The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-03-13


dered mess would result.
On the other hand, General Hagood
was certainly privileged to believe that
his observations were
Then the being made only for
Storm Broke the committee of con-
gress before which
he appeared. The doors to the commit
tee room were closed and locked and
only committee members were in at
tendance. It happened, however, that
subsequently the stenographic record
of the committee hearings was made
public and when that happened, the
storm broke. Almost simultaneously
with the removal of the bond of Sc
crecy on the committee record, the War
department order dehorning General
Hagood was written. When that hap
pened, the politicians literally blew
up. They shouted charges of censor
ship, terrorism by the President and
Secretary Dern, dictatorship, political
punishment and half a dozen other
vicious accusations.
A few of the administration spokes-
men in congress defended the War de-
partment action. Almost In the same
breath these administration spokesman
sought conferences with Secretary
Dern and others In an attempt to per-
suade the President and the war sec
rotary to soften the punishment but
those moves were futile and Represen-
tative Blanton, Texas Democrat, shout
ed on the floor of the house that the
Hagood punishment would cost the
Democratic party "a million votes I'M
less it were withdrawn"
AS a part Of the defense Of the War
department action, Gen. Malin Craig,
chief of staff of the army, made pub
lie his memorandum to the secretary
of war respecting General Hagood's
attitude and his testimony before the
congressional committee. In the course
of this 2,000-word memorandum, Cen
eral Craig described General Hagood
as a "wise-cracker," and he was prob
ably correct in so far as General Ha-
goods remarks about stage money were
concerned. Yet, have found very few
among the Washington observers
whose opinions are worth while who
saw in the Craig memorandum any real
justification for the severe punishment
melted out to General Hagood.
The order still stands. General
Hagood is going to his home in Charles
ton, s. c., 'to await orders" No one
familiar with the army procedure ex-
poets that General Hagood ever again
will be given an army assignment. He
will be sixty-four years old next year
and at that time automatically retires
from active duty. So there is hardly
any question but that General Hagood
has held his last command.
The whole situation. suddenly come
to be known as the Hagood case, is
bound to be multiplied and mirrored.
1t will figure in the coming POLITICAL
campaign because, however justified
the War department action may have
been in the interest of discipline and
good army administration, there are
VI WIN uCfcL
will be convinced that the Hagood re-
moval was for any purpose other than
as punishment because he criticized
New Deal spending policies.
Although there is, and can be, no
connection between the two, it was the
basis for really hui
u. ,. at morous reaction that
Dallas Fair during the time when
the controversy ragged
over General Hagood's removal from
his Texas army post, federal govern
ment committee was busily engaged in
making plans for federal participation
in the Texas Centennial exposition
which opens at Dallas June 6. Uncle
Sam is spending Sc, 0000-the largest
sum congress ever has authorized for
federal participation in such a show
so that twenty-odd government agen-
cies can display to exposition visitors
what the government has done with its
billions since the cards were shuffied
for the New Deal.
Lie ASliSuil z uCpdI IHiCHl, as uSu-
al, will be represented by the largest
of all federal exhibits. The Com
merce department and the State, War,
Navy, Treasury, Justice, Post Office,
Interior and Labor departments will
have their booths or buildings. The
Federal Housing administration and
the Farm Credit administration will
be there with displays of their wares,
and the Public Health service will at
tempt to further the cause of health
in its usual splendid fashion.
One unusual feature of the govern
ment's participation will be a negro
building in which it will tell the story
of the negro race and it's progress
since the first slaves were brought into
America. Plans call for the use Of
negro labor in the construction of this
exhibit building and as far as possible
zoruooe xx-;1 xDraDora +bo ox-bsbs+.