New-York tribune., 1919-01-15
CalIivan AssaiIs
Baker for Army
Officers Removal
Says Secretary ssPasses the
Buck TO Perslling When
Questioned on Replace
nents in National Guard
Ncav York Tribune
W0sh,ng gton Bureau

Washington bureau
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-Injustice
to National Guard officers in France at
the hands Of General Pershing's staff
was charged in a speech in the House
to-day by Representative Gallivan. of
Massachusetts VINO declared that Gen
eral Clarence r. Edwards had been re-
lieved of the command of the 26th New
England Division and returned home
because he refused to remove National
Guard officers under him.
General Edwards was told to his
face by a whipper-snapper chief of
staff of the 26th Division named Dun
can U. Major, lieutcnant-co colonel: {:
If you don't get these National
Guiarrdsmen we will get you" Mr.
got him."
The Massachusetts, Representative
urged that joint committee of Con-
gress, on which both parties should
have equal representation. investigate
the removal of the officers of the 26th
Division Just prior to the armstce.
Similar removals, he charged had been
made by the Pershing staff in organ
lzations from Texas. Pennsylvania and
Missouri.
Mr. Gallivan further stated that re-
ment for Information about the 26th
DIVISION had proved fruitless. Secre-
tary Raker and his assistants at the
War Department pass the buck" to
fershlng, Mr.. Gallivan said, and let
tefs to P9rshlng meet with no response.
Refers to Criticism
"Dclayed mail, mistaken reports of
casualties and various other lapses of
the War Department. nave been told
to every member Of this House in the
daily mail" said Mr.. Gallivan. "When
a distinguished member of the other
branch eaid that the War Department
Rad tailed to function because we were
at war, he was assailed in q certain
part of the public press from Maine to
CALIFORNIA;; but when he said that the
War Department had failed to func-
tlon. lie told the truth, ard his direct
attack on that department awoke the
country and the department, so that it
proceeded TO function in part.
wv hat wlll the men OF this Congress
say when they hear the story of an
entire division Of American bows. the
first National Guard unit in this conn
try to leave our shores and fight in
every tlght since February, 1918. be-
ginning at Chemin des Danes, who
were at scissors and Chateau Thierrv.
and st. Mihiel, Verdun and the Ar,
gonne forest?
"Thirty-seven thousand men loft
New England in September, 1917. and
in February, 1913, to 90 into the
trenches. and on November II. 1918. a
shattered remnant came out the
trenches. Five hundred and sixty bows
OF my own regiment, the 101st In
1antry' formerly the 9th Massachu-
setts, and Of the 5th Massachusetts
sleep their last long sleep under ths
blood-soaked fields of France: $500 Of
those boys wounded. arm off. leg off
eye out, gassed, and on the 9Th Of No
vcmbar the colonel of that regiment
who, had stood with his boys from Sep
tember. 1917. until November /, 1918
shou der to shoulder with them in the
trench and in the combat, is relieved
OF his regiment to make way for q
dandy pet of the Leavenworth clique.
Regular Officers Blamed
"You have the same story of what
happened to the commanding officers OF
regiments which went out in the Ma.
tional Guard because. forsooth, some
one i'll authority | have NV own
I Idea who that man is--did not believe
that the men from your state, and from
my state who went out as colonels or
majors in authority, just as well