The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-09-26
A STRAIGHT RECORD

A rev Gays ago, the RAIN Bedch |
Post printed a long article in praise
Of Adjutant General Cats. 1t told
how he was elected to the command
Of national guard company, how his
election displeased certain politicians,
who tried to have him displaced, how
when he could not maintain his posi-
ton for need of training and was dis
charged, he went back in the army
a. a private, was promoted to second
lieutenant, went to France, was pro-
NOTED again. and became assistant
provost general at CoblenZ, and final
ly dilated on his merit receiving its
just reward in his appointment to the
office of adjutant general. There is
no doubt that Sidney Cats Jr. is
riucky young man and a good soldier,
and the Post can find plenty of good
to say about him without distorting
the facts, but here they are officially:
Lieut.. Cats was never elected cap
tain of national guard company. He
was appointed to the command by
Adjutant General Christian. in de-
fance of the we'll established custom
that national guard companies should
elect their own officers. His appoint
rnent did not "displease certain poll
t.cians" 1t displeased the members
of the company, who had selected an
ether man captain, and at their re-
quest and the request of their parents,
who were his constituents, Congress
man Clark tried to have the appoint
ment annulled. He failed but sub
sequent events showed he was right.
Young Cats was at Fort Mcpherson
officers training camp, where a bunch
of Ocala young men won commits
: sions, and had he stayed would prob
ably have won his commission also,
and had no more trouble. But he re-
, signed when half thru, came home to
: the command given him by his
{ fathers orders. and consequently
when the wedding out process of Of
fcers began. he was one of those to
4 be pulled. He was. we are informed
a offered the position of adjutant gen
e eral by his father at that time, and
s if he hadn't had real spunk he would
have accepted it. But he went back
in the army as a private and was soon
n promoted to a second lieutenancy. but
:. he did not go any higher. He reached
: France eight days before the arms
: tlce was signed, and it is not likely
that he was ever under fire-tho thai
was not his fault. There is no sucl
= office as assistant provost general
i While at Coblenz, Lieut. Cats was {
d company officer in the Third Arm!
d military police battalion. We daresa!
f he did his full duty and faithfully, bu
lac was not further promoted and lief
the army as a second lieutenant. A
e for Dragging on him because hi
) father appointed him adjutant gen
e eral, that is ridiculous. We believ,
|, that he is trying to do good work a
d adjutant general and is trying to re
organize the national guard of tn
state; and if he does not succeed i
q will be more because of distrust of hi
o. father than of him. We have con
!. suited officers who were in the old ma
" t;onal guard. who served we'll in tn
q great battles in France, and they ex
g press Discrimination to help reorgan
Il ize the guard because they do no
e know what the governor would do. A
n che of them, who has brilliant rec
Fl ord for service says: 81 would not fee
Justified in asking any man to join tn
organization and place himself in
position where he would as likely a
not be ordered to do something direct
w ly contrary to law, and be punishe
if he did not do it. or on the othe
hand, if he did something in the dis
Ii charge of his duty which was entirel
J. lawful, but which did not further tn
personal interests of the governor
even tho he himself has ordered il
would be disavowed by the governo
IS and the soldier left to bear the blam
and possibly take punishment"
We see by an interview with hir
printed in the Times Union that AID
jutant General Cats says there is
great deal of work at present in hi
Office, and that he is going to do hi
o best to reorganize the state troops
We think the state should have a ma
tiCnal guard force as soon as possible
. and if we can help the young officer i
. any way we will be glad to do so. L
. little over a year the term of Coy
. Cats will come to an end, and tn
. people will probably elect man VIII
. will use the military arm of the stat
0 with discretion.
. The report that Secretary Daniel