Evening star., 1938-10-01
HISTORY REPEATS
IN M0SELEY TALK
Army and Naval Officers
Recall Other Cases of
Blunt Leaders.
,, the Associated Press.

~ tns associated Press.
Army and Navy officers suggested
today that history was repeating itself
IN the clash between Secretary of War
Woodring and Maj. Gen. George Van
Horn Moseley.
But they sought apparently in vain
to discover a historical parallel for
the severity with which Secretary
Woodring verbally chastised the retir-
ing commander of the Sd Army for his
criticism Of the Government.
Gen. Moseley returned to private life
yesterday after 43 years in the Army.
He took advantage of the occasion to
issue statement in which he de-
clared the Nation was suffering from
lack OF outstanding leadership" and
voiced criticism of relief policies.
Secretary Woodring rebuked him tor
"assailing the Federal Government
and, by inference, attacking his COM
mander in chief" President Roosevelt.
He called the generals statement
fagrantly disloyal."
Woodring Hits Statement.
Service officers recalled that what
ever the partisan views of an Army or
Navy officer, 1t is an American military
tradition that he keep them out of the
headlines as long as he is in active
service.
When he retires, however he has
the same privileges of speech as any
private citizen. Even so, Secretary
Woodring commented sharply of Gen.
Moseley that most Americans have
always accepted the theory that an
American officers loyalty to his chief
did not cease when he went off active
service"
In the past, several high officers
have incurred the displeasure of their
superiors by expressing critical views.
A reference to w. P. A. funds as
stage money" brought a reprimand
and transfer two years ago for Mai.
Gen. johnson Hagood. He retired VOL
unfairly after the transfer.
The late Brig Gen. William Mitchell
World War commander OF the Army's
flyers in France, ran into trouble in
1925 with the high command for
criticizing his military superiors. Gen.
Mitchell was court-martialed and
suspended for his attacks on Army and
Navy policies.
Butler and Sims.
Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler of the
Marines and Admiral William S. Sims
were other centers of controversy re-
sulting from outspokenness that irked
their sCperiors.
In his statement, issued yesterday in
Atlanta. Ga, Gen. Moseley had said
the Nation is showing signs of internal
decay like that which DESTROYED an
eient Rome.
The Roman citizen sold his freedom
for government largess and life of
easy sloth." he said To-day statisti-
clans estimate that over 100000
people-approximate one-sixth of
our total population-are getting Gov
ernment subsidy directly and indi-
fectly"
At another point, he said:
Throughout the years that We have
been increasing our relief rolls and
the national debt-a debt
that cannot be paid in your lifetime or
mine-we have been passing laws and
establishing measures intended to raise
the standard of living by redistributing
the wealth, while at the same time
the hours and restricting
the output Of the individual worker. |
We forget that wealth must be pro-
duced before it can be distributed. We !
rannot work less and produce more"
Says Moseley Was Disappointed.
American democracy is headed for
destruction, he said. if Americans
simply drift along the easiest way"
Secretary Woodring said Gen. Nose
lev issued his statement because he
was disappointed in his ambition to
become chief Of staff of the American
Gen. Malin Craig was ap-
pointed to the post by President
Roosevelt in 1895.
AS to the reasons that Gen. Craig |
was preferred for the important post.
do not think any one needs to look |
farther than to read Gen. Moseleys
fagrantly disloyal statement" the
Secretary added.
Secretary Woodring also pointed out /
that although Gen. Moseley retired |
today. he continued to be an officer of |
The Army, receiving the inactive pay,
which in his case is approximately
$4,000 a year"