Weekly journal-miner., 1917-01-17
WOMAN BLAMED FOR
 SCANDAL IN BRITISH ARMY

ence over high officers by promin
 ent society woman is described in tht
 report of court of inquiry, and Mrs
 Cornwallis-West, wife of Colonc
 William Cornwallis-West and mother iof the Princess of Pless and of tho
 Duchess of Westminster. is official
 ly severely censured.
 i The late Sir Arthur Basil Mark
 ham, liberal member of parliament
 Mansfield division of Nottingham.
 shire, who died last August, demand.
 ed an inquiry in the house of com
 mons into this matter and was sec
 onded by Irish members, who de
 clared that Young Irish officers
 honor was involved. It has since de-
 veloped that the officer was Lieuten-
 ant Patrick Barrett of the Welsh
 Fusilccrs.
 According to statement in the house of commons before recess, he
 was completely exoncrated, his com manding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Delme-Radcliffc, was removed from his command, and General Sir Co., vans was ccnsured, but was retain ed because of his good work Gen cral Owen Thomas, who also was concerned, was vindicated.
 Barrett was sergeant in the Welsh Fusilecrs Colonel Delme- Radcliffe and other officers recommended him for a commission late in 1916 and his claim was supported by Colonel and Mrs. Cornwallis-Wcst and sev- 'eral other prominent civilians.
 Showed Too Much Interest"
 Probably before this time, and certainly later" says the report, Mrs. Cornwollis-West began to take more than ordinary interst in Mir Barrett, to which he consistently failed to respond. Eventually Inc wrote her in February last letter of remonstrancc which she placed in the hands of his commanding officer"
 Barrett was severely ccnsured by his commander without the oppor- tunity of stating his case. Soon after that he was transferred to another battalion on the demands of Mrs. Cornwallis-Wcst General Cowans, who aided the Cornwallis-Wcst in securing Barrctt's transfer, is cen sured for interfering with discipline. General w. II. Mackinnon who also was concerned in the correspond | cnce, Is criticized for interfering with | the affairs of the command after Inc | his command, but is not because he since retired l
 The court of inquiry reports re- garding Mrs Cornwallis-West:
 We have no doubt that her in judicious boasting of the power she | yielded at the war officc-which was confirmed to an apprcciable extent by the wording of some of Sir John Cowan's letters, was calculated to bring him and the administration al Inc war office into disreputc. We eel obliged to record our opinion hat this lady's conduct, as revealed n this case, has been highly discrcdi- able, both in her behavior towards second Lieutenant Barrett before his ettcr of the fourteenth Of February, n her vindictivc attempts to injurc Jim aftcrward and in the untruthful vidence she gave before us.
 Tt appeared in the evidence that his lady holds positions of some . importance in the county of Den {; igshirc in various associations of C
 public character for assisting in l var work In our opinion it is to e regretted that she should hold such ositions." [
 One Mar Lowered in Rank.
 The court also investigated reports hat General Owen Thomas, who ook a prominent part in recruiting I Wales, was transferred from the |, ommand of a Welsh brigade 10 n ,sser command through Mrs. Corn [ -alliS-Wcst's influence This proved Il ) be unfoundcd but due to an un- r )rlunate sequence of events and the s mbiguous wording of certain off | al letters" q The report says that Colonel Wyn- ' 2 Edwards reflected on General homas, who is brigade command .. :. in letter to Mrs. Cornwallis- !, lest with the apparent object of / lalting his own qualifications for O c post Mrs. Cornwallis-West O mt the letter to General Cowans ith a postscript which he forward ia 10 Lieutenant General Sir Will al nm Pitcairn Campbell of the war tc f,~, .I ]