New-York tribune., 1912-02-16
SETS HOUSE IN UPR0AR
Hobson Accuses Ainsworth of
Conspiracy.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau ]

Washington. Feb. lj.-If Speaker Clark
had turned n somersault i'm the main aisle
OF the House this afternoon II could not
have created muCn moro OF stir than the
news that Major General Ainsworth. ad-
idtant general Of the army. had been re-
licved from dutv on charges OF insubordIna-
ton and would probably be court mar
tailed. The significance Of the announce
ment lay in the fact that General Aims
worth g. generally credited with being the
author OF tho plan of army reorganization
fatherod by Chairman Hay Of the Military
Affairs Committee. to which the Secretary
Of War. the Chief Of stan and other high
army officers arc 50 strongly opposed. No
one imagined however that the Demo
cratic members, even with their admittedly
: remark blc kngck of getting up a row.
would clash OF this outside proposition.
Yet the news Of General Ainsworth's pun
lahmcn, had moi been Circliug the floor
more than ten minutes before Representa-
| tive Richmond Pearson iIobson had
bounced out Of his scat aud begun tho mo9t
vitriolc sort Of an attack on Chairman
Hay. he charged, IN bricl. that Mr.. HaF
and General AinswOrth had entered int" %
conspiracy 10 put the Hay reorganization
plan into effect: that AinsWorth had fir-
nishcd information. most of which was mis-
leading to the Military committee. aud
expected 70 b" made a lieutenant general
fo~ his services, and a great dca' more TO
the same effect
| The House was I'm an uproar Immediately.
Mr.. Hobson dlsclaimed any intent tn inn
puen the honesty Of Mr. Hay. but TN" lat
ter declined To accept the reservation, de-
nouncIng the Hobson charges as false and
declaring that he couldn't bc honest and
enter into any such alleged conspiracy. Mr..
Hav also accused the Alabama member or
improving every opportunity TO assail his
own party.
81 charge that the information supplied
"a the Committee on MItary Affairs has
been misleading" shouted Mr.. Hobson,
shaking his fist Al his Democratic col
leagues. that il emanated from the office
OF the adjutant general. and that the adiu-
tant general expected i'm return for his ser
vices 10 he made Lieutenant general.
claim that every noble impulse on the part
of the chairman has been taken ddvanta GO
Of"
Then referring 10 General Answorth. he
continued: Here is an officer who has
= remained Al a ufSh lDI lNfUlN -slA years lIl
WashIngton continuously, has risen from
one roint tn another, has secured similar
riders upon appropriation bills for the abo-
Ition Of the Office OF adjutant general until
he could get the Office himself, and then
has had IL re -esta blished by the same proc
css and is right here under those circum-
stances In return for information which he
supnlirs | charge that he supplies his in
formation in an Irregular way-that he
never sends any statement through the reg
ular channels
Chairman Hay denied in positive terms
I that the committee had been trafflcking
With the adtutant general. He added that
the charge Of a conspiracy was false. and
/ said: ...-
| every bit OF information for which the
| committee has asked was through the Sec
ratary of War and was sent TO me by the
Secretary of War.
! Other members Of the committee also de-
,,ed Mr.. Hobson's charges.
while this family row was in progress
! ,Ao pon,,blican side sat back and listened
with evident enjoyment
J The feature Of the days session on the
or,,,, hill aside from this spectacular clash.
,roo ,be adoption OF the Hay amendment
,an.,.henine the term of enlistment from
three 20 five years