Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-10
SUPPORT FOR WOOD
SECRETARY OF WAR GARRISON
BELIEVED TO SYMPATHIZE
WITH HIS VIEWS.
MAY BRING FIGHT IN HOUSE
Provision in Last Army Bill Aimed
at Present Chief of STAFF and Other
Features Likely to Be Contested
if Revived.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Features Likely TO he contested
if Revived.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington-Even with the absorb
.ng topics of the tariff. currency and
antitrust legislation under daily dis
cussion by the president and members
If his cabinet, either individually or
collectively, the secretary Of war is
hiding time to look ahead TO see what
ian be done to keep the United States
condition to meet an enemy in
he feld and yet to avoid what citi-
ems OF republic have called time
md again the menace of a great
landing army
1t has developed recently that the
'ecretary Of war, to all appearances,
sympathetic with the view taken by
higher ranking officers as to what
should be done for the military serv-
ce. There will be a chance for the
war department official to show his
lighting qalities and his acquaintance
VIII lbs game Of strategy as soon as
the next army appropriation bill, or
any other bill vitality interesting to the
service, comes before congress.
A year ago a provision was put into
the army appropriation bill which a
great many people said was intended
to lose Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood his
position as chief Of staff of the army.
The paragraph in the bill, which
would have affected General Wood S
tenure of Office as virtually head of
the army, provided that no officer
should hold the place of chief Of staff
after March 4, 1918, unless he had
served ten years as on officer OF the
line Of high rank.
General Wood was for years medi-
cal officer and the shortness of his
length of service in the line would
have brought him under the provi-
sions Of the bill, and he would have
been ousted as chief of staff by force
of law long before his separation
from that place otherwise would have
come.
May Stand by General Wood.
The present secretary of war, of
course. is a Democrat, and it must be
remembered that the army legislation
which was said to have been aimed
at General Wood was passed by a
Democratic house, but it failed to
become law, because of Mr.. Taft S
objection. Some of the Democratic
leaders say today that they have
found the secretary of war sympath-
ICES with the views of General Wood
and his associate officers of high rank
and so, if the Democrats in congress
have not changed their views since a
year ago, there may be spirited con-
test when Mr.. Garrison's recommends
through the president, reach congress
in the future.
There were features of the army
bill of a year ago other than the
provision supposed to have been
aimed at General Wood, which were
not 70 the liking of most of the higher
officers of the service. One of them
was the extension of the term OF
enlistment to five years. General
Wood and by far the greater majority
of company and troop commanders in
the service objected to the increase
in the time which man must serve.
The army generally wanted the enlist
ment period kept at three years.
There was a compromise on four
years, a compromise III which the
army had little heart.
Secretary Garrison seems TO hold
TO the old time view that this coun-
try should have no great standing
army. but that it should be prepared
through it's citizenship 10 meet any
warlike emergency. The secretary
now it is understood would like to
see Ii two years period Of enlistment
for the army, believing that III this
time a man can get sufficient knoWi-
edge of drill and a sufficient idea OF
the discipline of the regulars to make
hin valuable when he should come
hack into the service at a possible
cab oarms. This seems to be also
the view of the chief of staff, although
serhaps he would prefer three
Eears' to the two years period
Civil Service and Jobs.
Officials OF the postoffice depart
men have mad some trouble in finding
a basis for tests in the civil service
examinations which have been order
ed for the thousands upon thousands
Of fourth class postmasters who were
placed in the classified service BY
President Taft President Wilson die
not want to set aside the order, anC
Postmaster General Burleson fixed
upon the civil service test in order
to insure. as it is said, that men now
holding the positions shall il they are
capable, continue to hold them, OIL
that they shall give place to other men
who shall prove more competent,
Little by little the civil service is
being extended through all the depart
nents and 1t is now intrenched il
places where it was not known before
1t has Just developed that the office Of
chief forester Of the government, onoe
held by Clifford Pinchot, is under the
rule of the civil service, therefore II
seems likely that the present chief for
ester. Mr. Graves, will continue K
mold his position, although it is pos
sible that, fearing he was to be trans
ferred to some other position in the
department, he might feel it incum
I, L. r. roey5.1 II trT I'm
What is Said in Kansas.
The editor of a Kansas weekly has
written the following. which is worth