Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-15

| Such ill-considered and impracticable
| recommendations afford convincing
proof of the futility of calling upon OF
preston Of their views with regard to
1.-THE paper work that they are required
! The recommendations to which you in
/ that memorandum thus referred had been
made by sixteen officers of the army OF
/ experience and ability, including three
department commanders and the super
tintendent of the Military Academy.
October IL. 1909. In speaking of another
| general officer in the War Department,
| the head of one of its most important
| bureaus, you used in an official document
| the following language:
/ Life Is too short to permit OF wasting
any portion of it in discussion with, OF
for the benefit Of any one whose concep-
ton of the underlying principles OF mill
tary administration is so haZy That ne can
| advocate such proposition seriously. a
proposition of this kind would be re-
| garded as remarkable If advanced ny q
state militiaman, and it is simply amaz-
I ing when put forward by an officer or the
| regular army. even though his connecuo on
/ with the military side of that estaDilsn-
ment be so remote as to be merely honi-
! nal
Action Must Be Deemed Deliberate
Your present action, which, because
| of the prior warning received and the
| length Of time consumed in the prep
| aration Of your present memorandum,
| must be deemed deliberate, is therefore
but the elimination of series OF out
breaks evidencing such intolerance OF
! subordination and such readiness to
| impugn either the motives or the in
| telligence of those with whom it is
your duty to work in association, as,
| II uncorrected. to destroy your useful
ness in your present office
| 1t is impossible that the business of the
government shall be properly conducted
| if official communications are made the
occas ion for contemptuOuS comments and
laspersions upon fellow Officers and for in
| science to superiors. Under such circum-
stances self-respect would forbid that CO.
operation which Is necessary to effective
service This Is especially true in the
military service, where due subordinatiOn
and respect TO superior officers is essen
tial to the maintenance of discipline.
AS am myself apparently included in
your latest attack / have preferred to
deem myself disqualified from judicial
action therein and have laid the matter
before the President as commander-in-
chief. He directs that, pending consider
alton of the disciplinary measures to be
taken, you be forthwith relieved from
duty in your present office. You will
therefore. upon receipt of this order,
stand relieved of your duties in the office
of the adjutant general, and will await
further orders in this city. Col. III. p.
Mccain. adjutant general, has been d.
rected to assume the duties surrendered
by you.
Very respectfully,
HENRY L. STIMSON,
Secretary of War.
Maj. Gen. Fred c. Ainsworth,
The Adjutant General, L. s. Army,
Washington. d. c.
Orders to Col. Mccain.
The orders to Col. Fl. P. Mccain are
short, but comprehensive. They state
that Maj. Gen. +. c. Ainsworth, the adj
jutant general, has been relieved from
duty in the adjutant generals office of
the War Department. They then recite:
Under the provisions of sections ITS
and 49, Revised Statutes, and of section
1882 Revised Statutes. as amended by the
act Of February q. 1877 % Stat, 242), the
President directs that you assume charge
of the adjutant generals Office, War De
partment, and perform the duties of chief
of that office until further orders
Army Officers Amazed.
Although rupture between the general
staff and the adjutant generals Office has
been regarded for some time as ineyi-
table in view of the extremely bitter
personal relations that have existed for
some time, and particularly since the
Reorganization scheme reported from the
House committee on military affairs in
connection With the pending army appro-
pIfation bill. today's action of the Sec
rotary of War. or rather that of the
President, for the Secretary states that
he acts by the direction of his superior,
was received with stupefaction by the
large number of army officers on duty in
the War Department
Although Gen. Ainsworth has repeat
eddy denied responsibility or author
ship for the legislation reported from
the military committee, which was SO
obnoxious to the administration, 1t
was believed that he at least was fur
nishing the ammunition for the con-
greSslonal opponents Of the War De-
partment's policies, in proof of which
it was pointed out that Chairman Hay
was in possession of much informatio
that must have emanated from the
adjutant generals office.
Still. In spite of the bitterness of that
controversy il was the common belief
that the administration would scarcely
care to remove Gen. AinswOrth while
Congress was in session, and the army
appropriation biz with fits mass of leg
islation so deeply affecting the organi-
zation of the army was pending, lest it
lead to fierce struggle with the domi-
nant party in the House. 1t was also
thought that at the worst Gen. AIMS
worth would only be detached from his
Office in Washington and assigned to
some duty elsewhere; possibly In the
Philippines or in general inspection
work
! First Time In History.
| The reason for this belief is that never
| before in the history of the army has an
adjutant general been court nartialed. In
| fact, it is rare to find an instance where
any officer of corresponding rank has
| been brought before court. The last
| case was that of Commissary Gen. Egan,
| who 50 bitterly assailed Lieut.. Gen. Miles
/ in connection with the latters charges
! that poisonous canned beef had been
| served TO the army in Cuba. He was
| tried by court-martial ON the charge of
| INSTRUMENTATION and conduct unbecomipg
| an officer and Il gentleman.