Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-18

army and Delphlc oracle OF the War De
partment, is the fair and curly haired child
of Congress. Every time the Senators and
members of the House start out to legislate
for the military branch of this peaceful but
somewhat pugnaclous country, they step
right up to the bat and line out an addi-
tional honor for the favorte youngster.
Whenever Congress fails to pass something
sweet and delicious to AlnSWOTth, there a
mighty good excuse for 1.-THE explanation
generally being that Congress isn't in ses
sion.
And the reason for all this is that the
General IS one of the past masters OF that
highly effective lodge known as Johnnles
on the lob. He is the standard bearer of
the Make Good Union, an organization that
has an utter disregard for the clock and that
laborious season of the year called vacation
time The fair haired child as matter of
fact, his hair is black as the abyssmal reaches
of Egyptian nights, first and foremost,
the original card index man; for he knew all
about the card index system years before
Frank H. Hitchcock made brilliant use of it
in eecting William H. Taft President.
Back in 1886 the rulers and critics of the
country became convinced that there was
something wrong in the War Department.
Nobody up there seemed to know anything.
Outside of the ignorance displayed, said the
>,
but the boneheaded habit of knowing moth
ing was a serious defect. For instance, if a
Senator wanted to get the record of man
who was or had been in the army, 1t required
the breathing space of three or four months
to secure the information. An inquiry as to
the birthplace of Private Jones of the Third
Infantry threw the department into tren-
zied but full grown imitation of Button
button-who's got the button?'
Wherefore said the rulers 1--WE need
reform, system, and information"
Some old fellow, whose aCumen was great
er than his present reputation, suggested
young DR.. Ainsworth, native of Vermont.
That was in the late months of 1856 when
the fair haired child was an assistant sur
geon. In the spring of 1887 he got on the
lob, location he has maintained against all
corners ever since. He struck the depart
ment with one hand full of cards and the
other laden with filing and recording sheets.
He installed his card index system, and
he reformed the plan of keeping the depart
ment records. The job had about as many
troublesome heads as were fastened on the
hydra that Hercules, with the help of a
friend, wounded lacerated and assassina-
ted The rulers and the critics hoped for
the best; but they were not sure of any fine
results.
Then, one fine autumn day, the blow fell.
A Senator was in a hurry for transcript of
the complete record of a certain man in the
army He called up Ainsworth.
All right said the fair haired one, 4I'll
send it up to you by special messenger this
afternoon"
The Senator tainted, being shocked by the
army officers trying to make fun of him.
The thing was impossible! How could
man get together in four hours the informa-
ton that formerly was forthcoming in not
less than three months? But Ainsworth did
it. The trusty little card index system and
the reforms in keeping the records had got
in their work. From that time on, any
data affecting the military service was al
ways on tap at the spigot where the oracle
presided. Ainsworth had saved the Govern
ment six hundred thousand dollars a year.
After that, the legislative branch of the
Government laid its cooling and protecting
hand on the reformer's brow. The makers
of laws and manufacturers of honors made
him Major in 1891, a Colonel in 1892,
Brigader General in 1899, Major General
and Military Secretary in 1904, and Adju-
tant General in 1907. All this was done by
votes in the House and Senate and put on
the statute books. The legislators did not
wait for presidential appointment and pro-
motion to do the work. They did it them
selves.
The Adjutant General is quiet man,