The Washington times., 1916-07-13
POLITICAL PULL" IN
MILITIA IS FEARED
IN ARMY CIRCLES
Attempt to Force the Reinstate.
ment Of Officers Wood Re:
+. tired Is lest Case.

-
Army officers in washington and or
the border are awaiting with keenes'
apprehension the outcome OF the efforts
OF New York politicians to force ths
War Department to overrule the actor
OF Maj. Gen. Leonard WOOD, COM
mander of the Department or the west
in mastering Colonel Conley and Lieu.
tenant Colonel phelan. OF the SIXTY
ninth New York Infantry. out Of ser.
vice for physical disabilities. H..f
Already President Wilson. on the in.
sistent request OF members OF the New
York delegation In Congress. has d.
rected Secretary of War Baker, through
Maj. Gen. Hugh l.. Scott, chier OF stan
to make an investigation. General scott
has called upon General Wood Tor q
report. ...
Officers at the War Department loon
upon the case of these two .orncerf
somewhat in the nature OF a test. The
decision, 1t is anticipated. will determine
whether politics is to rule the war ,Dc.
partment In the present instance. as II
did IN the Spanish-American war. Al
that time the extent to which politicians
dictated the selection of officers and
their assignment to posts grew 10 the
proportions OF national scandal
Congressman Besiege Baker.
Ever since the order was given by
the President calling out the national
guard, the office OF the secretary OF
war. and the corridors of the WhitS
House have been more or less crowded
with members Of Congress from VARIOUS
States interceding in behalf OF mem
bers and officers OF the national guaro
who are their constituents.
every morning." said one member Of
Congress from a Southern State, as III
stood in the corridor outside the offic,
of the Secretary Of War, Il get a pile
OF kilograms and letters. half Of then
from members Of the national guart
who want TO be excused from service
and half from citizens VINO have beer
excluded because of disqualifications ant
want to get In 1t keeps me busy"
So far Secretary Baker has resisted th'
efforts of the Congressman and SENATOR
to ranl his office. One prominent Sena
indignant in a letter to the Secretar,
complaining against the action of th'
regular army surgeons who refused Il
admit one of his constituents who wa
totally deaf in enc ear.
IF he was totally deaf" wrote tn
Senator, 80 much the better. HI
wouldn't be able to hear the bullets o
the enemy, aud would stand Arm Will
the others night run"
Baker Upholds Wood.
, It is understood to have been the dis
position of Secretary Baker to stan,
by the decision of General Wood In tn
case of the colonel and lieutenan
colonel of the Sixty-ninth New York
but of course the order of the Presiden
directing an inve stigation is supreme
The President. "a commander -chief
has the right to override any Of the of
bcers Of the army or navy.
Army officers point out that the char
acter of the service which would hav
to be met In the event of an invasion
of Mexico would be such as to requir
men OF extremely good health and en-
durance. 1t was recalled that at tn
time of the Spanish-American war
ticians forced the War Department I,
accept, became sick before they ever lef
American soil. and thousands Of thes
who never saw gun fired are now oil
the pension rolls.
Senator O'Gorman Of New York
who was at the White House agar
today en- the subject. said on leaving
Il feel confident that Colonel Con
ley will be re-instated. Although
the regular army surgeon says he hal
heart trouble. the regimental .physi
can says he has not Where doctor
differ In such cases the affection mus
eelonef h pbea n ssenn
but Secretary Baker has assured M
that II he is assured that Phelan cal
stand the work, he will overrule tn,
decision mastering him out"
Denies Charges of quill"
The War Department entered vigor
GUS denial today of charges that polite
influenced orders for the retirement o
Col. Louis ID. Conley and Lieut.. Col
John J. Phelan, Of the Sixty ninth New
York militia regiment. 1t was also he'll
that Gen. Leonard Wood wa not sub
with reference to these orders.
1.-THE report of medical officer Il
such cases Is the ruling factor" II wa
stated at the War Department.
AS an evidence of this the War De
partment announced today that order
nels on duty in Mexico with Genera
Pershing before military retiring board
on the recommendation of medical Off
cesr.. The officers are:
Col. George Sands and Col. Jane
Lockett. of the Eleventh Cavalry; Co
Jacob s. Galbraith, and Col. w.
Brown, of the Tenth Cavalry. and Co
Charles w. Penrose, of the Twenty
fourth Infantry.
Colonel Brown sustained injuries dur
ing the hard cavalry drive with Colons
Dodd's force before the Guerrero fight
which brought him under the ban O
army medical examiners. Col. Georg
Sands was appointed to the Militar
Academy from the District of Columbis
He served in the office of the inspecto
general at the War Department te
years ago.