Evening star., 1926-08-25
PROBE IS ORDERED
IN ROW AT CAMP
Four Members of Medical
Section of 121st Engineers
Under Inquiry.
RY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEf .
s,,n Corresnondent of The Star.


FORT HUMPHREYS, Va. August
e5.-Investigation was ordered tooay
by Col. John w. iOehmann INTO the
charges against four members OF tne
medical section of the lZlst Ehel
neers, National Guard OF the DlslIice nc
of Columbia. which grew out OF the
disturbance in the camp Monday
night Mai. Julian S. Diff. command
ing the Cd Battalion, was dlrec-
ted to make recommendation Tor the
disposition Of the charges.
Col Oehmann, who commands the
repimert indicated that the charges
will be ouashed. and that he was CON
vinced that the "mutiny" was poy-
ish fight. If a recommendation Is
made that the cases go to trlal. ne
said he would order another lnVesu-
CATION of the charges.
pts lanes +. Haney and Ernest
Y Fowler, who have been confined IN
the guardhouse since the disturb
ence were ordered released and re-
stoAed TO duty today. This action
was taken after Col. Oehmann nad
ordered the two men brought TO nus
Headquarters without a guard. ne
Uas closeted with them about lO min
utes. and at the conclusion ne tolo
newspaper men that both had gwen
their personal promise to MN tnat
they would go back to their outn!
and perform duty, and also promlseo
that they would talk to other mem.
hers of the unit for the purpose OF
removing the stigma that has been
attached to them. He said that the
men told him they did not intend 10
disobey instructions.
Officer Of Guard Excited.
Col. Oehmann. discussing the situa-
ton today. said that the whole trouple
was due to the fact that the officer OF
the guard had become unduly eXclteo.
From preliminary reports ne mas
received, he said, the men were sorry
for the way they acted, and that he
expected matters of that kind be
handled by company punishment. AL
env rate. he contended, the men are
IN a remorseful mood. He said that
he didn't want to jeouardize the Jops
of any OF the men and he was gong
to try to avoid court-martial. :.
He pointed out that practically all
the non-commissioned officers were
out of the camp on that night. even
the non-commissioned officers or the
guard, who had been relieved to go 10
a banquet. If they had been IN camp
he contended, the trouble would not
have started.
Heavy rains again today prevented
the troops from carrying out tnelr
engineering problem in the field. ana
thev we're consigned to the barracks.
being organized into classes for IN
struction. However, Company b, com.
manded by Capt. Childs. asked special
permission to continue the work they
have been engaged upon this week IN
constructing a corduroy road through
the marshes on Accotink Creek. After
a nersonal investigation Of the area,
Col. Oehmann refused to let the troops
ieopardize their health by going there
and working almost knee deep IN the
marsh water. However. he compl-
mented the men for the spirit they
displayed.
Bridge Construction Praised.
Col. Oehmann also sent an order
TODAY to Companies A and F. com
mending the officers and men OF those
commands on the excellent manner
in which the plank bridges We're con-
str.ucted in the vicinity OF the 2nd
Battalion mess and in the vicinity or
Company Fs barracks, and the
cheerful and enthusiastic manner In
which the work was carried on under
adverse weather conditions" The
order said further: This task as per
formed by Companies A and F is an
example Of tho splendid spirit that
is displayed throughout the entire
regiment and is an object lesson Tor
the entire command.
Three members Of the medical de-
tachment today were ordered trans
ferred to Company B. 1t was eX-
plained by Col. Oehmann that this
transfer had nothing to do with the
disturbance in the camp.
Weather permitting, the troops will
20 out tomorrow on their first mimic
battle problem. and will attempt to
show their ability to do the necessary
military engineering work to move
the troops Of a division. They are
scheduled to put on review and
parade tomorrow afternoon In honor
Of Lieut.. Col. J. Franklin Bell, Dis
trict Of Columbia Engineer Commits
sioner. and other Federal and District
officials, as we'll as heads of civic
bodies in the Capital.