Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-05-27
ARMY BILL WILL
CAUSE CONFLICT
Reported Back With Amend.
ment That Would Elimin-
ate Gen. Wood
ST|MSON ATTACKS MEASURE
Declares Only Nineteen, Since
Washington, Would Have
Been Eligible.
by Special Leased Wire to New Mexican)

Washington, D. c., May 27.-The
army appropriation bill was reported
back to the Senate and House today
by the conference with anti-admins-
tration amendments which would leg
islate Major General Wood out of Of
flee as chief of staff, and would leave
the location of military posts to COM
mission of retired army officers and
two members each of the Senate and
House committees on military affairs.
Blow for Crozier and Funston.
The amendment, which would re-
move General Wood would prevent
either Brigadier Generals Crozier or
Funston from ever attaining the of
flee of chief of staff. No officer who
has not spent ten years in the line
with troops before becoming a briga-
dier would be eligible Many army of
ficers charge that the fight between
the line and the staff which recently
resulted in the retirement from the
army of Major General Ainsworth, is
responsible for the provision.
Conflict Over Amendment.
Lieutenants General Young, and
Macarthur: Major Generals Randall
Lee and Humphrey would be the re-
tired army officers on the proposed
commission which would report to
congress by January upon the loca-
! ton and distribution of army posts
and proposed abandonment of many
recommended by the war department.
! The report was acted on by the
House today. A conflict over the
amendments is expected. Senators
Curtis and Smoot blocked immediate
action in the Senate by insisting on
! time to study the changes.
Secretary of War Scores Provision.
| Washington, d. c., May 21.-Secre
tary of War Stimson, in a statement
en- the proposed action by Congress
said the provision. supposedly aimed
at General Wood, would have rendered
ineligible for service as chief of staff
everyone except four of the nineteer
generals who have served as command
ers-in-chief of the American army since
General Washington.
"It would" he said "have disquali
fed General Winfield Scott. of the ole
army 1t would also have disqualified
Sheridan, Mcclellan, Mcpherson
Meade, Warren, Hallock, o. o. How
ard, James H. Wilson and Horace Por
ter, among others of the Union arm,
in the Civil war; and Robert E. Lee
Jackson, Beauregard and Wheeler o
the Confederacy.
General Grant would have barrel,
escaped it's restriction by one year
service and General Sherman by tw'
months.
Coming down to modern times, i
permanently disqualifies practically
the entire engineer corps, the homo
men of West Point 1t disqualifies TO
example, Colonel Goethals and all o
his assistants on the Panama canal
General Crozier the chief of ordinance
General Funston and many other off
GERS.
Personal Legislation.
'In fact this order tends to put
premium upon mere routine servic
and to exclude from the highest pos
in the army the men whose force, ir
> telligence and opportunities hav
brought them quickly to the front.
would result in confning the choic
for this principal staff position to me
who have had the least staff eXpel
ience 1t is currently said that thi
!, provision is aimed at General Leonar
Wood, the present chief of staff. If sc
this a pretty high price to pay TO
personal legislation. What I am cor
7 cerned with primarily is the effect G
such legislation on the service. PEI
sonal legislation, the attempt by legi'
lation to affect the status OF individuf
: officers for good or ill. has been tn
bane of the American administration
In the present proposition, the evil
exhibited in it's most exaggerated form
! | doubt if the American people hav
any great sympathy for an attack o
capable officer who served his coul
try we'll in the Philippines and who
serving with energy and efficiency a
chief of staff"