The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-06-21
Army Bill Clause Would Gust Him
as Chief OF staff.
RESULT or LONG FRICTION
Fellow officers Now Generally Admit
Excellent Qualities Of Former Sur
aeon--PershIns May Be Super
lntendent OF Academy.
HY GEORGE CLINTON.

u
staff OF the United States army on
March 4 next. This story OF the posi-
oility or probability of General Wood
being deprived OF the chieftainship of
the general stan IL curiously interest
ng, and 1t involves troubles In tbs
army. resentments In other places,
J and oven possibly a desire ito get
syen personally"
Today General Wood is the ranking
officer on the active list of the Ameri-
can army. For years in the war de-
partment there was friction between
The adjutant generals department, OF
which General Ainsworth was the
head, and some of the other depart.
ments. The matter was brought to a
crisis when General Ainsworth was
suspended temporarily from command
In order presumably that an inyesti-
cation Of the troubles might be made.
Then General Ainsworth asked to be
placed on the retired list and this was
done and II was thought that further
4 trouble was to be avoided
Many of the members of congress
sided with General Ainsworth and they
seemed to think that General Wood
was In a way responsible for the
bringing of matters to head and the
forcing of the retirement of the ad-
lutant general, So 1t was that at the
last moment, while the committee of
the two houses was considering the
army bill. provision was inserted by
one Of the house members that no
man, after March next, should be
chief of the general staff who had not
served ten years In the line Of the
army. This would knock out General
Wood because he was staff officer
for long time as a surgeon with the
medical corps. The senate conferees
agreed with the house conferees and
the matter Is now up to the senate
and house for sanction. 1t seems
probable that President Taft would
prefer to veto this proposition. but II
he does he will have to veto the whole
army appropriation bill of which it is
a part, and this he cannot well do.
General Woods Career.
1t was General Wood who was colo
mel of the Roosevelt Rough Riders,
Mr.. Roosevelt himself being the lieu
tenant colonel, at the outset of the
Spanish war. Later, General Wood
was made brigadier general by Pres
ident Mckinley, and later still he was
promoted to a major generalship by
President Roosevelt, and now he is the
ranking officer. of the army. For years
the army resented what they called
| al 49, - ~
the line, ranking as he did officers who
had seen long service in command of
regiments, but the feeling against
him In the army largely has passed
and army officers today say he Is a
most efficient officer. The attempt of
congress to prevent his continuing In
the position which he now holds as
chief of staff has aroused many ami
mosities and 1t Is probable that this
one time surgeon will be looked upon
by some people as martyr to inim-
zeal legislation.
II is said that Brig Gen. John j.
Pershing Is likely to be named as
superintendent of the United States
military academy to succeed Major
Thomas Fl. Barry, who may take the
post of command at New York made
vacant by the death of Gen. Fred
erick Dent Grant Like General Wood.
General Pershlng has had a phe.
nomenal rise in the army. Eight or
nine years ago when he was a cap
tain of cavalry circumstances gave
him command of troops enough to
make a brigade formation. He hap
pened to be the senior officer in the
field and although he was only a cap
tain, this gave him the command of a
considerable body of troops.
Pershlns in the Philippines.
At that time certain savage In
habitants of the Philippines were de-
flying the American troops and COM
hitting depredations In what was
called the Lake Lanao region OF the
Philippines. Pershing took his brigade
into the field against them and did ex.
cellent service. putting down the up
rising and later pacifying the natives.
In one of his messages to congress Mr..
Roosevelt, who was then president, la.
. mented the fact that the law prevent.
ed the president from promoting an
officer for good service from one grade
to another. He mentioned Pershins
, by name.
When there was vacancy in the
rank of brigadier general Mr.. Roose
welt promoted Captain Pershing to fill
the place, a promotion which Jumped
over the heads of four or five hundred
senior officers. President Roosevelt
did this same thing in another case
when he promoted Capt Albert L
Mills from the rank of captain t.
that of brigadier general.
> Diplomats Going to Conventions.
In recent article the inten
ton of large part of Washing
ton to move on" the national conyen
g tons was told about and somethin.
Il was given of the personnel of tn,
movers" Added to them should b.
" certainly fifty or sixty members o