The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-14
Only Signature of Pres
ident Taft Is Re-
quired Now.
DAYS SESSION
VERY STORMY
Charges of Intrigue Against Chief
of Staff, Begun by Hanna and
Continued by Friends, Are
Made-Humphrey Is Term
ed Agent of the Pow
der Trust"

washington. June 13.-StartlinE
charges OF intrigue against Major
General Leonard Wood. chief of staff
of the army, begun by the late Sen.
ator Marcus a. Hanna and kent sIIve
by his friends. were only part of =
series of sensations which attended the
adoption by the House to-day NJ tho
army appropriation bill conference re-.
port.
references to Western Senator.
whose son-tn law, Brigadier Pershiny
would he one Of the first officers in
line for appointment to General Woods
Office II President Taft signs the hin
which carries an amendment to de-
pose the chief OF staff: illusions 10
Major-Generai Charles T. Humphrey
as the agent for. the powder trust.
and TO Senator du Points former con-
nection with tho powder business. fur
nished other incidents In what per-
maps was az stormy an afternoon as
inc House has seen in many DAY.
Nevertheless, in spite OF a vain nght
led BY Representatives. Prince. Cooper
ana Martin. the House adoptcd the
report. which had been approved by
its conferecs and accepted BY the Sell
ate. and II President Taft signs the
bill. as IT is said he will. General Wood
VIII be removed from his office on
March T. 1913. and tho retention or
disposal OF many army posts. which
the War Department has characterized
as usel,ls. VII be left to II comrii.:-
sion.
Prince Begin. Fight.
Representative Prince began tho
fight against tho report by character
izing IL as an Insult TO the army, the
House and the country" and IN the
debate which followed Representative
~ J. t.. - CIV,
ter Hanna.
In all my public career" Mr.. Coop
CT said. ~ know of no officer who has
been so maiigned and misrepresented
as General -'Vood.sei Was told on the
very best authority that when Cen
eral Wood was In charge of affairs
In Cuba a certain Senator asked him
what ne proposed to do about Ma
jor Rathbone. director OF posts OF
Cuba. then involved in the postal
frauds.
senator responded Wood. I pro-
pose to prosecute him"
"'Do that, Wood replied the SEN
ator. and / VIII sec to IL that you
never rise higher than captain In the
service"
since that time" continued Mr..
Cooper, that Senator and his power
full friends have bounded MIN"
The interchange which followed
brought In the name OF senator nan
ma.
Representative Martin. OF Colorado.
followed with an attack upon one of
the Senate confcrees. and pointed out
that among the army pos s which the
War Department proposed to abolish,
but which would now be lcI: to the
disposal OF committee. was Fort y.
a. Russell near Cheyenne, Wyo He
also made reference to Brigadier- Gen-
eral Pershing and his rapid rise in
the army. The general is a son-in-
low of Senator Warren. of Wyoming.
chairman of the Senate Appropria-
lions Committee. former ch6rman OF
the Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee. and one of the conterees on the
bill.
Undoubtedly there are gentlemen
whose condition would be improved IL
General Wood were legislatcd out of
office" shouted Mr.. Martin.
Men In the army who are sons-in-
law of legislators. and who have been
allowed to jump 700 numbers over the
heads of other officers to a brigadier
generalship would have a better
chance Of promotion If n man of GEN
eral Woods type were disqualified"
He referred to General Wood as
the best man In tho American army
to-day"
Hay Admits 1t Is So.
In the names OF the commission of
retired officers which would dispose
of the posts was that of General
Humphrey. and Mr.. Martin demanded
to know If the general had advised
the House conferees. Chairman Hay.
of the Military Affairs Committee. adj
United 1t was SO.
We'll" retorted Representative
Martin. General Humphrey. as YOU
we'll know, is the agent of the powder
trust"
Representative Cooper interrupted
to ask If Senator du Pont had not been
one of the Senate conferees on the
bill. Chairman Hay replied that the
Senator repeatedly had declared he
had severed his connection with tho
Du Pont Powder Company when he
entered public life.
Minority Leader Mann agreed with
Mr.. Martins view regarding General
Humphrey
with his connection with a concern
That sells supplies to the army we
would cast odium upon ourselves if
We were to appoint him." he said.
such an appointment would be
contrary to all sense OF Justice"
When the supporters of the bill got
their innings Chairman Hay declared
General Woods removal was for the
good OF the army. and that the general
had proved himself IAN incompetent
chief OF staff"
The report carrying all the so.called
anti administration amendments was
finally accepted, 121 to 90 1t now
goes to the President
War Department officials maintain
that 1T would disrupt the general STAFF
aud overturn the army organization.
There are hints that it's constitutions
atty may be tested If 1t becomes law
Many members of both houses hold
that the disputed amendments are
not proper in an appropriation bill.