New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-07
Story Behind Rebuke
on Field Is Told
in Letter
HARDSHIPS PUT
UPON THE MEN
Dislike of the Regiment
Shown Soon After 1t
Reached Texas


al the officers Of the 18th Regimen
= -. New York National Guard. now
:. ~. Mexican border, has been re-
.1.s IN letter written 10 his rela-
-, nv one Of the officers Of the regi-
u.,, This officer reviews the entire
.,,,bl. which had been brewing before
f,io7 General O'Rysn ordered the reg
~. 20 pass in review second time
,.fore Senator Vsdsworth
An ~ the officers. with the exception
colonel Gordon Johnston. have since
v,,bdrawn their re.isnstions. Colonel
Iohn.,On's has been accepted by Cen
ersl Funston. 80.
General o'Ryan has disliked this
-,,;,snt for many years" reads the
l,,.sr written home by al officer OF
,s. 10Th. He began to vent his disliNe
.,bieb vas caused by the opposition OF
to.b officers 70 mis- appointment as ma
;or generaD as soon as We arrived
t.-. For several months the regiment
w.s called upon for extra fatigue de-
ais and guards. was publicly criticised
for minor matters, and its development
under Colonel Johnston was retarded
IL every way possible.
Limited Target Practice
aors ~ these was an order from
o,pys, forbjdding US 20 use more than
thirty rounds Of ammunition for target
prac,ies. though the government pro-
vide. and allows 100, and the greatest
,.s Of all the troops was to learn TO
sboot O'Ryan made other typical
National Guard blunders which were
promptly and vigorously combated by
Colonel Johnston, who is acknowledged
20 be one Of the most Efficient regi-
mental commanders on the border IN
regulars or guard.
The generals rancor grew, and on
Yesterday the climax came. Senator
Wsdsworth was rendered a review o1
.bs entire 6th Division. Our regiment
tgr,ed out with two battelions instead
of .hrce. the other companies, with one
r,eepton. being on detail or guard
The exception was Company. which
rad completed a twenty-one-mile nike
at o'clock the night before, and was
excused for that reason.
sour regiment is one Of the Oldest
ia the guard and had a set Of col
eolcrs which had been presented 70 the
regiment more than twenty years ago
Naturally. they were rather dear 20 our
hearts. though il must be admitted they
we're very tsttered. New ones were to
arrive OF the 10th of December. but
meantime the old colors had been taken
out 70 all reveiwes. As a wind would
have torn them 10 shreds instantly
they had always been carried furled
but uncased O'Rysn knew of this
Colonel Johnston having explained il
months ago, and having told him at the
same time that we desired to keep the
old colors as nearly intact as possible
30 az TO put them IN a case as relies
eventually.
General Organs Rebuke
AN incident which / will detail later
had caused Organ 20 redouble his ami
mosity toward the regiment the day be-
fore the review; so when we passed
him with our old colors furled he de-
eided that he would rebuke US as no
other regiment has been rebuked in
the history of this country by order
ing Us 70 pass in review again. Now. a
review Is formal compliment from an
organization to an individual or iudi-
'idusls. Therefore, 20 order "A regi-
i1ent 70 pass in review second time
as rebuke or as punishment, is the
most gratuitous sort Of insult.
colonel Johnston. after receiving the
command 20 pass IN review a second
time, came over with tears in his ewes
and with his own hands unfurled tbe
ragged old silk flag. In FIVE minute,
the snappy wind had whipped il tc
shreds and scattered the shreds al
over the field. And that flag had beer
through the Spsnish-American War
I'VE started out 90 pass again tn,
reviewing officer. but before the heac
Of our column had got within fft,
latds Organ had his Car turned
around aud left the field. Brigadiet
General Lester instantly saw what hs,
happeued. and did what he could {,
save the situation by gallopiug owe
and receiving the review. But the in
sul' had been made doubly deadly. an,
mat in the presence OF Senator Wsds
worth. Major de Ia Flores, the milk
man commander OF the Mexican gar
Hson across the river, and other promi
nsnt officers, as we'll as the troops oi
ne whole division. Colonel Debevoise
oi tae lst Cavalry. saw what had hap
psneo, and kept his outfit on the field
s compliment TO US until we de.
parted
Ofhcers Acted Instantly
Without waiting and acting solely as
,noiyidusls, every officer OF the 18th
Ltgiment resigned As soon as we go,
1eeE 10 camp. with the exception OF a
lev who were away on leave.
80 lar as | can discover, this has
mAoe military history in that never be
ore has ,uch an insult been imposed
" have all the officers of regiment
tsshed. because of an insult.
believe that the President will
"0" general inquiry, that all our
oontinued on page 9. column }