New-York tribune., 1912-03-15
THEDAyINWASHINGTOV

son became aroused TO the SITUATION 'ha'
a really determined fight 10 curtall HIS
force was made. As is shown by the rec
ord mora than one hundred and Sixty
officers had recommended such reloi.h'
but General Ainsworth, conhdent VI ""
strength Of his own position, hao oi'
missed every such suggestion in Language
little short of contemptuous. Even Secre-
tary Stimson. however. recognized ihe Po
Iitical strength of the sdjutant generai anu
annrec,sted that II would be wise not 10
cross swords with him until he had COM
ritted bimself I'm writing in terms that
would warrant summary measures AZ
cordngly. he bided his ume' keeh'E
serving the growing disposition OF ms SUI
ordinate TO lay himself open 10 court i'"'
tIa until finally the last reply OF henerd'
Ainsworth to request for an OPINION on
the recommendation that the paper Woik
Of his bureau be curtailed afforded. SUM
cient ground. in the estimation ol MT.
Stimson. for a court martial. pehera'
Ainsworth chose the line of less resistance
and asked for retirement. and this was
cheerfully granted.
RADICAL REFORM-Of course, the
first step which Secretary Stnsoh VIII
take will be the curtailment or the lorce
I'm the adiutant generals office to the ehd
that it's cost of maintenance may Do re-
duced to point proportionate with its I'M
portancc But the Secretary Is also ais
posed to go deeper. He realizes that tnere
will always be an opportunity, II not
termination. for some succeeding adjutant
general by the employment OF the same
methods TO build up political orSan'za-
tion which will he as difficult to combat
as that enioyed by General Ainsworth' III
the estimation Of the Secretary, thc eN-
istence Of such political possibilities III tho
military establishment is far from de-
sIrable. and he is casting about for some
method cf obvisting any recurrence Oh
such an episode. One of the propositions
to which he is giving serious consideration
is the transfer Of the muster rolls and all
data nertsining 10 pensions 10 the Pension
Bureau. 1t is argued that this information
Is essentially a part of the pension record
OF the government. and that there Is no
especial reason why, with large PENSION
Bureau in existence. that change should
not he made. II is appreciated that sncn
transfer may meet with the determined
Commissioner has little use for private
pension legislation. He is prone To beh'Ve
that the general pension laws arc iar-
reaching enough TO cover all deserving
cases. and his attitude toward those VINO
seek data with which to support claims
for private pensions is not likely To nc
wholly sympathetic. on the other hand
there Is every reason to believe that, Tor
a considerable time at least, the attitude OF
the adjutant general OF the army VIII not
he as sympathetic TO the wishes OF mem
bers of Congress as that of General Aims
worth was and Il is quite possible that
once they appreciate this. members OF Con
gress will be less unwilling to permit IN"
transfer IL is a safe prediction that wniI"
Secretary Stimson remains at the head oi
the War Department there will be no re-
currence OF the abuses which have so long
been part Of the adjutant generals Of
flee: but Mr. Stimson would like to do his
work so well as TO obviate their recurrence
under any succeeding administration.
THE DEMOCRATIC THREAT.-Demo-
cratic leaders who have been apprised OF
the disposition OF the Senate committees 10
strike from the appropriation bills the new
legislation which the Democratic House mas
enerafted thereon are up In arms and are
threatening TO tic up the appropriation
themselves unless the Senate yields its con
victlons That Is notably true in the case
OF the army bill, on which Chairman Hay
has engrafted many ideas Of his own, which
have been adopted by the House on his
recommendation, but which are thoroughly
disapproved by tho military authorities.
This threat does not frighten the Rcpub-
ucan senators, however. They realize, or
course. that an extremely ugly situation
may be caused, but they arc entirely WILING
10 have the Democrats assume the respoh-
sibility OF killing any or all tho appropria-
ton bills. which would. of course, make an
extra session of Congress necessary. IL X
remarked that the Democrats did this once.
and that the country reprOvcd them by
going overwhelmingly Republican at the
following election. and 1t issnot believed
they Will dare to attempt it again. tn"
present disposition Of the Senate is TO take
It's stand sauarely ON the rule which OBJ
t.ips in both houses. prohibiting new legis-
Iation or an appropriation bill. or course
this rule can be overruled in either house by
a mere majority vote. but the fact that II
is a rule. and one of long standing, gives
a decided advantage 10 those who take
their stand on IT, o. u. H.
AT another point, In describing the move