The Washington herald., 1911-07-15
MYSTERY OF MAJOR
RAY TO BE SOLVED
Continued from Page One.


following each other in quick succession
was approved At one time, when he in.
formed the department that he would be
for two months in Chicago, Adjt. Gen
Ainsworth promptly reported that he
stood charged with absence without
leave This Endorsement, however, did
not affect Maj. Ray. 1t came back to
Gen. Ainsworth with the statement, sign
ed by the private secretary to the Sec.
retary of War, that 'the Secretary d.
rected me to return these papers to you
for file" The constant inquiries of the
Adjutant Generals Once as to the "otfi.
ciaI status of Maj. Ray form an inter-
esting part Of the printed n port.
Not only this, but Maj. Ray was I'm
der charges concerning his pay accounts.
The result Of the investigation instituted
by the department is shown in some en-
phatic Endorsements. The unusual and
irregular transactions Of Maj. Ray men
toned in the within communication" I"
wrote Paymaster General whipple, ARE
regarded by the Paymaster General as of
a very serious character and as consti-
tuting total disregard of the practices
Of the Pay Department, as founded on law
and regulations" Brig. Gen. Bliss also
sent letter from Manila In which he
conquered in the statement of the depart
ment commander 20 the effect that "a
continuation Of the ignorance, indiffer-
enoe, gross carelessness, and irregular
methods you have displayed in this case
will, in the opinion OF the department
commander unfit you for the duties Of a
disbursing officer"
An Investigation Proposed.
The suppression of certain parts of the
record sought. and known by the War
Department officials to be sought, has
led to a determination to investigate the
whole matter by the House Committee on
War Department Expenditures.
The issue of the Army and Navy Reg
lister. which will appear to-day. will con-
tain lengthy review of the case. 1T
has been determined to ascertain in the
first place." says the Register. why
Maj. Ray received uncommon favors in
the way Of extended leaves of absence
during . Presidential campaign and in
the face OF grave charges sustained by
the investigating officers; in the second
place. why disciplinary proceedings
recommended were not taken, or, II
taken, are not Of record in the depart
mental reply; and, in the third place,
why there has been so many con-
spicuous omissions of official records re-
lating to Maj. Ray In the War Depart
ment's communication"
According to the Register, there have
been few II any instances OF such
fragrant favoritism as was manifested to-
ward Mai Ray, and it adds that the
army will rejoice over anything that will
stop what has been going on in the War
Department and at the White House in
the case Of Maj. Ray since 1906 It also
states that the army will welcome any
effort to drive politics out OF the army.
Maj. Ray as n Politician.
Maj. Ray is stationed at present at
Atlanta, Ga, having been transferred a
short time ago from Honolulu. His army
service began with the opening of the
Spanish war, when he was appointed
major and additional paymaster of vol
unteers. His appointment was charged
to the State OF Illinois, although he was
born in Missouri. He became a captain
and paymaster in the regular service on
February 4. 1901. and was promoted to
the rank OF major on November II OF the
same year.
Maj. Ray is well known by several
Senators and Representatives on account
Of his intimate acquaintance with GER
tain tariff subjects. He is known as a
tariff expert, and as such he was in the
employ of the Senate Committee on
Finance during the consideration of the
Payne-Aldrich tariff bill in 1909. At that
time he was informally authorized leave
from his army duties.
Previous to his service as an assistant
10 the Finance Committee, Maj. Ray had
something Of a career as a politician.
Through influences the exact nature of
which nobody seems to- have learned he
had himself relieved from military duty
for many months at a time during the
period leading up to the nomination and
election Of President Taft. Together
with S. NJ. O. Fitch, who was afterward
appointed internal revenue collector at
Chicago, he ran the labor bureau of
the Republican headquarters in Chicago
in 1908. 1t was reported that his political
activities were under the direct orders
OF Charles P. Taft, and that the latter
betrayed the expenses Of his missionary
work among the labor union classes.