Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-10
GEN. G|LKYSON
DEFENDS STATE
Bitterly Resents Unwarranted
Attack by Gray on Artil-
Iery Companies
BIZ Special Correspondent.

~ Q
TRENTON, Sept. 10:-Asserting
that when q candidate for pubic
Office does not hesitate to drag into
the political mire. for personal gain,
the creditable, patriotic record Of a
great state in the worlds greatest
war. he felt called upon to resent il,
Adjutant General Frederick w. Gilky-
son today in a statement issued here
sharply rebuked Congressman Ed
ward Gray for his attack upon Gov
ernor Edges patriotism and New
Jerseys Official support of the ma
tons war program.
The adjutant general declared hat
his attention had been called to a
printed speech ~purporting to have
been delivered by Mr.. Gray. in Pas
sale. in which he charged Governor
Edge with permitting Jersey soldiers
to become slaclxers, because he Sc
cured a deferred classification for the
Second New jersey Artillery Regi-
ment, and further critcising the work
of the New Jersey draft boards.
claiming that the percentage of Glass
1 men in the state was considerably
below that of many other states.
Continuing his bitter resentment,
the adjutant general declared that it
seems to him that Mr.. Gray should
be a sufficiently patriotic Jerseyman,
apart from his political ambitions, to
have investigated deliberate misrep-
reservations which, If correct, would
place New Jersey in an unenviable
and shameful position before the en-
tire country. But" Mr.. Gilkyson
said further, "the man has apparently
preferred to make 1t appear that New
Jersey, his home state, was a Stacker
in the war program Obsessed with
the idea of injuring the governors
candidacy for Office, he has not hest
tated to defame his state and make
an ass of himself"
II am glad Mr.. Gray has been spe-
cifc In his two charges against the
military administration" declared the
adjutant general, "for in both cases
he a placed himself in a ridiculous
position, showing an utter lack of
knowledge of the situation. Yes, the
governor accepted a deferred classic
cation for the Second New Jersey Ar
tillery and the Third and Fourth Com
panies of Coast Artillery, and in do
ing so protected several hundred boys
who answered the call of the govern
ment and enlisted in these units a rear
ago.. prepared TO at onc go out and
fight, and who have been chatting ever
since because the government IA not
ordered them into active service. To
demonstrate how good was the judg-
ment of the governor in holding this
organization together" Mr.. Gilkyson
asserted further in his statement. land
thus protecting these boys in their
patriotism, this venv regiment has
just finished at Sea Girt a two weeks
tour of duty ordered there as a regi-
ment by the War Department. the
expense Of the camp all paid by the
4 fndnnn1 rnynr nrN and kho - ~ ~
under the charge and supervision of
four regular army officers headed by
Colonel Byrne, commandant at Sandy
Hook.
Dealing with Congressman Gray's
assertion that New Jersey Is down on
the list of states in Its total of Class
la men who became twenty-one on
or before last June, far below many
other states, Adjutant General Gilky-
son declared that q mere pause and
consideration of New Jerseys indus
trial position in the war would have
answered this. He asks IL Mr.. Gray
knows that the government, not the
state; the congress-, OF which he was
a member. nor Governor Edge. nor
the state administration. made certain
exempt classilcations for registrants,
and that one Of the important exempt
cl~assihcations were men certified to
by the government who were employ
ed in shipbuilding. munition, and
other essential plants for var main
tenace and preparation.
The adjutant general evidently has
a good laugh on Mr.. Gray when il
comes to assailing the governors pa
triotism. He declares that during the
Spanish-American War the executive
left a growing business and volun-
teered. 1t being a strange coincidence
that both the adjutant general and
Governor Edge served in the same
regiment, while he says Gray, al
though of age. remained home.