The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-03

In their country's defense. Why /,
remains In the state camp | am un.
able to say and Summers does not
know, l have the highest regard fol
the United States army and am not
disposed to question the action OF the
war department In delaying the regl-
ment's departures feel certain II
will go to the border In the near
future, and ! do not hesitate TO pre-
dict that II win make a most credit
able showing,
There Is no quarrel between the
First regiment and the adjutant gem
erals Office, as Summers would have
the people believe, Every officer who
reads his orders, and If ! knew OF
one who did mot he would be sum
marily relieved OF his command,
knows that for nearly two years the
war department has prescribed one
regiment OF infantry and certain
auxiliary troops for West Virginia.
For years the state has had two good
infantry regiments and the files OF
the war department will show that
l have recommended that both rcgl-
ments be recognized and maintained
rather than disband one In order 10
organize the auxiliary troops. Under
the new law state can maintain
only such troops as are prescribed
through the secretary Of war, and In
my opinion the First regiment will
continue intact. l have not tried to
disband 1t and have not been ordered
by the war department to do 80. III
II was saved" by Senator Chiffon
and Congressman Nicely, as Sum
mers says, It is news to me.
within the last week Senator
Chiffon visited the mobilization camp
and assured us that the regiment
would go to the border within a
couple Of weeks. He seemed proud
OF the regiment and did not intimate
that he Is in any way responsible for
its being held because II has "proved
such failure the war department
does not dare send 1t to the 'front.'.
Senator Chiffon expressed much sat
lsfaction with the outfit as he found
1t.
81 do not know whether or not
Congressman Nicely is guilty OF what
1NAAAhpl6 SdgS VI ulUls lHG flTBI
congressional district, which Con-
gresham Nicely hopes to continue TO
represent, is in the territory OF the
First regiment. Except when CAM
paigning for votes among the organ
lied laboring men of the district,
Nicely claims to be staunch friend
OF the national guard. He was for
merly a major in the First infantry
and seemed proud OF 1t at the time.
He may hope to corral the national
guard vote in his district by having
Summers tell them that he saved, the
First regiment, at time when 1t was
not assaulted, but he should offer
something at least plausible. Neely's
friends have stated that he would 20
to the secretary OF war and see to II
that the Second regiment would never
move to the border but / am loath
to believe that even Democratic
secretary of war would block the en-
tire scheme for national defense,
carefully planned by the general stan,
in order that Mr.. Nelly might prob
ably gain a few votes, and at the
same time create dissension, IL not
in fact INSTRUMENTATION, among OIL
GERS by trying to tell them that they
were being given the worst OF 1t by
the adjutant general Of the state.
II regret that the Democratic press
agent has seen fit to ATTEMPT to in-I
ject politics into the mobilization.
With exception Of the time taken for
distributing relief TO the flood vic
Tins Of Cabin creek and Coal river
my entire time, since the mobiliza-
ton was ordered, has been given to
the work in the hope that n good |
showing may be made for the state. |
Partisan politics has not entered into |
1t. There have been no favors. Every
man has had to do his duty or suffer !
the consequences. There may be
majority of officers IN the Second who
are Republicans; a majority may be
Democrats; I do not know and ! do
not want to know.
In many things / do not agree
with the president Of the United 1
States; but he directed mobiliza-
tion according to law and West Vir-
ginia has not failed to do her part. I
Enlistments have been rather slow
but no more so than in other states.
Summers's article is reflection upon |
the state and an insult to the man
hood and intelligence OF the men who
compose the Second regiment. If, be-
cause our politics is different, sum |
mers must relieve himself OF al
crouch, let him hit at me directly |