The Penn's Grove record., 1922-02-10
BORDEN OUSTED
BY GOVERNOR
Demanded Unconditional Sur
render of Jersey Guard Com
mander, Storm Center.
TRIED TO HOLD THE FORT
Came Just Too Late to Prevent Enact.
ment of Reorganization Bill-GoV-
ernor Declares General
"Wished On" Him.

Misunderstanding that Brigadiel
General Howard S. Borden had lied
about him, Governor Edwards an
nounced that he had peremptorily de
manded BOrden's unconditional resig
nation as commander of the Fifty-sev
enth Infantry Brigade Of the Ma
tional Guard in this state and that
1t had been received and was imme
dlately accepted.
General Borden had sent a cOndi
tiOnal resignation to the governor Sat
urday, the condition being the impo.
sltlon that the legislature should moi
pass the Powell bill to Gust Borden by
statute and to recognize the infantry
The bill was passed by the house
and the senate also passed 1t by a vote
OF IA to 3. 1t nov goes to the COVER.
nor for action. If he vetOes it, it may
be repassed by the two chambers.
According to Governor Edwards
General Borden's letter of conditional
resignation was published before he
received 1t. The demand for an I'M
conditional resignation followed i'm
medlately, the governor said.
Letter Irritated Legislators
Governor Edwards said he regretted
ever having supported Borden and ac-
knowledged he had made a mistake in
backing him.
The one of the letter, the attitude
that Borden assumed and an attack he
made upon the legislature, combined
to cause intense irritation among some
of the leading Republican assembly
men and senators, and this situation
had a reflex action upon Governor Ed
wards, in addition to the direct cause
Of resentment implied in the letter of
resignation and its publication.
Governor Edwards said that prelim-
mary to his action he asked Borden
to show how he could build up the Ma
tional Guard from its present disrupt
ed state. The governor said he told
Borden he did not want to be kept
guessing in the matter any longer,
The result was the letter from Bor-
den offering the conditional resigna-
ton and rejecting on ex-service men
behind the Powell bill, on Legislators
and on those who were opposing Bor
den.
Had Not Asked for Legislation
81 was away from the First National
Bank in Jersey City, when my secre-
tary received the letter from General
Borden" Governor Edwards said, land
when 1 reached the bank the first thing
l did after seeing it had been published
was to send to General BOrden's Of
flee with a demand that he send me
his resignation Immediately. 1 was
going to make sure that he did seild
it.
Remember, l had never asked for
his resignation and had no intention of
doing so. | had a conference with Cen
eral Borden on Thursday and his res
ignation was not then thought Of.
"What possessed him to send it aft
erwards l do not know. He could have
at least told me that he was going
to send it in, but he did o do so.
In Some Statements, "He Lied"
in some of the statements the gen.
eral made as to my attitude, he lied.
"There has never been any question
about my asking for his resignation
and | would never have asked for it
if he had not sent one in. Well, he
lid serG it in. and so | notified him
today that I had accepted it and he
is now ont.
81 realize now that l made a mistake
- ,,-., Itr, San,AIAIrr
wished him on me-; that was all"
The governor said he was not inter
ested in what happened to the Powell
bill.
Conditional Resignation
In the letter of conditional resigna-
ton General Borden said that if the
legislature would not pass the Powell
bill, the latter could be accepted as his
resignation, to take effect when the
legislature adjourned, 1t was through
The influence of Governor Edwards
that Borden was elected.
The election resulted in the disrup-
lion Of the National Guard. The dis
ruption was a%ccentuated when General
Norden imported a New York man to
le elected colonel of the One Hundred
md Thirteenth Regiment.
The resignation was not unexpected
because it had been surmised at the
time lacking the statement of the
governor that the conference with
the governor was to arrange some
method of settling the trouble.
Does Nat Want Others to Suffer