The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-07-18

luuldudpOllo anu udu Deeu SeleCL-
ed because he was the ranking
Negro medical officer in the World
War during which he held the
rank OF major and because he had
the potent backing of the power
full Senator James Il. Watson
from Indiana, a power in the
Harding administration.
Colonel Ward was a rather able
administrator but no genius for
detail. He had at his side as bust
ness manager however, Walter S.
Burke, a young chap who had
graduated from Howard Univer-
sity Law school, who had worked
in the Veterans Bureau during the
days of its formation, who knew
all the rules and regulations and
was able to guide the colonel
through the maze of red tape and
technicalities with which the Vet
Grams Bureau is beset.
Friends Split
Just what came between the two
men is not known. 1t might have
been Burke's overweening ambi-
ton which led him to think he
could run the hospital better than
his chief could. Some say Cher
chez La Femme" In any event the
two men broke and Wards trou-
bles commenced.
First came frequent complaints
on The part of the bureau. With
out Burke's keen intelligence red
tape was no longer surmounted
easily. Some say the complaints
originated near Burke. Under a
new law the hospital became a
facility" instead of hospital and
no longer was one required to be
medical man to handle it. Col.
Ward became business manager
and denoted Burke to utility Of
ficer giving Preston Roney the job
of custodian which compared
roughly to Burke's old post.
Constantly the struggle went on
between the two men. Burke, a
leader of men, won numerous
sympathizers to his side. The
reservation was divided into hos
tile camps. Either you were a fol-
lower of the colonel or a tool Of
| Burke's. The latter was entirely
too clever to ever show his hand.
Charges or complaints might dis
| close some one else in the role Of
trouble maker, but never could the
actual finger be put upon Mr..
Burke. The veterans bureau knew
that Burke was at the bottom of
| much of the trouble. They also
felt that he was living a bit ex-
travagantly, and had listened to
rumors that there was a coalition
between him and Bulls who ran
the canteen which supplied the
men with clothes, toilet necessi-
ties and the like. But they never
were able to lay their hands on
Burke. Finally after a series of
anonymous letters, John C. Gal
braith, an ace investigator was
put on the job. He used every
means, savory or otherwise which
it was possible for a detective to
use. There are tales of third de-
gree. He was put practically in
charge of the hospital. On his re-
port, Col. Ward was brought up
for charges and dismissed. He has
been at the hospital for the past
three months, virtually in charge
or 1T and finally hit upon the psy-
chology of getting the Negroes
lowest down to tattle on those
higher up, by threatening the men
ials with loss of their jobs. He
started tongues to wagging and
when they had finished investiga-
tor Galbraith had enough petty
misdoing to fill several volumns.
One of this ace informers was
former guard Reid. This man who
was charged with literally taking
another employees wife from him,
when discharged went to Wash
ington and became Galbraith's
chaueffer 1t is assumed that
Reds strategic move in pleading
guilty is a move to permit him to
turn states evidence.
Details are not yet available.
The charge carries with it a fine
OF $4,000 or two year in the fed
eral penitentiary Alabama and tho
country at large is holding its
breath waiting developments.
Bond for Burke was set at
$4,000; for Williams, at 5000; for
Nellie Frazier, Geneva Peterson
and Amelia Gears, 81 900 each; and
for Esther Bullock, $4,000. Other
bonds were said to have ranged
between $500 and $4,000.