Arizona republican., 1917-07-31
COL. HARRIS IS CONFIDENT HE
 WILL HO[D JOb
Ad.jutant General Cites
 Statute in Support of the
 Position He Takes in Not Resigning His Position

With Adjutant General Charles w. Harris wearing his uniform of colonel in the Arizona National Guard and oc- cupying the offices of the adjutant general in the state house, the "con- flict' between that officer and Gov ernor Thomas E. Campbell assumes the attitude of the calm before the storm, with the adjutant general ap- parently awaiting the next move of the governor to oust him. What that move will be was not intimated yesterday at the state house, nothing having been done since the sending of the letter from the governor to the adjutant gen. eraI demanding the resignation of the latter.
 The resignation was not forthcoming, nor will it be, according to the ad- jutant general, who yesterday contin- ued to transact whatever business there came to that office.
 That he is resting easy" in his office of adjutant general regardless of the demand of the governor for his res ignation was the statement of Colonel Harris, as with the statutes of Arizona in one hand he read the laws which he insisted made his office impregnable as far as the governor was concerned.
 "The governor not having the power of appointing me to this office, has not the power to discharge me-" declared Colonel Harris. "The statute says that the governor shall appoint the adjutant general upon the recommendation of the general staff. and a majority of the officers of the national guard, in- cluding a majority of the members OF the general staff, shortly after the last election, requested of the governor that he make no attempt to make a change in the office of adjutant general" ad- ded Colonel Harris
 "I can be removed from office only by a legislative act" declared Colonel Harris, because the last legislature passed an act providing that all off cers of the national guard and the ad- jutant general shall continue in office without thc issuance of new commits sions. and further provided that all of ficers shall hold their commissions un- til vacated for cause as prescribed by law.
 AS far as I know" declared Colonel Harris. the governor has no cause to attempt to remove me from office However, the receipt of the letter de- manding my resignation was no sur prise to me. Possibly" continued Col onel Harris with grim smile, because make it a habit to look far enough ahead not to be surprised.
 "The governors action in attempting to oust me cannot be caused by any | reports it is rumored 1 have made re- garding the strike or the L w W's," declared the colonel, because I have | made no reports whatever" Colonel Harris admitted that he drew up the statute which later was passed hV in xxrhi inh ha li- fications of the adjutant general are set forth, but denied that by those | qualifications he was then the only
 man in the state eligible to the office. There were many officers eligible | to the office of adjutant general de- clared Colonel Harris. He admitted | however, that since the militia officers | had entered the federal service that he
 was the only man at present eligible to the office of adjutant general, accord 1 ing to the qualifications set forth in | the statute
 Although Colonel Harris may be resting easily" as he declared yester- day. in his office of adjutant general
 nevertheless he probably will have to
 face the fact that he will be separated | from the payroll of the state, as it Is | necessary for his warrant to be signed by the governor.
 Nothing probably will be done fur
 ther in regard to the removal of Colone | Harris until after August 5, on which date the Arizona National Guard enters
 the federal service. After that date the
 adjutant general will be the only par
 of the national guard remaining.
 It is apparent that there is no doub
 in the governors office of the right oi
 the governor to remove any officer
 who received his appointment at the hands of the governor, and that Colone Harris comes within this right.