The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-04-13
Err. S. c., SATURDAY, APRIL 13. 1912
TAFT AND ST|MSON SCORED.
HOUSE MILITARY AFFAIRS COM
MITTEE CRITISES SUSPEN-
SION OF AINSWORTH.
GOes Further Than This. and Claims
That Charges Against General are
Bred Of Determination to Drive
him From Service.

'''A AAoHu StTNlcc.
Washington. March 9.-President
Iaft and Secretary Stimson are Sc
verely arraigned in a sensational re-
port on the Ainsworth case presented
to the house today by the military
affairs committee.
Secretary Simson is charged with
having committed a great and ir-
reparable wrong" and "a fragrant
misuse Of official authority" when
last February he suspended Gen.
Ainsworth from his duties as adjutant
general of the army and charged
him with insubordination. That the
president and Secretary Stimson pre-
judged the case, that the accusations
against the general were based upon
prejudice and that the secretary Of
war has IAN erroneous idea" Of his
| relation to congress are some of the
other conclusions reached by ma
jority Of the committee, Of which
Representative Hay of Virginia is
chairman.
After Gen. Answorth's relief from
duty and when a court martial SEEM
ed probable, the president permitted
| him to retire from the army because
| Of his long service. The report fol-
| lows an investigation Of Ainsworth;s
| relief from duty, set afoot by a reso-
luton by Representative Watkins Of
Louisiana.
Criticising the relief Of Gen. Aims
| worth, the report declares the worst
feature Of it was that this officer Of
| long and distinguished service had
| no tribunal to which he could appeal
with any hope Of justice or fair
treatment
The majority of the committee con-
cludes that Gen. Ainsworth had been
guilty of no act which justified the
letter Of suspension from Secretary
Stimson and that the charges had
originated in a determination to drive
Gen. Ainsworth from active service
and have nothing to support them but
that bare assertion coupled with mis-
representations and suppression Of the
truth"
The report then goes on to say that
it is incredible of belief that Secre-
tary Stimson believed Gen. Ainsworth
guilty Of the charges, and adds:
Some other reason must have ac-
tuated the secretary Of war and that
reason is not hard to find. Your
committee being familiar with all the
phases Of the legislative features in
the army appropriation bill can read
lily account for this violent assault on
Gen. Ainsworth."
1t is pointed out that Gen. Aims
worth favored the five-year enlist
ment plan in the army bill, which was
opposed by other officers Of the gen.
eral staff. and that Secretary Stimson's
letter OF suspension to the general was
sent on the day that this feature Of
the bill was being discussed in the
house.
Secretary Stimson's comment to the
house when he sent the papers in the
case, to the effect that his action was
not to be construed as recognition Of
the authority Of the house or any Of
its committees to require Of the chief
executive statement Of reasons for
his official action" is severely criti-
/, cised.
Gen. Ainsworth's stand upon a GER
tain letter to the secretary of war,
upon which much of the charges was
based. is defended.