Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-15
name OF WOMAN
GUARDED BY TAFT
LETTERS RELATING
TO MAJOR RAY ARE MADE
PUBLIC. 4@
MADE MANY CHANGES
Paymaster's Political Influence and
Relations With Another's Wife are
Treated Of in Communications
to His Superior.

Washington, D. c.. Feb. 13-The al
legged political influence of Majo1
Beecher B. Ray, the army paymaste'
| now stationed at Chicago, who is de.
| clared to have enjoyed frequen'
changes of station and immunity IRON
various troubles because OF the IN
| fluence of President Taft. was again
subject of investigation before the
house committee on expenditures Il
Paymaster General Whipple testi-
fed that Major Ray had established 8
record in the service for frequent
changes in station. In thirteen years ne
has been successfully stationed a,
eighteen points; whereas the average
assignment of a paynaster at any
station is between three ana 1oul
years. ... -
Directed by tho President:
Chairman Helm asked Genera!
Whipple if any of the assignments mao
been made at the direction Of President
Taft. ~
"Yes.p he answered. I'm 1909 the
president asked that Major Ray be
sent to Atlanta and in November, 1871
that he be sent to New York"
"At whose request was it that MAJOR
rather than to New York.
II got orders from the CHIEF OF
Stairs office to make the change to
Chicago. The chief Of staff said MRS
Ray was Ill and surgical operation
was to be performed in Chicago, Gen
eral Carter said this change was maze
at the request of the white house
General Whipple testified SATURDAY
that President Taft's letters had sup
pressed" charges against Major Ray.
Confidential Letters Given Out.
One Of the letters Of President Taft
to Paymaster General Whipple, put IN
evidence in the case and made public
follows:
Beverly, Mass, July Is, 1910.
CPersonal and confidential.)
Dear General Whipple:
II have read the letter Of 60 re-
garding Paymaster Ray, which you
have shown me because in times past
had had a personal interest in the
welfare OF Major Ray. l have had no
relations with Major Ray that prevent
my directing you to take the same
disciplinary action in respect to MIN
as in the case Of any Of your subord1n-
ates.
1T seems to me that it would be
wise to send General Darlington or
a trusted assistant to inspect Rays &C
counts and those of his clerk as we'll
as the charges (---) makes, that If the
facts turn out to be as - states, to
separate @ from Ray at once
while Rays conduct, If o
charges are true, cc:,ld subject him to
the severest condemnation, there seems
from 60 language and telegram to
be such a conformation by him and his
wife that it would be well to avert the
scandal for the army in
volved in the court martial proceed
ings, which would place a stigma on
(--) and Mrs. 60 which they
could never recover from. Ray could
be told that his superiors knew his
fault and have provided again and IN
the interest Of his victims and the
army it was deemed best not to present
to the board and that he avoid such
conduct in the future. "
These suggestions are on the as
sumption that 90 charges are true
and that General Darlington knows
them to be. l do not favor court martial
in such cases where there
is condonance, in order to prevent
scandal. The army suffers, the parties
suffer, and only the prurient readers
of such trials receive any advantage.
The discipline involved does not out
weigh in it's benefit for the army the
injuries to the prestige of the army
and the decentralization it causes.
"You can show this letter to Gen.
eral Darlington and General Oliver,
but would prefer that it does not go
on your official files. The course sug-
gest Is the one it seems to me is best
under the circumstances. r<#
Major Ray did me some service of
a political character years ago, at the
instance of my brother and he dis
posed to assume much, too much on
that score. / wish him treated as any
other officer in the service and I would
make the same suggestions as to any
army officer in a similar case.
Sincerely yours,
- 'Wm. H. Taft"
Second Letter to WhippIe.
A year later President Taft sent this
letter to General Whipple:' .-
1.-The White House, Washington, July
IA. 1911.
my Dear General Whipple:
II write this that you may show it to
Mr.. Hay and Mr.. Sweet of the military
committee. You have come to me at
your own instance with the statement
that you have learned that Mr.. Sweet
is indignant because he thinks he has
been misquoted in regard to an, omis-
sion of two or three pages Of the war
report called for by H. r.
2OS.
THE part Of the record omitted re-
fers to a charge against Major Beecher
B. Ray of illicit relations with certain
married woman in respect to which I
was consulted by you at the time the
charge was made, and also at the time
the resolution was passed. saw Mr.
Sweet in New Haven and told him that