Evening star., 1932-10-23

ferences Among other things he
states:
Friction was bound to develop.
That friction might result in new
commander of the A. E. F. Was there
lingering thought in the mind of the
great car myself that in such case
the new commander might start from
the sacred halls of the War Depart
nent?"
This base insinuation is wholly un-
worthy of a major general of the
United States Army.
Kept Daily Record.
Gen Goethals is dead but during
the war he kept an Office record of
his daily work, which extended to hours
and minutes This minute record
makes four large bound volumes, and
was in my possession and carefully
read by me before l wrote line of the
chapter in The Nation at War en-
titled "Goethals and the Supply Sys-
tenn" This record shows that I sent
for him at $40 pm, July 6, 1918, with
reference to the question at issue. This
entry is in long hand and written
by Gen. Goethals himself. The COM
plete entry follows:
July 1S--No. 3.
I'm. GENERAL MARCH
$40 Summoned down and stated
that the Sec'y of War had decided
that in order not to hurt Pershing's
feelings. he would consult Pershing
about putting me in charge of Service
of Supply. AS Pershing's objections
are known this put an end to any
thought of going over.
After leaving March stopped to see
Stettinius who had already heard the
news from the Secretary himself and
who said that in view of Pershings
popularity with the people, it would be
bad political move to make the
change in organization without secur-
ing Pershing's consent: thought he
might write or hold the matter until
he (Baker) goes over which he is to
do as soon as the supply questions for
the proposed program are worked out
so as to secure commitments from the
British and French"
Never Ordered to France.
Goethals, dead, speaks from the grave
and settles this matter
No orders were issued for Goethals to
go to France by any one. And when
he himself secured the issuance of an
order on July 7, 1918, to 60 to New
York and return, his own Office record
shows he had already been informed of
the decision of the administration in
the matter, not only by me. but by
Assistant Secretary of War Stettinius,
and that he knew he was not to go to
France at that time. And July 6, 1918,
was the date of the letter which Sec
| retary Baker sent to Gen. Pershing in
which the origin and reasons for the
general scheme are clearly set forth.
My connection with this matter Is,
simple. As I state in The Nation at
War" I notified Goethals of the pro-
posed scheme so that he might not be
| taken unawares if the decision was
made by the administration for him to
60 to France. He at once made all his
preparations to 60 in case that should
be the decision. As soon as the deci-
sion was communicated to me- on July
| 6, 1918, that he was not to 60, sent
for him and notified him. And the
matter was never again referred to in
any of our interviews. All of this Is
clearly set forth in Goethals' own office
records.
Gen. Shanks was in charge of the
port of embarkation in New York, and
the job was big enough to occupy all
his time and all his ability. He could
not possibly know anything about the
inside facts concerning what went on
in the War Department or what die
tated, there, decisions on matters Of
War Department policy.
The facts in the Goethals case as
have related them in The Nation at
War" are documented, they are en-
! tirely accurate and they stand.