The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-17
AIMS WORTH GOES
ON RETIRED LIST
At OWN REQUEST.
Pc ssibility of Court
Martial Thus Is
Precluded.
TAFT APPROVES
HIS APPLICATION
A ction of Adjutant-General
Causes Surprise and Conster-
nation Among His Friends
and Adherents-Plans for
Trial Are Stopped by
War Department.

Washington, February ls.-Adju-
tant-General Fred c. Ainsworth, who
was relieved of his Office on charges
assumed to be those of conduct preju-
dicial to good order and discipline. to-
day was placed on the retired list on
his own application. This precludes
the possibility of a court-martlal.
President Taft approved General Aims
worth's application because of the otll-
GERS thirty-seven Scars of service.
Friends of General Ainsworth in the
House of Representatives WIN resented
the charge that the Acknowledgement
had been surreptitiousIy giving lnfor-
nation TO the Military .Anairs Commit
tee were planning 10 institute u thor
ouEn investigation into the War De-
partment. Chairman Hay, of the COM
mitiee, declared tonight that so Tar
dS ne was concerned, the onicer's dc
clsloh ended the agitation In Congress.
with the avowed intention OF nut
tnS an end To frlction,that Tor years
mas existed between the officers If
tae line and those of the Stan. tho
House to-day adopted an amendments
10 tAc r'my appropriation bin. which
was passed. consolidating the divi-
sions OF the chief OF stan. tho anu
tant- general and the inspector-gen,roI
under one head-that OF the bureau
OF the general STAFF The chief OF stafr
would he the directing head of the nro-
posed bureau, with the otncr two OH
GERS as staff associates. The Hous,
aiso effected consolidation Of the sun.
Ply departments of the army under il
general head,
As another part of IN,
tioh o. the army and the war Dc.
partment tho House also abolished NV.
OIL the fifteen regiments of c,v,ir,
and on roll call. indorsed lis artin,,
% yestefday In advancing the tarm ~
e.iils'h"at In the army from thrcr
NJ: lars 70 five. by a vote OF li6 to 1st
. ~ army I'M finally was passed hv
cral days '''''hs sew
riends' Arguments Prevail.
Mutual friends are said 10 hn,.,
,a'iea upon General Ainsworth To 49,
"a. . course he did Ills comn,n,i,a
~, In was carried 10 tho War Den,
r,r,' ny ssnato Warren. OF WyomIne
tor,. ~: chairman OF tn, Senat. Mil
'"ry Affairs Committee WIT
.,r ~ was dated to-day, ana ro,
me Acting General of iho ~
Having served rontint
.or more than thirty seven vs,nn
commissioned officer OF The ,n as
~ osihs worn with the heavy h,'r'
h,,., care ana responsibility that
49, borne for many OF tbnsn -,
do not desire. in any ciyc,,,,,. ch's'
10 retain longer the position thatts
tola on the active list of Tho n,a,
~ siore respectfully nsk 10 br 10
-, from active service ana TO ho
n.aeeu upon the retired list. under
ION l,-iJ OF the Revised Statutes
F,,It.
T. {. AiNSwORTH.
ma. Adjutant- General
ny ietter was submitted by sen
nlor warren to Acting Adjutant- Gan
~ ,t MeCain. II passed successiveIv
through the hands of General G.oonar!,
Wood, chief of stan, and secrnta,u
Stlmson and finally was subnjtteJ -
,hc PRESIDENT. President aft promnt-
Stimson: VT.
TO the Secretary of War:
r. ION ms own application Major.
General i. G. Ainsworth the nd i,itnut
general Is hereby retired under Sec
ton l.ai3, Revised Statutes and ~,
pfopcr order may he issued
WM Fl. TAFT"
secretary Stimson instructed GEN
erai Wood, as chief OF star. IN Issue
the necessary official order, TbIs AZ
rected that General A!nsworth was
othcially retired upon his own appi,
cation. and instructed hi:, 20 proceed
TO his home. The order closed with
Inc words: The travel directed 10
necessary In the military service"
VIII Draw $4,000 Yearly.
AS a retired officer OF his rank. Gem
eral Ainsworth will draw an annual
salary OF $4,000 10 Will lose his al.
lowancc OF approximately 5000 which
he had while on active duty Tho
voluntary application for retirement
by Ainsworth quashcs any charges
against him.
The unexpected turn of events whica
cnmo late in the afternoon. put an
end TO the departments preparation
for the court-martal. Earlier in the
day tclcgraphic Inquiries had been
made of halfdozen retired officers
OF high rank If they were prepared TO
serve while Instructions had been sent
TO n line officer outside of Washing
ton TO report at once presumably to
otliciatc as Judge advocate Of the court.
Judge Advocate General Crowder also
had boer bus!ly engaged in putting In
legal form the charges against tho
adjutant- general
There was much surprise and some
CONSERVATION among General AIMS
worth's friends and adherents when
word OF his voluntary retirement
reached the Hotise. unoiicially, plans
had been laid 10 inquire into the meth
DDS OF the War Department through
-, uI,,a