Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-14
NEBRASKA SENATORS ACTIVE
Letter of Commercial Club About
Army Headquarters Stirs Them Up.
AGGREGATION TRIED BEFORE
Made that Administration
WIN He Back on Ola Basis within
six observation-disclosures Mat
tiers at Capital.
lrrom q SAD correspondent.l

WASHINGTON, June 13-(Special Tele-
gram. )-Senator Hitchcock. who is in re-
ceipt Of letter from the Commercial club
containing an unvarnished record OF things
which Omaha has lost in the last eighteen
months and calling his attention to still
further losses which the War depart
ment contemplates In curtailing the scope
and efficiency Of the Department Of the
Missouri. proposes to have the military
affairs committee OF the senate examine
into the ACCESSIBILITY OF aggregating the
administrative branch of the army into
divisions and departments. ordered to be-
come effective July l. Senator Hitchcock,
as we'll as his colleague, Senator Brown.
is hopping mad over the action of the War
department in reducing the effectiveness
OF the Department Of the Missouri by TAX
ing away from It not only officers and
men. but civilian clerks, and as Senator
Brown is a member Of the military af-
fairs committee he is urging upon his col
leagues the necessity Of hearing those in
favor and those against the change in CON
temptation.
The two distinct camps in the War de-
partment have been considerably aug
mented since the advent Of Major General
Leonard Wood as chief Of staff. He be-
longs to the new school of soldiers. and
as he has had most OF his experience In
foreign service and has come in contact
with European military authorities. he has
imbibed much Of the old world methods Of
directing armies.
System Tried before,
Senator Hitchcock in his examination Of
the question of building up divisions at ex-
pense OF departments has ascertained that
direction of the administrative branch Of
the army through DIVISIONS is exceedingly
old. having been adopted at various times
by new army chiefs during the last forty
years. Gen. Chaffee, however would have
none of Il and he created departments "a
at present defined. making the depart
ment the unit instead of the division which
General Wood contempiates Both Ne
braska senator's did not hesitate to say
that things viii be back again in the old
groove within six months II the order
which becomes effective July / goes into
operation.
The letter of the Commercial club of
Omaha has had serious consideration Of
the Nebraska delegation today and IL is
believed will do a lot of good.
Postmaster General Hitchcock stated to-
day that headquarters Of the new railway
mail division would be named before July
l. but when asked to fix certain time
when the decision would be made very
frankly said that no decision has been
reached. 1t is believed. however, that
Omaha, will be successful, Senator Warren
today having protested strongly to the
postmaster general against the selection OF
Denver on the grounds that it has no
really logical argument in its favor.
Paul Humphrey to BE Married.
Paul Humphrey, private secretary to
Representative Kinkaid, left Sunday morn
ing for Nebraska where he goes to make
a short visit with his parents, Mr.. and
Mrs A. R. Humphrey OF Broken Bow, be-
fore going to Texas to marry Miss Blanche
Stephens. daughter OF Representative J. II.
Stephens Of that state. on sJune Is Mr..
Humphreys parents will accompany him
from Nebraska to Texas to be present
at the ceremony. Mr.. Stephens will leave
the city for home about June 20. He will
be accompanied by James Townsend, clerk
to the Indian affairs committee, who viii
act as best man to Mr.. Humphrey. After
the ceremony the newly welded couple
contemplate returning to Washington by
boat from Galveston to New York.
At the request OF r. b. Schneider OF
Fremont. Senator Brown today secured
passports for his daughters Mrs. Charles
Turner. jr.. of New York and Misses Clara
and Margaret Schneider and Miss Ellen
Irwin Betty, also Of Fremont Mr..
Schneider comes east in a few days to at
tend the graduation exercises at wellesley
on June n. at which his daughter, Mar
garet will receive her diploma. 1t is un-
derstood here that under the chaperonage
OF Mrs. Charles Turner. jr.. her sister and
Miss Betty will leave New York the latter
part Of the month for an European trip.
w. F. Gurley and wife OF Omaha, who
have been spending the last few weeks in
Washington, leave for home tomorrow
morning.
Representative sloan today recommended
@. A sickles as postmaster at stoddard,
Neb.. to succeed Mrs. Kerns. resigned.
President Taft today signed the commits
sion OF J. d. Elliott of Aberdeen, 8. D..
to be judge of the United States district
court for South Dakota to succeed John
e. Garland.
Mail Bill by Kenyon.
Senator Kenyon introduced in the senate
this afternoon bill to amend the law
relative TO the carriage OF malls so as to
restore TO the government its monopoly of
carriage OF packets and ali mailable mat
ter up TO four pounds. The government
has this monopoly under the law Ii IL now
exists. or would have IL the Postoffice de-
partment had not construed the word
packet Of letters. Senator Kenyon's bill
would give to the government unquesttored
monopoly over this business and would
prevent express companies from CARRYING
any msilable matter up to four pounds IN
weight