The Sentinel=record., 1912-02-16
OFFICER IS
 DISMISSED
MAJ, CEN. AiNsWoRTH STRIPPED OF OFFICE AND DISMISSED
 FROM REGULAR ARMY.
Secretary stimson Rectes Long List of Charges PreiudciaI to Disci- pine and Also Charges h.
 subord nation

Washington, Feb. l5.-Major Gen eral Fred C. Amsworth, adjutant gen eral of the army, was stripped of his office today by order of President Taft and will appear before court martial on charges said to embrace conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, and insubordination.
 His relief from duty was brought about in letter to him from the sec retary of war. which bristled with sharp criticism.
 General Answorth's removal IS considered to be the outcome of many years of struggle for control between the line and the staff of the army Major General Leonard Wood chief of staff, leads contingent, which be lieves control should be delegated to those officers actually in touch with the fighting strength. Others among whom General Ainsworh was a lead ing figure, have cc1tended supervision should be vested with the heads Of powerful bureaus
 Suspension of General Ainsworth the first that ever has occurred in the office of the adjutant general, caused a profound sensation in army and congressional circles. It was made the subject of a heated exchange on the floor of the house, where the army appropriation bill was being de. bated. Neither General Ainsworth nor other army or department officers or officials would discuss it.
 The action of the president was tH ken after ssNeral conferences with Secretary Stimson For some time there had been friction between the adjutant generals office and that of the thief of staff. Clashes were not uncommon and there was an almost total lack of cooperation, The bad feeling culminated when General Ainsworth, in reply to Secretary stim- sons request for some statistical in- formation made such answer that the secretary. felt constrained to accept it tx a f-e f-e4fl}e- lection upon his own integ- rlty. rnd upon that of other high of ficers of the department
 Secretary Sumson's letter of sus- pension. which was delivered to Gen eral Ainsworth this morning, took up incidents ag far back as October 1909. in which the secretary held the adiutant general had been unduly caustic in dealing with his superiors and in critisng them Beg inning with last December, the secretary refers to Iris order 10 the general adWtant to submit 10 the chief of staff of the army his opinion on proposal to abolish the present muster roll and to modify certain other rolls
 "ln reply to this order" says the secretary you submitted to the chief of staff on February 3, a memorandum dated February 3 In this paper you impuen the fairness uld intelligence of the secretary of war, under whose authority the proposition iii question was submitted to you You also criti- else and trrr7ttErf the military capac- it, and experience the intelligence and fairmindedncss. and finally you question the honor and good faith of the officers of the general staff and the war college, whose plan you were directed to discuss
 MT. Stlmson quotes from General Ainsworth's memorandum to show that the latter had him in mind in writing, and says the adiutant general added that the statement was sub mitted with the confident expecta- sion that when other, if not wiser, eounsels shall prevail the statement would receive the consideration that may not be given it now
 In his letter the secretary calls at- tention to an attack made upon the chief of staff in the same statement and then administers his first sharp rebuke,
 This is not an isolated instance of insubordnation and improprietY on your part says the secretary nor ,is il made in the absence of warning as to the necessary consequences ot such an outburst On the fifnh of Sep. temper last you submitted to me a memorandum in which you, by insinu atlon. charged the chief of staff with improper motives in his proposed ac-