New-York tribune., 1912-03-17
THEDA WASHINGTON

Indianapolis is situated, 13S Taft delegates
and six Roosevelt delegates were elected
In the country districts, where the BeVe-
ridge-Roosevelt strength was supposed 10
exist. Mr.. Taft carried l3 delegates u
Mr. Roosevet's six. Reports received iioi''
the 7th District are to the erect that MI
Taft made almost clean sweep at tue pr
mary election, foreshadowing the eiectioh
of two more Taft delegates.
MANIFESTLY UNFAIR.-1n some man.
ner wholly erroneous reports ol the 'e@tr
mony of Brigadier General Clarence ~
Edwards in the Ray Investigation nave
gone out and are leading to criticism "nich
is based on a msconception ot the iac'''
For instance. General Edwards Is belhs
criticised for taking from the war De
rartnent official records" and the sugges-
ton is made that in view OF MS ac'io"
the President should not permit MIN 10 re-
tain his Office. There is nothing IN 'he
testimony OF General Edwards to warrant
this assumption. The records OF the wal
Department were not taken from 1t. as was
shown hy him, and as was also shown py
the testimony of General Carter. General
Edwards's testimony shows that certain
papers were handed TO him by General
Roll and that in signing a receipt for the
package he was particular to add the
words contents unknown II also SHOWS
that when attention was called 10 the lact
that some of the Ray papers were MISSING
he caused a search TO be made In MS oiilce'
with the result that this package was dis
covered; that he caused the package TO pe
sent TO his house, in order that he might
mako q thorough examination: that In the
package he found the missing papers along
with numerous others; that he Immediately
Informed the Secretary of War that he
had found the missing papers, Peturheu
them to the War Department and they
were promptly sent to Congress. Technl-
callv the papers were never out of the pos
session of the War Department, and the
incident of General Edwardss taking the
nackage TO his house was merely to facili-
tate the search, precisely as officers, ike
business men generally, often take work
including official papers on which they pur-
pose TO work out OF business hours, to their
homes. The absence of the papers from
the War Department did not amount TO
more than a few hours. and II was further
shown that only Trough inadvertence were
they originally omitted from the Ray rec
ord as first sent to the War Department.
KERN MAKES BREAK.--Senator Kern
in speech in favor of the dollar day
pension" bill wandered to-day into dl-
lemma which Is sorely perplexing him anu
his Democratic colleagues who are sup
norting the Sherwood measure. lie
opened the valves of sentiment, pleading
for the old soldiers. and said uncomph-
mentary things of the Senate itself.
These are trifling matters" said the Sen
ator from Indiana, referring To the Sen
ate baths and barber shop, but when tho
old soldier end his wife read that Senators
and Congressmen are complaining that
they cannot live on salaries of more than
$40 a day with free barber shops. free
baths. free apollinaris water and free or
fee rent: when they read OF Senator'S rid-
ing in free government automobiles be-
tween their Offices and the Capitol. they
cannot but marvel at the claim made ny
some of these gentlemen that the demand
for the old soldier for a dollar a day is an
eytravaeant one" We can all he very
generous" reioned Senator McCumber.
with the dollar we haven't got. It's an
other matter to get the dollar. our reve-
nues are insufficient to meet the increase
provided for by this bill Therefore ap-
neal TO the Senate TO come 10 its senses
and consider this question seriously Mr..
Kern was unable to explain where the
funds for the $75,0OO.OOO Sherwood bill
! were to come from. q. u. ii.