The Washington herald., 1912-08-17
PUBLIC AIf|hG
OF DIRTY Linen
Democrats Attempt to Bring the
+. President Into the Notorious
Ray Scandal.
SECRETARY OF WAR sTMSbN
JUMPS INTO THE BREACH
Will Appear Before House Military
Committee This Morning and
Bear Brunt of Attack.

In an effort to prevent Congress from
sending to the White House a resolution
intended to bring the President actively
into the search for the missing papers In
the MAJ. Beecher B. Ray scandal. Sec
retary OF War Stimson will appear be-
fore the House Committee on Military
Affairs this morning at a hearing on the
Buckley resolution, the introduction Of
which Thursday was reported in The
Washington Hereald yesterday morning.
The resolution was referred to the Mill
tary Committee on its Introduction. It
recites that the Secretary OF War has
failed to produce papers called for by
the committee on authorization OF the
House. and that he refuses to produce
them on the demand of the committee.
1t calls for the sending Of the original
resolution, the printed report of the
hearings before the House Committee on
Expenditures in the War Department.
and copy of the second resolution to
the President for such action as he may
deem proper"
Upon learning yesterday that the
resolution had been referred to the
Committee on Military Affairs, Secre-
tary Stimson Immediately asked for a
hearing. He was informed that the
committee would consider the resolu-
tion this morning and that he would
be heard at that time.
1t is generally conceded that the pas
sage OF the resolution by the House
would put the President in an embar-
RAISING position. The refusal OF the
department to turn over the papers de-
manded is based upon an alleged desire
to shield a woman with whom Mai.
Ray. a paymaster in the army. Is al
legged to have had improper relations.
rAr
correspondence between high officers in
the department bearing on the advisa-
bility OF summoning Ray before a court
martial because of his alleged improper
conduct. The papers in question are
known to have been in the department
in June, 1911, and are supposed to have
remained in the possession Of Mai. Gen.
Franklin J. Bell when the latter ended
his tour Of duty here as Chief of Stafr
and left for the Philippines to take
command Of that division. Secretary
Stimson admitted to the committee that
the handling of the papers by Gen. Bell
and Gen. Clarence Edwards was highly
Irregular"
While the ostensIble object OF the
Bulkley resolution was to rebuke Sec
retary Stimson for his treatment of the
committee when he appeared before II
on Wednesday. the real purpose is to
smoke OUT the President. and IL pos
sible, put him in a hole" II the reso-
luton reaches the White House. they
believe. the President will have to put
himself in the position of shielding Ray
and hushing up the scandal by refusing
to require the production of the papers,
or he will have to bare the entire scan
dal for thorough airing
Ray was notably active politically in
Mr.. Taft's behalf In the 1908 campaign.
when, according to testimony of retired
army officers. he was transferred from
the Philippines to Chicago in order to
work with the Republican National
Committee. The inference which the
Democrats would have drawn from the
hiding OF the papers is that the scam
ial was hushed up and a court-martial
for Ray averted because of the latter's
political work and influence.