Evening star., 1925-10-14
ARMY TORN ANEW
BY PUBLICITY ROW
Orders of Maj. Gen. Fries for
Articles Countermanded
by Post Commander.

The gaunt specter of another war in
the Army has stalked into Washing
ton from the stormy posts of Texas.
birthplace of the most recent air
service tornado. and parked itself
with uncomfortable complacency In
the heretofore peaceful precincts OF
the Chemical Warfare Service
Although the possible theaters OF
strife are quiet at present. details OF
the controversy are just beginning to
seep through the long channels OF
their official itinerary, disclosing sit
uation which may involve the whole
question of Army publicity and free
dom of speech in the service before 1t
is cleared up.
The whole upheaval started when
Maj. Gen. Amos \. Fries, chlet Oh
the Chemical Warfare Service, order
ed officers OF his section in the va
riouS Army corps areas to prepare
for the newspapers in their sectors
certain publicity setting forth the
true mission of the Chemical War
fare Service in contradiction of recent
misstatements that have been pub
hshed about it.
General Bans Story.
Everything apparently went well
until Lieut.. William 5. Barret, chemi-
cal warfare officer at Fort Bliss. Tex,
endeayoring 10 carry out the orders
of his superiors in Washington and
at the same time to accord his post
commandant the usual courtesies,
submitted his publicity campaign to
Brig. Gen. Joseph &. Castner, COM
manding officer al the fort
According to the formal and strictly
military report received by Gen. Fries
from Lieut. Barrett, Gen. Castner did
nothing more unusual than forbid
publication of the articles until after
they had been submitted to Maj. Gen.
Kinds, commanding that corps area,
and formally approved by him. But,
according 10 accounts published In
Texas newspapers and received in Of
ficial circles at the War Department,
the outbreak was much more serious.
Gen. Castner Declared Irate.
Gen. Castner. who won his way to a
brigadier's star after entering the
service without the assistance of a
diploma from West Point. is quoted
as having used some hard language,
covering not only the question of pub
licity for the Chemical Warfare SerV-
ice. but the Army Air Service, too.
ana the entire Army peTSollliel, DIS d
matter of fact.
THE sooner these galoots out here
understand that l am running this
show. the E,l Paso Post quotes him as
declaring. the better We'll be. l don't
give a damn who tells these birds to
talk, as long as they are under me
they are going to- do as | say.
IF Washington wants the news
tapers of FL Paso TO know anything
about chemical warfare, all the War
Department has to do is to notify me
and III prepare series of articles tell
ing them what I think they should
know. This will soon be a hell of an
Army if every half baked officer wear
ing a uniform is allowed to go around
shooting off his mouth to the news
papers.
Await Castner Action.
On top of that, Gen. Castner is re-
ported to have informed Lieut.. Barrett
that he would be court -martialed If he
''shot off his trap TO the newspapers
AS a result. Lieut.. Barrett simply with
held his articles and informed Gen.
Fries OF the situation. In his letter,
however. he did not quote Gen. Cast
ner as having used such terms as
shooting off his trap"
At the Chemical Warfare Service
officers seem bewildered whether to be
amused or worried. Officially. that sec
ton of the Army will withhold any
action until Gen. CaStner has had
time to submit the chemical warfare
publicity to Gen. Kinds. 1t Is not
known whether that has been done or
not. but two weeks have passed, and
so far as can be learned the area COM
mander has taken no action yet.