River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-02-28
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
(By James A. Frear, NJ. CO.

National Guard service were pre-
sented by the writer to Secretary OF
War Baker last week. One officer
whose high rank is thoroughly ap-
preciated by the Congress smen of
our State has been asked to resign,
and others who have served for
quarter Of century in the National
Guard and are among its high class
officers are unable to have their own
status determined. These officers
have seen service in t h e Spanish
American War, Mexican Campaign
and have spent the last year IN pre-
pairing troops for France with the
expectation Of crossing h seas
with those whom they have trained.
When the consolidation of Wiscon'
sin troops was found desirable by
Secretary of War Baker, he gave
positive assurances that there would
be no "plucking" or demotions or
discharges through the consolidation
of regiments whereby many splen-
did officers lost their commands. Al
though these officers have all pass
ed rigid physical tests and are effic-
lent in every way, they are u p
against the old regular army preJu-
dice which has existed since the days
of the Civil war. At the request OF
Adiutant General Holway, and be-
cause Of personal acquaintance with
the men and all the facts the mat
ter has been pressed upon the at
tention of the Secretary OF War
with hope that we may be able to
see Justice done to splendid officers
who have sacrificed many months
and years in military service t o r
their state and country and have
shown themselves soldiers second to
none in the volunteer or regular
service
The Tuscania reports have reduced
the number Of missing men in the
District thus far to three, unreport-
ed-B. H. Brown, Barron; A n.
Harvey, Eau Claire; and E. 0. Weis-
enburger, Chippewa Falls Hope is
held out in such cases from the fact
that a report was received Thursday
that others missing, including H. j.
Cook Of Cameron, have been located
and are safe. The War department
notified us that kilograms would be
sent direct to relatives SO no delay
has occurred, although many tele-
grams were personally received and
Immediately answered by different
members. Eighty-nine boys f r m
the 10th Wisconsin District were on
Board the Tuscania and Of this num-
Der eighty-one have been reported
saved, five reported and three re-
manning men are missing. All &C.
counts agree that t h troops on
board were as brave and composed
as veteran soldiers under fire and
that whatever the test may be they
can be relied on to do their full
duty.
A lively subject for discussion in
C0Y,Crocc;oYol ;pxyoc+i~o+ioy, ooy,o,,o;+
tee and on the floor of the Senate
recently has been the Hog Island
ship building scandal. Ship build
ing contracts at Seattle and other
contracts have been cancelled be-
cause of profiteering, but the ship
building contracts with the Hog Is,
land company on the Delaware river
reached millions of dollars in wasted
money according to the testimony.
This included large salaries paid for
publicity" and other similar items.
President Wilson has demanded
an immediate and thorough investi-
cation, with the result that other
agencies which enjoyed Government
contracts are also under Indictment.
Joint action of Congress and the Ad-
ministration tends to prevent profit
GERS from taking advantage of the
GOVERNMENTS war necessities a I
this time.
The River and Harbor Committee
reported bill last week for passage,
but it is different from bills former
ly passed. The amounts ARR e
for moistening dry creeks and other
wasteful expenditures throughout
the country formerly averaged fifty
million dollars annually. Constant