The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-28
ALL COM MISSIONS
A RE r e V @ K d D
Court Of Inquiry Report Says
Discipline Does Not Exist.
Two New Companies Will
Be Organized Three Hun
dred Men Go Out With
out Honor.
recommendations

suoHlitted py the court OF inquiry
which recently made an examina.
tlon Of the affairs of the Coast
Artillery Corps, Virginia Volunteers
Iovernor Mann Yesterday issued an
order disbanding all four companies
u thls pranch of the service, and re-
'oKlng the commissions Of the officers
discipline in any sense of The
word says the report of the court
does not exist in the corps 1t is
also stated that the attendance of this
command on their duties at Fort Mon
roe during the encampmen, Of last
summer was in the nature of a picnic
10 great number OF the men, and
mat the officcrs did not attempt to per-
suade them that they were there as n
military organization for service. ii
IS further said that the officers ana
men Tor the most part, seem To be
.Sn GRANT of the fundamental duties ana
responsibilities of soldiers.
Evidence Withhcid
This scathing criticism is based up.
on the evidence taken during the hear.
ings before the inquiry court The
stenographic report is in the posses
sion OF General W. w Sale but hs
does not intend to make it public un.
less some Of the officers whose pres
ence in the service has been at once
Joke and reproach should dare to
attempt to re- enter the military and
70 present their names to the authori-
Ties for commissions.
a storm of protest from the officers
and men thus publicly disgraced VIII
unquestionably ensue The artillery
men all have their friends and their in
uence, and 1t is anticipated that their
cries will reach to high heaven. The
members of the court of inquiry, the
Adjutant- General and the Governor
Will all come in for excavations. or
all the military men of Richmond will
miss their guess.
Mclean nv Commander.
+ Captain Charles a. Mclean. the corps
commander. goes out with the rest, his
commission being revoked. Captain
Mclean Is in command of the Firs,
Company, and has been a the head OF
the corps by virtue OF being the oldes.
captain in point of service. Many at
tempts have been made to elect a ma
jor, but without avail. The long dead.
lock between him and Captain Charles
Parker Breese has done much to 70.
ment strife in the command. Tie vote
was tie between the two men
The more recent cause OF the court
of inquiry was the publication of re-
port made by Lieutenant Colonel g.
Townsiey, of Fort Monroe, severely
criticizing the whole business for tho
utter lack Of discipline. the want OF
military training and the general an
satisfactory condition Of the corps.
Racy Testimony.
In case, q S the result OF adverse
comment, the .Adjutant- General finds /.
advisable to publish the testimony adj
duced at the hearing. the situation, 1t
is anticipated. Will become still more
interesting. While the officers Of the
court and the higher authorities have
preserved the silence of the grave,
1t is we'll understood that the type
written evidence which makes an
immense volume, contains some mat
ters which would be exceedingly more
interesting reading for the public than
for the men referred to therein.
AS the Governor says in his order,
there are some officers who have tried
70 do their best for the command. and
these the State hopes to retain. 1t is
planned to organize two companies in
lieu of the four which existed up tc
yesterday, one in Norfolk and the othe,
in Portsmouth. and it is probable that
the better officers those who attempt.
ed to do their duty, will be elected
NInKt Take Inventory.
The matter of checking up and TAX.
ing an inventory of the military prop
erty will be no small task. Probably
the corps HAS ttj leaSt SZ1,VuU worth
OF arms and furnishings belonging 10
the United States government. and this
must all be accounted for.
The order involves ESQ men. two OF
the companies being located in Norfolk
and the others in Portsmouth IT Is
worthy of note that the company
placed at the head in military efficiency
is the Fourth, which is the youngest,
having been organized only about
year.
No such drastic action in military
affairs can be recalled in the military
history Of Virginia. The discharge Of
an entire arm of the service is recog-
nized 10 be an act of the utmost signi-
ficance. which would have been taken
only as last resort, and with the
conviction that the corps was In such
hands that Il reformation was hope
less, and that only revolution could
be of effect.
SnIe Commended.
One Of the local officers said last
night that he knew nothing OF the evil
dcncc, but that no one could fail to-
admire the backbone displayed by Cen.
eral Sale. who thus. for the good OF
the service OF the Virginia Volunteers
disnisses an important branch of the
military. men from his own town.
The opportunity for the Coast Ar
tillery arc nnnuestionahly great Tho
War Department looks with great
favor on this service. and will do prac-
tically anything for It. President Taft
during recent visit TO Richmond told
General Sale that lie regal ded the Coast
Artillery as the ultimate solution OF
the problem of the defense OF the i'm
mcnse coast line of the United states.
y sufficient number OF regular troops
to guard the seacoast would be an, i'm
possibility, and militia must be made