The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-08-14
CLARK AND YOUNG CATS

P. H. MCGOWAN, in a special to the
Tampa Tribune from Washington,
says Congressman Clark, referring to
the matter Of Sidney J. Cats Jr. being
commissioned captain of the ITALIA
hassee company, says that he still
regards the action of the governor as
unwarranted, and which ought not to
be permitted to stand. The national
guard law in Florida gives to each
company in express terms the right
to elect the officers of such company,
certifying their action together with
a roster of the company to the gov
ernor, the statute then making it the
duty of the governor u appoint a
board of competent officers to exam
inc into the qualifications of the
elected officers, and if found qualified,
is to issue their commissions.
Upon investigation, | found that
Company had a first and second
lieutenant and were about to exercise
their right to also elect a captain,
when the governor without action by
the company, commissioned his son,
Sidney ]. Cats, Jr., as captain of said
company
Sidney J. Cats, Jr, as I am in
formed. was at Fort Mcpherson, Ca,
in the reserve camp, endeavoring to
get a commission in the army when
he was called to Tallahassee for the
purpose of being commissioned as
captain of this local company. IL Sid
| ney ]. Cats, Jr., had the making of
an officer in him, he had his opportu-
nifty at Fort Mcpherson, and l think
should have been left there to earn
whatever commission he was entitled
| to.
Immediately upon arriving in
| Washington, | visited the secretary
of war and laid the facts that | had
before him, and he Immediately dictat-
ed letter to General Mann, chief of
the militia bureau, and who has i'm
mediate charge of national guard af-
fairs, in my presence, directing him
to give this matter full and complete
investigation, and act as his judgment
dictated. I then waited upon General
| Mann and presented to him all the
facts in my possession, showing not
| only hn ~ he
tending to show the utter inefficiency
| of young Cats to command a COM
pany. l stated to General Mann that
the young men of Company B were
not endeavoring to shirk any duty;
that they were willing to go to the
front, either by enlistment in the reg
ular army or otherwise, but they did
not wish to be led in battle by an in
efficient and incompetent captain, who
| happened to be the son of the gov
ernor. | further stated to General
Mann that in behalf of these young
men and in behalf of the state of
Florida and our people, I protested
with all the earnestness of my soul
against the very flower of our young
manhood being led into battle by one
in whom they had no confidence, and
who l felt sure an examining board
would find to be utterly deficient
General Mann, after full considera-
ton of the record made report to
the secretary of war in which he rec.
commended strongly that an impartial
! competent board of military officers,
not in any wise connected with Flor.
ida, be appointed to examine into the
qualifications of young Cats to the
office to which his father had com.
missioned him. Yesterday afternoon
the secretary of war, upon considera.
ton of the recommendations made by
General Mann, approved the same
and the order has gone to General
Leonard A. Wood, commanding the
southeastern division, to appoint such
board as I have stated.
81 desire to state further that other
gentlemen in Florida filed statements
touching the qualifications of Col. c.
G. Harrison, Jr., and that General
Mann also recommended the same
|