Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-04

AItOIulllS 10 SldlSllltll III tilS
house of commons before recess, he
was completely eXonerated, his COM
manding officer Lieutenant Colonel
Define Radcliffe was removed from
his command and General Sir John
Cowans was censured but was re-
turned because of his good work Cen
eral owen Thomas, who also was con-
cerned, was vindicated.
Lady's Attentions Unwelcomc.
Barrett was a sergeant in the
Welsh fusileers. Colonel Define Rad
cliffe and other officers recommend
ed him for a commission late in 1915,
and his claims were supported by
Colonel end Mrs. wallis-West and
several prominent civilians.
probably before this time and GER
tainly later" says the report, Mrs.
Cornwallis-Wes began to take more
than an ordinary interest in Mr. Bar
rett, to which he consistently failed
to respond, Eventually he wrote her
in February last letter of remon-
STRANGE, which she placed in the
hands Of his commanding officers
Barrett was severely censurcd by
his commander. without the oppor-
tgnity of stating his case. Soon after
that he was transferred to another
battalion on the demands of Mrs.
Corvallis West. General Cowans,
who aided the Cornwalis-W Vests in Sc
curing Barrett's transfer, is censured
for interfering with discipline. Cen
eral w. II. Mackinnon, who also was
concerned in the correspondence, is
criticised for interfering with the af-
fairs of the western command after
II III. 1t. i To
not disciplined because he has since
retired.
Concerning Mrs. Cornwallis-West.
The court of inquiry reports re-
garding Mrs. Cornwallis-We
I'VE have no doubt that her nju-
dicious boasting of the power she
welded at the war office--which was
to an appreciable extent by
the wording of some of Sir John
CoWan's letters was calculated to
bring him and the administration at
the war office into dsrepute. We feel
obliged to record our opinion that this
lady's conduct, as revealed in this
case, has been highly discrediblc,
both in her behavior toward Second
Barrett before his letter OF
the fourteenth of February, in her
NllluiIllNt tlloi TO to lllJu1t lllil dllti-
ward, and in the untruthful evidence
she gave before us.
at appeared in the evidence that
this lady holds a position of some i'm
portance in the county of Denbigh-
shire in various associations of pub
lie character for assisting in war
work. In our opinion it is to be re-
sretted that she should hold such
positions"
The court also investigated reports
that General owen Thomas. who took
J. prominent part in recruiting in
Wales, was transferred from the COM
mand of Welsh brigade to a lesser
through Mrs. CORVALLIS
Vests influence. This proved to be
lnfounded, but due to an unfortu-
nate sequence of events and the am
biguous wording of ceNtain official
etters.'
The report says that Colonel Wynne
Edwards reflected on General Thomas,
who is a brigade commander, in
etter to Mrs. CORVALLIS West with
he apparent object of exalting his
,wn qualifications for the post" Mrs.
Corvallis West sent the letter to
General Cowans, with postscript
which he forwarded to Lieutenant
General Sir William Pitcairn Camp
cell of the war office, advising him
o keep an eye on Edwards and ex-
pressing high opinion of him.
The report calls attention to the
act that it is contrary to the regula-
ions for a war office official to enter
nto private correspondence on Off
'ial matters.