San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-07
ARMY WILL NOT
. DROP CONCER
|, |. HANDLE PROBE
Facts Must Come Out,
War Secretary Tells
Mrs. Randle. .ss5a
BIG ISSUE INVOLVED
Says Publicity Has Caused
Reflection on Mill
II tary Service. ,M

Washington, d. c., April 7.-Secre
tary Weeks today declined to fulfill ;
request from Mrs. Edwin FL. Randi
that he cancel his order directing al
investigation into the controversy be
tween her husband, Capt. Edwin Ii
Randle, and Col. Arthur L. Conger
commanding the Twentieth Infantr!
at San Antonio.
The following telegram was received
by the secretary from Mrs. Randle a
San Antonio:
IAN understanding having beer
reached here, l desire to withdraw my
request made to you for an investiga
ton by an inspector general, and
request that no action be taken Al
based thereon
Secretary Weeks replied as follows
l. Has Broad Importance.
/ az regret that it seems necessary FOL
+ me to have a thorough investigation
made of the case in which you are IN
volyed. 1t 10 of much broader impor
tance than a personal difference be
tween you and Colonel Congre. INT
publicity which has been given 1t ere
ates in the mind of the people seri
.oos refiection on those connected WIT
the military service, and 1 wish ''e
know all the facts"
Presumably Mrs. Randles reques'
was made after she and Captain ran,
die had withdrawn the civii sun
soa;nst Colonel Conger, when tney
had instituted for 100000 damages
on the ground of defamation.
The veil of secrecy surrounding tne
withdrawal of the suit for SloV,oVo
in the Seventy-third district cour!
nv Can't. and Mrs. Edwin Randie Oh
Tho Twentieth Infantry, against Coi;
ARTHUR l.. Conger, commander o.
that regiment, was turned BACK cat
urday when it was learned the reasons
wbv Captain and Mrs. Randle agreed
to drop the suit.
Here Are the Reasons.
Thrce reasons we're given. They are
First II was agreed that the military
investigation being conducted by Coi.
Lincoln +. Kilbourne, inspector OF tne
Eighth Corps Area, into the handle
Conerr embroglio would be discon-
tinued; second, Captain RaLdle was
assured Of transfer to another or
csnization with position equally as
responsible as the one he ;-eld IN the
Twentieth Infantry third, Captain
Randle was also assured that the I'm
favorable efficiency report submitted
by Colonel Conger would be rewritten.
This compromise was reached IN a
closed conference between Captain ana
Mrs. Randle, several high ranking
military officials. and Colonel Ceh-
gers civil counsel, it is said.
Z. NJ. Lewis, commander
of the Eighth Corps Area. declined to
make any statement concerning the
Randle-C ongcr case Saturday morning:
When asked whether the action OF
Captsin and Mrs. Randle would have
any bearing, or had any connection,
with the military investigation, he
stated that he preferred not to say.
"Too Much Publicity"
TOO much publicity has been given
to this matter" General Lewis said.
Erroneous reports have gotten into
many papers all over the country. Re
ports that were absolutely untrue have
been printed, and stories have been
written from interviews that were
never held"
CAPTAIN Randle remained silent Sat-
urday. Having given his word that
he would say nothing concerning the
case. he declined to make any state.
ment. When told that the Associated
Press had reported Mrs. Randle as
havip. applied to the Secretary OF
War to have the military investigation
dropped, and that the secretary had
refused the request, he declined to
deny or confirm the statement. Wh,n
asked IL il was true that Mrs. Rahdle
had applied to the secretar OF war
to have the Investigate ton Discontinued,
his only reply was, "you will have
to rely upon the reliability Of the As
ISOLATED Press" ~
Leaves Case "In the Air."
The fact that the secretary OF war
das declined to have the military in
vestisation discontinued after Cap
tain Ranfilc understood that the inves-
tigation would be discontinued. IL said
to leave n perplexing future to the
case. Further action from Washing
ton is awaited with keen interest.
Captain and airs. Randlt's action
in dropping the suit against Colonel
RAgysv, claiming defamation of char
0ctef, was a sharp turn in events, and
took army circles by surprise. OF.
ficers say they do not know what
confidential agreement was reached
between the principals.