The Washington herald., 1921-05-29

eral of the army and Col. Lewis, on
duty in the adjutant generals ONCE
in which ONCE Mr.. Quinn is en-
ployed as a clerk and is under au-
thority of the adjutant general.
The story purports to give the
personal experience of the writer as
an employe of the federal service
According to the story, the writer
accepted a position in the war de-
partment and was employed in the
tffice OF the record keeper general
of the army That this Is intended
for the adjutant generals once is
evident from the list of duties of
the writer. as set forth in chapter
I, which involved the preparation
from passenger lists received from
the ports of embarkation of an in
dividual card for, every officer and
enlisted man of the army who sailed
for France, so that we should have
a complete card file of their names.
Any casualty that might happen to
a man thereafter. of which We got
information by cable. would be
noted on the card. and the record
keeper generals office would there
by be enabled to answer questions
as to casualties to individuals serv-
ing with the American Expedi-
tionary Forces.
Mai. Inkinpen Described.
"Chapter 10 Of the story begins
in the issue for April Is, 1921, and
is headed Behind the Scenes. In
that article (chapter 10 continued)
two characters are described one
Mai. Inkinpen and the other capt.
Racehorse. The former Is descrioen
in this language: He was smal'
man. with a fairly large head sninS
on top and fringed With Dry rusty
colored hair. He had a round ruu-
DIV face. a pugnacious nose ana
large, reddish mustache.
"This physical description is evil
dsntIv intended to designate Peter
q Harris. the adjutant general oil
the army, and is followed oy Ian
ruage evidencing the purpose oi
the writer to disparase and sub1ec'
TO ridicule the officer so intended 10
be described. in part. as follows:
His hands were large ano
coarse, as II nature had INTENDED
them originally for great oodS
designed to handle the pick or the
plough. and then in whimsical
mood had connected them with q
little body and piddling detail
mind. He was fastidious about his
personal appearance, but though
nine tailors might make a man, n
would take mere than nine tailors
TO lend distinction to some mnn, and
the major was one of them.
Described as Cautious.
a,,Y -. o,.;o,,a 70 n najnfrIl
degree, and I have never heard him
commit himself definitely to any
thing Of any consequence.
He bowed and smirked readily to
family and place, but he lacked that
real courtesy and consideration for
others that denote the gentleman
born, whether he eb at the top or
the root of a family tree. I have
known him to let a clerk who had
taken some proofs to his house on
Sunday. remain outside in a beat
ing rain while the maj,r himself
stood behind the closed door read
Ing over the proofs. He was re-
garded more or less humorously
throughout the ONCE
Further evidence tht Mai. Ink
inpen in this story was intended
by the author to characterize Peter
c. Harris is contained In chapter
., published April 1S,wherein the
author mentions having been direct
ed to report to the main building
In the division of forms for duty
as stenographer for Maj. Inkinpen,
the chief of that division. The s.
vision of forms here referre to
may be ientifie as the publication
vision Of the ajutant generals Of
fice, of which Peter c. Harris was
the officer in charge uring the world
the adjutant general of the army.
II blank forms for the army and
for the adjutant generals office are
prepared in and distributed by the
publication division and the desig-
nation. division of FORMS fittingly
described that division and no other
division n the adjutant generals
Office"
spent War ~Chasins Commas.,
In the next succeeding issue,
April 20, the author continued to
describe Maj. Inkinpen's career as
follows:
Mai. Inkinpen spent the months
Of the war %hasing commas" as
the clerical Work Of commissioned
officers was designated. He suc-
ceeded in reaching higher rank and
procuring more evidence of distinc-
tion than other men who sought and
suffered the hardships Of battle. The
majors grasping hands were not
given to him for nothing and the
pen In this case. as in other cases
about the department, was indeed
mightfer than the sword, so far
as tangible rewards were concerned.
To a person without practical
experience in Official life, Il may
seem strange. as 1t did to me, that
men Of this type could be advanced
to high place. Such advancement.
however! Is often as much a natter
OF favor as fitness, and 1t is curious
to observe hoW man desirna "a 10,