Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-29
RIGHT TO HIS UNIFORM
Gen. Grant Defends Appear
ance in Chicago Parade.
NO ARMY RULE AGAINST IT
Besides Affair Was Not a Prohibi.
ton Demonstration.
COMPLAINT A POLITICAL RUSE
War Department Officials Believe
Michaelis Letter an Attempt to
Commit the Administration.
COMPLAINT A POLITICAL RUSE

TT was not a temperance parade, but
a demonstration in favor Of good govern
ment and law and order. and I should
have been derelict in my duty IL I had
not when requested headed the parade as
/ did, and l shall continue until proh.b-
tied to do the same thing whenever 1
deem 1t necessary to advance the cause
of good government"
That is the substance of statement
made by Gen. Frederick d. Grant today
in answer to an open letter sent by w. r.
Michaelis of Chicago. member Of the ex-
ecutive board Of the United Societies for
Local Self government. to the Secretary
of War. Mr.. Michaelis criticised Gen.
Grants having appeared in full army uni
form in the socalled temperance parade in
that city last Saturday. Gen Grant added
that there was no law, writ en- or unwrt-
ten.' or regulation that In any way
abridged his right to wear his uniform on
any occasion he saw fit, and he assumed
that no official action on the part Of the
War Department would be taken In the
matter.
Gen. Grant has been in attendance on
the Hudson-Fulton celebration in New
York, and I'm returning to Chicago stopped
over to visit his son, Lieut.. Ulysses >.
Grant of the Corps of Engineers. now sta
toned in this city. He expects to arrive
in Chicago next Friday.
Department officials Reticent.
War Department officials and army Of
ficers generally today fought shy of public
comment on the complaint made by w. r.
Mchaelis The reticence of War Depart
ment officials in the matter, explained
by one of them, is due to the belief that
&ho f,,,;l ie holm ms inlV for the
purpose of embarrassing the President and
the Secretary of War. The letter attrib-
uted to Mr.. Michaelis is believed by sew
eral officials to be scheme Of politicians.
designed mainly to put the high officers of
the administration on record as favoring
either the prohibition or anti-prohibition
party in Illinois IN the pending political
campaign in Illinois.
Another reason why the officials de-
clined to discuss the matter was the
fact that the letter attributed to Mr..
Michaelis had not been received at the
War Department up to late hour this
afternoon.
Gen Wotherspoon. acting chief or
staff: Gen Davis. judge advocate gem
eral and other high ranking offcers
questioned on the subject agreed that
while the army regulations were strict
and SDec1nc as 10 WHEN anu WhtIe oi-
ficers of the army shall wear their uni
form, there are no regulations prohibit
ing the wearing of uniforms at any
other times or places. 1t appears, how
ever, that there is an unwritten law in
the army. honored by long custom and
tradition. which prohibits an officer
from wearing his uniform on any oc-
casion or at any place where his APP
pearance in such official dress would
tend to degrade the army or render 1t
subject to unfavorable criticism.
A Matter Of Judgment.
That means only" said an officer in
explanation, that an officer would
hardly be justified in wearing his uni
form at a prize fight. dog fight or at
any similar gathering. Apparently
there is no official objection to an Of
fcer wearing his uniform at any re-
spectacle gathering of ladies and gen.
tlemen. provided he cares to do so. AS
a rule. officers Of the army do not care
to appear In Uniform 'exceDt when on
duty. and very few Of them appear In
Uniform at other than Official occa-
sions. This. however, is a matter OF
individual preference and is not -. /