New-York tribune., 1912-01-13
From The Tubun" Bureau
Washington, January ]

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington, January L.
GROWING SERIOUS.-The friction IN
tho War Department, which finds its eN'oI-
nal expression in the opposition to the il'3
militia bill, is assuming serious pioPoi
tions. The department itself Is coming
resemble an armed camp and unless some
turn for the better ensues the Piesloeh'
himself may have TO take hand Al l''
bottom Of the row is the animosity "Hlc"
exists between Major General Wood ch,'
Of staff, and Major General Ainsworth. au-
iutant general The friends OF GeneI"'
Ainsworth--and their name is legion-pe-
lievc that General Wood is scheming 10 un-
scat the aditant general to order him 10
tho Philippines or elsewhere. but by some
method TO remove him from the War Dc
partnent where he has been for thirty
wears. General Wood has instructed the
chiefs Of the bureaus to communicate WIN
the Secretary Of War only through the Of
flee Of the chief Of staff. and this mas oc-
casioncd deep resentment and has had the
result generally of aiigning the bureau
chiefs with tho adjutant general The SUI
Yortcrs Of General Wood believe that Gen
y
is doubted by the friends Of General AIMS
worth. who admit. however. that he faN"rS
tho fvc-year enlistment term from purely
economic reasons The proposition ~ re-
iucc tho number Of officers on staff duty IS
naturally violently opposed by those ON duty
in Washington and war scares arc expected
10 be sprung with the purpose Of forcstal-
ling such a reduction. The fact is that
through assignments 10 the General stan
promotions have been quite rapid during the
;ast -cw yoars-hace, inded. been acCeler-
ated considerably above normal. The re-
duCtion of the officers so assigned would
restore them 10 the rank and pay TO Whch
tbey arc entitled in the line. and would not
only affect them. but would rctard promo
tons General Carter hinted pretty clear
" at the friction in the department to-day
when at a hearing of the Military Com
mittee he declared that trouble was I'M
avoidablo when a bureau chief was senior
to the chief Of staff. that description ap-
plving, of course. only 10 General Aims
worth General Carter added that under
such circumstances the senior officer was
not disposed to accept orders from his SUI
perIor with good grace" When General
Carter testified that ii would be impossi-
bic 10 reduce the army by forty officers as
provided in the Hay bill, Chairman Hay
laid before him letter from General Ale
shire setting forth certain statistics which
seemed to support Mr. Hays contention.
whereupon General Carter took sharp issue
with General Aleshirc General Garter also
opposed assigning a major general as chief
Of the proposed supply division which he
said would make that position unavailable
even to so capable an officer as Colonel
Goethals. chief engineer Of the Panama
Canal Under cross-eXamnation by the
members of the Military Committee the
real source Of friction in the War Depart
ment is being slowly developed and at the
same time its bitterness is Increasing,
AMBASSADORS IN DEMAND. The res
ignation Of Robert Bacon az Ambassador
10 France makes another vacancy IN the
diplomatic corps which the President may
have difficulty In filling. II Is entirely
probable that the President will have no
trouble in finding some one In the service
who would welcome a transfer 10 Paris
but Il is becoming more and more difiicut
to find men qualified TO MI the position or
ambassador who have both the ability and
the means to do so with credit. IL may be
recalled that only a short time ago MI
Rockhill accepted, and with pleasure. the
post Of Ambassador TO Russia. only 10 mo
II too expensive, and he was glad 10 be
I transferred 10 one making less eNacung
/ demands on his purse. Then John Rldgely
! Carter was assigned as Minister TO Argen-
| tina, only 10 find that the expenses there
/ were too great 10 permit him TO fill the
post OF course. there Is not the slightest
likelihood Of any increase in the compensa-
ton Of American diplomats, with the DEM
ocrats in control OF the House and true
jefferson simplicity stalking through not
only the corridors of the lower chamber
but the lnsurgent committee rooms Of the
upper. But the demands OF the diplomatic
service are growing more and more exact
ing as time goes Oh, and the combination or
inclination. ability and adequate means is
not easy TO find.
SPORT FOR THE IRONMAsTER.-It is
doubtful If Andrew Carnegie ever enjoyed
himself better in his life than he has these
last three days before the Stanley commit
tee which il attempting 10 investigate the
steel Industry. The utter incompetence Jf
the members Of the committee, their guile
less simplicity and their total ignorance
Of finance put them wholly at the mercy
Of the ironmastcr, and he did not hesitate
10 turn them to a ridiculc Of which they
we're all unconscious. He fed them mess
Of cpigrams. axioms and jests, but gave
them no facts. when, occasionally. ray
of light would penetrate some member Of
the committee and ne would seek 10 get
some fact worth while, Mr.. Carnegie would
reply that his partners handled all details;
that he never paid attention to details or
that he must not be asked to criticise the
officials Of the Steel Corporation. There