Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-19
BARNETT CALLED
SWIVEL CHAIR HERO
Proposal 10 Make Marine
Commander Lieutenant Gen.
eral Fails in House
ACCUSED OF LOBBYING
Congressman Suggests Court Mar.
tial for Officer Accused of
Seeking Promotion
ACCUSED OF LOBBYING
Washington. June 10.

Washington, June 10.
Mayor General George Barnett Com
mander of the Marine Corps, who has
brought that famous organization up to
its present high standard of efficiency
sat with his wife in the speakers gallery
of the House yesterday. and was sub
Jected to a fusillade by congressionl
sharpshooters who charged him with
! having tried to use social influence to
gam an undeserved promotion
1t was during hot debate on the
. conference report on the naval appro-
priation bill by which the navy per-
sohnel is permanently increased to 131
lSa. That Barnett was accused speci6-
caliy of lobbying for the Senate amend
inent proposing to confer upon com,
inander OF the Marine Corps. the rank
equiIaient to that of n Lieutenant Cen
efal IN the army.
The amendment was rejected nv a
vote OF 10 to ~ after an acromopo,Is
dlscusslon in which such terms as
rocking chair ~orriors" and swivel
cnsir heroes" We're hurled at General
Barnett and two of his staff officers
whom the amendment proposed to elevata o
10 the rank of Major General. and vim
also were present in House gallery
during the verbal bombardment.
Inc remuneration reached a climax in
suggestion by Representative Heating.
democrat. of Colorado. that Barnett
ought TO b court martialled for failing
TO observe the wishes of his command :
ing officer, Secretary Daniels, who had
expressed disapproval of the pronosi,io.,
10 create the new rank for the COM
mander of the marine CORDS.
Representative Butler. Republican. of
fehhsSNanla. said the promotion now
or General Barnett would be unfair to
,he men VINO were fighting inFrance so
brilliantly, and that IL promotions were
deserved anywhere it was there and
NOT far swivel chair officers who would
never get outside of Washington
THE splendid morale of the marine
corps will be broken IL Congress com
mits this unfair act shouted Mr.. Butler
secretary Daniels has gone on record
that no military necessity is served by
this promotion.
Has he done anything by which Con-
gress rightly should single him out for
promotion in this legislation asked Rep
resentative Mckenzie. Republican, of
Illinois. referring to Major General Bar
nett
He has not" replied Mr.. Butler. II
admit his ability and I admire the. work
he has done in the marine corps. but
insist that il is unfair to our fighting
marines in France that these bureau
chiefs should be promoted when they
are not at the 'front.'
Representative Oliver. Democrat. of
Alabama. insisted that Major General
Barnett wanted to go to the front, and
had requested to be sent there, and that
it was unfair to criticize him when he
obeyed orders by remaining in Washing
ton.
Representative Keating, of Colorado,
asserted that General Barnett and his
associates were rocking chair warriors"
and told the members of the House they
would make Laughing stock" of them
selves II they voted for the increase
in rank.
IF you do this thing" shouted Keat-
ing, the word will go forth that the
way to win promotion in the marine
corps is not to go to the front, but
to stay here in Washington and exert
social and political pull to get il over"
Kealing charged that Barnett had
personally appealed to members of Con-
gress TO support the amendment pro-
noting him after il had received the op-
position of Secretary Daniels.
Il am a living witness TO that fact"
shouted Representative Butler. and |
can prove H."