoon to pay q personal visit
to Capt. J. Walter Mitchell OF his staff.
Gen. Browne informally discussed the
situation Of the organization in the Dis
trict OF Columbia He said the rule or
ruin policy of certain members who are
striving to disrupt the association will
come to naught, as the many garrisons
throughout the country, those on about
twenty battleships and the garrisons in
Hawaii. Cuba and the Philippines are
still loyal to national headquarters.
The national commander explained that
while he desires harmony. yet he is pre-
pared to maintain the dignity and infiu-
ence "of the great organization Of Amer1-
can soldiers. sailors and marineS' by
the exercises Of his full power as its head.
Alleged Shortage Not Large.
Al
council Of administration. will not be as
large as members OF the Washington dol
egation claim" Gen. Browne said, land
whatever It is it will all be fixed up in
a short time. The bonding company will
take care of that. The endowment fund
Is not depleted, as some persons would
have you believe, and payments due from
It will also be made when the tangie has
been Strengthened out. That list Of eight
widows you hear about who have not
been paid their benefits Is a list OF five
BILE there Is has been exaggerated out OF
a feeling Of discomfort and Righteousness
which dates back to my election to a Sec
ond term. two years ago.
Washington Men Chief Dissenters.
1.-THE whole thing comes down to this
The Washington men who are causing
this dissension want rule or ruin, and If
they cannot get the former they are
willing to bring about the latter. In
every way l have tried to keep harmony
in the ranks. because 1 love the Army
and Navy Union. But in the face Of the
persistent opposition of a certain few
men, based on no cause which l can at
tribute to anything have done. my eff
forts have been blocked by these enemies
of the unions peace
Continuing, Gen. Browne said: 1T is
impossible for a national commander to
handle all the work of his office himself
or to keep entire supervision over his
adjutant generals work. II any of the
work at headquarters was being ineffi-
GENTLY done, l had no suspicion Of II
until just at the last. when the develop
ments came in the convention. Now /
can only say, wait until the council of
administration has made It's report Then
we shall know where we stand.
Experts at Work on Books.
Expert accountants are now at work
on the auditing of the books. which have
been removed to the ONCE in New York
city of the new adjutant general. Thomas
H. Avery. The auditing will take some
time. In the Army and Navy Union the
garrisons are widely scattered. There are
about twenty on batteships now, in Cuba,
in the Philippine Islands. in Hawaii and
other distant parts Of the world. l feel
confident that when the final report is
made, or very soon thereafter. everything
will be settled to the satisfaction Of all.
Commander Browne declined to say
what action he will take in connection
with the unsettled condition Of the order
in the District.
Charles w. Blush, who was elected ma
tional inspector at the recent Erie en-
campment Of the Army and Navy Union
has forwarded his resignation to national
headquarters at Baltimore, 1t Is said.
There is a report in circulation that about
200 members of the local garrisons will
resign from the order this week.