New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-14
Accusation Made in House That
CabaI Was Started by Senator
Hanna Because of Cuban
Postal Frauds.
SENSATIONS FILL DEBATE
Conference Report Gripping
Service Adopted After Bitter
Charges of Influences
of Senators and
Relatives.


Leonard Wood, chief of staff Of the
army, tsgun by the late Senator Marcus
\. Hanna and kept alive by his friends.
we're only few of the sensations which
attended the adoption by the House to-
day of the conference report on the army
appropriation bill.
References to a Western Senator
whose law, Brigadier General
Pershing, would be one of the first Off
GERS in line for appointment to General
Wood office if President Taft signs the
bill which carries an amendment to de.
pose the chief of staff; illusions TO
Major General Charles f. Humphrey as
the agent for the powder trust; and TO
Senator du Points former connection
with the powder business. furnished
other incidents in what perhaps was as
stormy an afternoon as the House had
seen in many a day
Nevertheless. in spite of a vain fight
led by Representatives Prince. Cooper
and Martin, the House adopted the re-
port, which had been approved by its
conferrees and accepted by TIE Senate.
and if President Taft signs the bill, as
it is said he will, General Wood will be
removed from his office on March i,
1918. Under the bill, too, the retention
or disposal of many army posts which
the War Department has characterized
as useless will be left to a commission.
Calls Report Insult to Army.
Representative Prince began the fight
AGAINST the report by characterizing 1t
as IAN insult TO the army the House
and the country" and in the DEBATE
which followed Representative Cooper
brought in the name Of Senator Hanna
In all my public career" Mr.. Cooper
said, Il know of no officer who has been
so Indignantly misrepresented as Cen
eral Wood. / was told on tile very best
authority that when General Wood was
in charge of affairs in Cuba a certain
Senator asked him what he proposed TO
do ,out Major Rathbone, Director of
Posts of Cuba, tho involved in the
postal frauds.
Senator responded Wood, / pro-
pose to prosecute him.
do that, Wood replied the Senator,
and I will see to it that you never rise
higher than captain in the service.
Since that time" continued Mr..
Cooper. that Senator and his powerful
friends have bounded him."
The interchange which followed
brought in the name Of Senator Hanna.
Representative Martin, Of Colorado
followed, with an attack on one of the
Senate conferrees, and pointed out that
among the army posts which the War
Department proposed TO abolish. but
which would now be left to the disposal
Of a commission, was Fort ID. A. Rus
sell, near Cheyenne, Wyo. He also made
reference to Brigadier General Pershing
and his rapid rise in the army The gen
eral is a son-in-law Of Senator Warren,
Of wyoming, chairman Of the Senate
Appropriations Committee. ex-chairman
Of the Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee and one Of the conferrees o nthe bill.
Jumped 700 Numbers on List.
Undoubtedly there are gentlemen
whose condition would be improved if
General Wood were legislated out Of
Office" shouted Mr.. Martin. Men in the
army who are sons-in-law Of legislators
and who have been allowed to jump
seven hundred numbers over the heads
Of other officers to a brigadier general
ship, would have a better chance of pro-
motion if a man Of General Woods type
were disqualified"
He also referred to General Wood as
the best man in the American army
to-day
In the names Of the commission Of
retired officers which would dispose Of
The posts was that of General Hum
phrey. Mr.. Martin demanded to know Il
the general had advised the House con-
forrees Chairman Hay Of the Military
Affairs Committee admitted that i.
was So
Well" retorted Representative Mar
tin, General Humphrey, as you well
know. is the agent for the powder trust. -
Representative Cooper interrupted to
ask II Senator du Pont had not beet
one OF the Senate conferrees. Chairman
Hay replied that the Senator repeatedly
Rad declared he had severed his con-
nectiCn With the du Pont powder com
panies when he entered public life.
The minority leader Mr. Mann agreed
with Mr.. Martins view regarding Cen
eral Humphrey.
with his connection with concern
that sells supplies to the army we would
cast odium on ourselves il we were TO
appoint him." he said. Such an 'ap-
pointment would be contrary to all sense
Justice"
"For Good Of Service Cited.
When the supporters OF the Dill got
their innings Chairman Hay declared
General Woods removal was for the
good Of the army and that the general
had proved himself "an incompetent
chief Of staff"
The report carrying all the so-called
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES amendments was
finally accepted -12l TO 90. 1T now goes
10 the President. War Department Of
fcials maintain 1t would disrupt the
General STAFF and overturn the army or
ganizstion. There are hints that It's con-
siitutionality may be tested II II De-
comes a law. Many members Of both
houses hold that the disputed amend