Evening star., 1922-02-06
S.ARMY-
IS PRUSS|AN|zED.
Mai. N. WheeIer-hichoIson
Makes Complaint Directly
to the President.

Maj. Malcolm Wheeler Nicholson.
formerly attached to the 3rd Cavalry
at Fort Ethan Allen, VT, and now a
patient at Walter Reed General Hos
pital. this city. has shattered iron
bound military traditions by going
over the heads of his superior officers
and complaining directly to the Presi-
dent against the exercise Of what he
calls Prussianism and favoritism by
"a powerful clique of officers in con-
troll of the Regular Army"
He asked the President to investi-
gate present conditions in the Army
affecting the commissioned personnel
and to institute reforms in the inter-
est Of former Officers of the Regular
Army, the Reserve Corps and the Ma
tional Guard. He told the President
that he was fully conscious that he
may be forced out of the Army by
submitting his charges outside Of the
regular military channels.
Says Reign Of Terror Exists.
''The Army" Maj. Wheeler -Nichol-
son is quoted as writing to the Presi-
dent, "is suffering from a reign of
Prussianism. The better type of Of
fcers are leaving the service. Pro-
test and criticism are punished by
every conceivable, form of injustice
and illegaHty. Juniors are openly
prosecuted. Seniors are not only pro-
tected in wrongdoing. but are re-
warded for depressing their juniors.
Ihe Prussian type of officer is as
sured OF advance, the liberal-minded
officer is slighted. Anglo-Saxon ideals
OF Justice and fair play are. being
rapidly replaced by traditions foreign
to the American nation Justice is
not only perverted and denied, but
tne laws are openly f1outed.
"A veritable reign of terror exists
among tn the junior officers of the Army
power of the clique to have any officer
oischarged from the service by operation
OF what is known as the class b law.
Ihe scandals already perpetrated by the
abuses Of this law will shock the coun-
Try when they are exposed, as they in
evitably will be- Officers dare not pro-
test against the many wrongs perpe-
trated by this clique for fear Of i'm
nleoate discharge from the Army by the
aroitrary use Of this law. Unless
amenaeo. an!... IT Will inevitably succeed in
orlvlng every liberal minded and pro-
gressive officer from the Army. It Will
leave only the reactionary elements. A
Iuture war will then be followed by an
aftermath Of scandals and investiea tons
worse than the last war
Charges FAv0fitism.
Prussianism and inefflciency -four
fsh In the army because men, rise tn
power by favoritism instead Of eff
ciencA Classmates and friends are an
pointed to lead instead of the most effi-
c1ent men for the job. This is Inevitable.
as there is no system worthy of the
name OF recording the comparative effi-
cheney em & OF officers: This is the fire Of
al the smoke OF evil in the Regular
Army. Blood and treasure were wasted
IN the last war and will be wasted in
tenn" ''S
Maj. wheeler-Nicholson is an honor
Illus, N. Y, and was appointed a sec
ond Lieutenant of United States cav
airy In 1911. He served on the Mexi-
can border and in the Philippines and
was an instructor at the Plattsburg
training camp In 1915. During the
world war he commanded the Sd Bat
talon OF the 27th Infantry in the Si-
oer1an campaign. and, after tho sign
ing of the armistice, was attached to
the American Army on the Rhine,
Since his return to the United States
he has been stationed at Fort Ethan
Allen and at Camp Dix. N. J.. He was
accidentally shot by a caretaker of
the house assigned to him at Camp
Dix and was brought to the Walter
Reed Hospital here for observation
and treatment. He has practically re-
covered and is about to be reas-
signed to duty. He has written ex-
tensively on military subjects and Is
the author of Modern Cavalry"
review of cavalry operations of the
world war.
Officers of the War Department de-
clined to comment for publication on
his letter and say that the President
probably will refer his charges to the
Secretary of War for such action az
he deems proper.