The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-10
Committee Report Sage Con-
spiracy Was Hatched to
Discredit Ainsworth
SECRETARY STIMSON
AND WOOD ARE NAMED
Assertion Is Made That Vim
dictiveness Cause False Ac-
cusations Against Adju-
tant General

WASHINGTON, April 9.-In a re-
mort which impugns the motives OF
the President of the United States.
challenges the veracity OF Secretary
of War Stimson and discredits the
ability and, experience of General
Wood, chief OF staff. the House Com
mittee on Military Affairs today came
to the defense OF former Ad5utant
General Fred C. Ainsworth ami
charges conspiracy between Slim
son and Wood forced Ainsworth out
of the srevice at q time when his SER
vices we're most needed by hia conTa-
try. In severity OF language the re.
port has sefdom. perhaps rever been
exceeded by a State paper.
The report carries all the letters
that passed between Ainsworth and
Sti,nson and Is fully ten thousand
words In volume.
Misrepresentation CHARGED
Charging that the accusations
against General Ainsworth had been
bolstered MP to secure his removal.
and that the language used by the
officer In his communication had
been tortured, n,fs-epresnted or
suppressed by Secretary Stimson, the
report continues.
1.-THE Secretary of Wa In his let
ter Of February IA, 1912. addressed
to the adiutant general OF the army.
uses LANGUAGE more incorporate and
less tustihable than anv which your
committee has been able To End in
the Ainsworth papers. or whinh has
been quoted by th~ Secretary of War.
The. committee vnds that the asso-
Citations OF the Secretary of War as
to the meaninx and intention of Gem
eral Ainsworth or his impu~ning the
fairness ard intellirenee Of the Sec
rotary of war are without foundation
40 far as disclosed In papers sent to
the committee.
Truth Suppressed.
Your committee can only conclude
from the records. Is the finding,
that these charges and accusations
had their origin In prejudice. II not
vindictiveness and determination
to drive General Ainsworth from ac-
tive service. and having nothing to
support them but bare assertion
coupled with Misrepresentation and
the suppression Of the truth.
1T IL incredible to your committee
shstT the Secretary or war or any ad-
wiser OF his could have made these ac-
cusations In the honest belief that
General Ainsworth was guilty of any
him. and such unnecessary vehemence
and incorporate language. Some
other reason must have actuated the
Secretary OF War in making them and
that other reason II not hard to hnd.
Your committee. being familiar
with all the different phases OF the
legislative features Ia the army ap-
preparation bill can -vers- readily afs
count for this violent assault on Gen.
ns~
Spouse to summons from this COM
rntttee and not at hts own sr~~~sts~-
Gen. Ainsworth appeared before this
committee for . hearing. on the bill
then pending to ok the Term OF en-
istmenf IN the arwy ~ Ave va~~s
He expressed himself frankly and free
/ ly In favor Of the measure and hts
reason for favorinx the bill were 30
cogent. 20 convincing and so clearly
stated AZ to carry conviction OF their
soundness to the mind of many II not
the committee.
Hitter Hostill4s Shown.
Subsequently the War Department
entered upon q campaign Of bitter
hostility against this Sneaaure--a cam
ralgn unprecedented In the history
Of such iegislation.
/ Clearly i was to the interests Of
those oprosing these measures TO dis
credit General Ainsworth and his
appropriation bill would come to 3
vote on Feb. Is. 1914. On that date
the letter Of the Secretary Of War ~
February II, RELIEVING General Aims
| worth from the duties Of his o nee
was served upon him. Soon After
ward Il, not before. 4 copy Of that
letter was n the hands Of :, repre-