The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-31
TRAVIS is CLEAR
Colonel Is Found Not Guilty of
COwardice Here.
Committee Investigating Rec
ord Gives Clean Bill.

Lieut.. Col. Frank L. Travis of the
117th ammunition train. in the Rain
bow division is eligible to membership
in the divisions official organization.
He was not guilty of cowardice or ac-
lions unbecoming an officer while his
unit was in the fighting in France.
His train was generally recognized as
the most efficient American ammuni-
ton train on the front.
Those decisions were reached by the
special committee which conducted an
investigation of the official record of
Lieutenant Colonel Travis, now state
superintendent of insurance. Charges
against TravisS official conduct were
from France. Some of these charges
were published. They were used in
some instances to attack the state Of
ficial politically.
Then Travis forced a showdown on
the issue. He sought admittance to
the state rganization of the division.
Had his record been such as to dis
credit him as a soldier he would have
been denied membership. In order to
go fully into all charges and COM
plants and to give Travis an oppor-
tunity to face his accusers, w. K.
Herndon as president of the state or
ganization, appointed a special COM
mittee to investigate the charges.
Their findings were entirely in favor
of the army officer.
Evidence produced during the hear
ing showed that the charges were
capitalized in certain instances to at
tack Travis politically. The commit
tee held that the charges were not
only untrue. but detracted from the
excellent record of the men who
served in the ammunition train.
Since the finding of the committee,
members of the train+who seemingly
did not desire to be quoted-are re-
ported to have charged that the
hearing" was a make-believe. They
assert that the committee was COM
posed of personal friends of Colonel
Travis and did not go fully into the
charges on file in offices of the state
organization in Emporia. President
Herndon, however. delayed the hear
ing that all witnesses and persons in
possession of facts of value to the
committee might appear.
Committee Findings.
The committee in its findings said:
We. the committee appointed by the
president of the Rainbow Division Veter-
ans Of the state of Kansas, to investigate
the accusations against former Lieutenant
Colonel Travis that have been made and
view the conduct and actions of our for
mer commander, Lieutenant Colonel
Travis, during his term as our commander
of the 11Tth ammunition trafn-after an
ll-day session during which time much
evidence was taken and many. statements
were Offered and speeches made by many
persons: find, after due elaboration:
That the accusations that have been pub
lished are not true, that they detract
from the splendid record made by the
officers and men of the III ammunition
train in overseas service; that they are
not substantiated by the evidence sub
mitted to us, nor by own personal eX
perience and observation that We find
the colonel eligible to membership In our
society of veterans and worthy of our as
ISOLATION that it is not good to speak
belittling and besmirching accusations
against our organization or its members;
that we would urge the cessation of Sian
derous speeches in public places; and that
we urge the entering of charges In proper
place and manner and for proper trial
that the whole controversy. from the evil
dence submitted, appears to us to have
its origin in the political ambitions and
aspirations Of less prudent persons.
THEY MAY ASK REFERENDUM.
Rainbow Division Calls Travis Trial
q Joke.
Emporia, Kan. May 31;-Members
of the Rainbow division who read &C