Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-12
READ into RECORD
President Taft's Letters in
Maj. Rays Case.
GEN. WHIPPLE ON STAND
Tells of Army Officers Frequent
Change of Stations.
DONE AT MIR. TAFT'S REQUEST
Did President Some Political Serv-
ice, But Was Disposed to AS
sumo Too Much"
GEN. WHIPPLE ON STAND
DONE AT MIR. TAFT'S REQUEST

The alleged political pull of Mai.
Beechcr Il. Ray. the army paymaster
| who is declared to have enjoyed frequent
changes Of station, and immunity from
| various troubles because of the influence
of President Taft, was again the subject
of investigation today before the House
committee on expenditures in the War
Department.
Paymaster General Whipple. who was
on the stand, told the committee that no
other paymaster of the army had a record
like Rays. Gen. Whipple said that al
though the average assignment of pay
master to any station was between three
thirteen years had been successfully sta
toned at Washington. Chicago. Wash
ington. Denver, San Francisco. Chicago,
San Francisco. Manila, New York city.
Chicago, San Francisco, Manila, Chicago,
Manila, Honolulu San Francisco. Atlanta,
Ga, and Chicago, a total Of eighteen sta
tons during the period in question.
BY Presidents Direction.
Chairman Helm wanted to know if any
personal direction of President Taft.
Yes Gen. Whipple replied. I'm 1909
the President asked that Ray be sent to
Atlanta. Ga. and in November. 1911, he
asked that Ray be sent to New York.
AT whose request was it, Mr.. Helm
continued. that Rays assignment was
changed and that instead of being sent
to New York he was stationed at Chi
cago?"
II got ORDERS Gen. Whipple respond
ed. from the chief of staff to make
staff said that Mrs. Ray was to have a
surgical operation performed In Chicago.
Gen. Carter said that this change had
been requested from the White House"
Mr.. Helm asked how often Maj. Ray;
given his wife's i'll health as an excuse.
The witness replied that his records
didn't show anything along that line.
An Unusual Record.
After Gen. Whipple had stated that
Maj. Ray had been at eighteen different
stations in the last thirteen years. al
though an officer usually remained three
or four years in one station, Chairman
Helm asked him If Rays record WASN'T
unusual.
LAS a matter Of fact he said, "has
any other paymaSter got such a record?'
NO." the general replied.
Does the President generally concern
himself with the stations of paymasters
of the army?" asked the chairman. Gen.
Whipple replied that be knew Of only
one other instance where Mr.. Taft had
interfered. That was in the case OF
Lieut.. Col Wallace. who had been or
dered to Chicago and who, by direction of
the President, was sent to Denver In
stead.
In reply to questions. Gen. Whipple
said he knew Of Mai. Rays political serv-
ices to President Taft only through the
newspapers. He added that President
Taft had never suggested to him that
Maj. Ray be treated better than any Of
the other paymasters.
President Taft's Letters.
In this connection Gen. Whipple read
into the record the two personal and
CONFIDENTIAL letters from President Taft
on the Ray case, which were mentioned
at Saturdays hearing.
The text of the letters, with certain
names omitted, follows:
Beverly, July 5. 1910.
Personal and confidential.
Dear Gen. Whipple:
II have read the letter Of Blank ere
garding Paymaster Ray). clerk to Pay
master Ray, which you have shown me
because you knew that in times past
had had personal interest in the well
fare of Maj. Ray. / have no relation
to Mai. Ray that prevents my directing
you to take the same disciplinary
action in respect to him as in the case
of any of your subOrdinateS.
ut seems to me that 1t would be wise
to send Gen. Darlington or a trusted as
sistant to inspect Rays accounts and
those of his clerk, as well as the charges
Blank makes, and if the facts turn out
/ a Gf0foQ q
from Ray at once.
while Rays conduct, If Blank
charges are true, could subject him to
the severest condemnation, there seems,
be such conformation by him and his wife
that it would be well to avoid the de-
moralizing scandal for the army involved
in court-martial proceedings. which would
place a stigma on Blank and Mrs. Blank
that they could never recover from.
Ray could be told that his superiors
knew his fault and have provided against
it. and in the interest OF his victims and
the army it was deemed best not to pre-
sent 1t to q board, on condition that he
avoid such conduct in the future
These suggestions are upon the as
sumption that Blanks charges are true
and that Gen. Darlington knows them
to be so. I do not favor court-martial
is conformation in order to prevent
scandal. The army suffers. the parties
suffer and only the prurient readers Of
such trials receive any advantage.
1.-The discipline involved does not out
weigh in its benefit for the army the in
jury to the prestige of the army and the
decentralization It causes.
you can show this letter to Gen. Gar
lington and Gen. Oliver. but would pre-
fer that 1t do not go on your official
files. The course I suggest Is the one 1t
seems to me that is best under the cir
cumstances.
Maj Ray did me some service Of a
political character years ago, at the in
stance Of my brother. and he is disposed
to assume much, too much. on that score.
wish him treated as any other officer
in the service. and l would make the
same suggestion as to any army officer
in a similar case.
Sincerely yours.
WILLIAM II. TAFT
The Second Letter.
The White House. Washington,
4 mi,