The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-16
DEMANDS PUBLICITY
ON ARMY FINANCES
Representative Mann Leads
Attack on Delay in Work of
Inquiry Committees.
TILSON MAKES CHARGES
Declares Many Officers Dis
obey Orders to Discharge Men
Needed by Dependents.
Special DESPATCH ~ THr srN

Special Despatch 70 THE srN.
NAslIlNcroN. Jan. i5.--StoIn waves
OF Congressional attacks again broke
around the War Department to-day
when the Committee on Accounts of the
House reported a resolution for extra
clerk hire for virtually all House com
mites on expenditures IN the various de-
partments except the committees on ex-
penditures in the War and Navy depart
menk and on public buildings.
T0e various standing committees OH
expenditures have permanent inqu's.-
torial powers over their irrespective exec
utive departments and USUALLY are the
tools for Investigations.
Minority Leader Mann started the ball
rolling by charging the Democrats with
excepting these committees from The in
increase in CLERKS as part Of deliberate
plan to cripple any attempt to investi'
gate the conduct OF tive War and Navy
departments and the disposition OF pub
lie building funds and to keep under
cover rotten frauds" "conscienceles,
actions" and intellectual mistakes"
Tflson Makes Charges.
Representative Tilson Comm. Repub
lican member OF the Military Commute,
and one Of the recognized military au
thorities OF the House. followed with al
attack on subordinate army officers
charging that in order to make the!i
own work easier aad their Jobs seen
more important they are d!sregardint
the War Department order to discharge
mon in cases where continued service
causes distress al home or where estab
lihed Industries or business concerns re
auire the services of men in the army.
The circulars which amount to order
from the War Department have no
been fairly acted upon by the subordi
nate officers" said Representative Til
son. From numerous cases. paper
concerning which are In my possession
| ii appears that applications made by sol
! ders with the facts showing dependent
! or showing needs Of their business hav
not been accepted by the Lieutenant o
| Captain commanding the organization o
! the men. Even where an application ha
| been accepted before II gets through tn
| Office OF the commanding officer and N
! to the department commander II ha
been decided by some one along the lin
| that tee young man cannot be spare
when--and have Investigated a numbe
number OF soldiers are in that camp o
| organization doing nothing.
Rules Not Obeyed. He says.
| "I speak only OF rehabilitation 4
| This country because the troops acros
! the water are on a different basis an
! because OF the boast that we are de
mob,lzing so rapidly. And am sayin
| this In order 20 call the attention OF tn
country. and certainly of the War De
partment. to the fact that even tn
| instructions that have been sent ou
apparently in good faith. are not bein
! acted upcn in good faith. II IS G.s
creditabe to the army.
II On the navy similar orders have bee
issued, but they have been acted upo
, in much more intelligent ana salts
factory way. The Marine Corps Is ST
better. The Marine Corps IS very desii
GUS Of holding its mon. especially II
good men. And yet there is hardly
case Of complain. about the Marin
Corps.
TT this thing goes on wha. Is Goin
10 harpen? The army is going to /
made the mos. undesirable piac" IN III
whole country. We are demoDllZln
millions Of men. II is not necessary &
US 20 keep all these men in the servir
and It Is so stated by the War pepar
ment. Then in heavens name II seer
to me We ought to discharge those me
who present good cases under the order
OF the War Department itself-g7o
cases OF family dependence or OF bus
ness necessities.
Some Officers Too Important.
'sThe delightful head of the Depar
men,. not knowing what is going on