Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-17
WILL BE NO COURT-MARTIA
Action Taken to Mean Dropping of
the Charges.
MAY INVESTIGATE THE ARMY
Friends of General Ainsworth in
House Preparing Resolution.
APPROPRIATION BILL AMENDED
Adjutant General and Ip.pecto.
% General to BE Members of Gem
ersi Staff and subordi-
nate 10 the Chief.

WASHINGTON. Feb ls.-The Aims
worth case took e sudden turn late toda
when President Taft approved the forms
adjutant generals application for retire
ment. This means there will be no court
martial. 1t is said.
a congressional Investigation OF tn
War department probably by q hous
committee appeared today TO be a Ger
tain outcome Of the Ainsworth- cod lin
and staff controversy, which resulted yes
terday In the relief OF Adjutant Genera
Fred c. Afnsworth from office.
. WASHINGTON, Feb. ia congres.
sional Investigation Of the War depart.
ment probably by house committee ap,
peared today 10 be certain outcome OF
the Ainsworth- Wood line and staff con.
troyersy which resulted yesterday in the
relief Of Adjutant General Fred c. Aims.
worth from office.
Friends OF General Alnsworth in the
house were said today to be preparing
the resolution Of investigation. and Il was
said that an effort would be made 10
have the scope Of the inquiry so widened
as to induce an inquiry into the admin.
istration Of affairs in cuba at the time
General Leonard Wood. now chief OF staff
OF the army. was military governor OF
the island.
Judge Advocate General Crowder was
busy today preparing the charges on
which General Ainsworth Will be tried
by court-martisl.
Hoase Amends Army Bill.
Meandme the house of representatives
took hand in War department affairs
by adopting an amendment to the army
appropriation bill Consolidating the
offices OF chief OF staff. adjutant general
and inspector general into a single bu-
reau Of the general staff The chief OF
staff would be the supreme and directing
head, with the adjutant general and. in
spector general members OF the staff.
Representative Berger OF Wisconsin.
socialist, attacked the policy Of an ex-
tensive standing army, declaring Il TO
be a Standing preparation for war;
Texas alone" he said. could whip
Mexico In case OF an attack II the Cana
dams should try to attack us / believe
New York could do the job
The War department officials are busy
selecting the court which will try General
Alnsworth and in forrhulating the
charges, Necessarily number Of retired
officers Of high rank must be placed on
the court and the department is commune
eating with some Of these officers who
ara MT nnu i,, Ntf..ht...n. q. ....-..t
IL they would find II feasible and accept
able to serve on this court. which from
the importance Of the issues is likely TO |
be one Of the most notable in army
history. II may be several days before |
the issue Of the formal order creating
the court and citing General Ainworth
before II.
Although the issues to be tried are ex-
ceedingly important, involving as they do, /
all OF the old rancorous disputes that have
been waged between the line and the
staff for a quarter Of a century, legal
officers Of the War department do not
think the trial Itself will consume much
time. II is believed the evidence 10 be
presented win be principally documentary.
including the various orders and reports
hat have issued from the adjutant gen.
rails office within the last four years
and especially the letter made public
yesterday from Secretary Stimson to Cen
'ral Ainsworth. formally charging him
With disrespectful conduct. In view Of the
United accommodations at the War de-
'artment the court probably will assemble
II the war college or at Fort Myer,