Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1918 — POLITICS PUT ONE WOOD UP AND THE OTHER DOWN [ARTICLE]

POLITICS PUT ONE WOOD UP AND THE OTHER DOWN

Washington, June 21.—Disregarding the recommendation of the chief-of-staff and other military advisers, Secretary Baker has given a commission as colonel to George H. Wood, who recently was discharged from command of the Ohio national guard division. Colonel Wood has been assigned to command a regiment of Ohio guardsmen in France. Wood was adjutant-general o*f the Ohio national guard when he was designated by Governor Cox, of Ohio, as major-general commanding the Ohio national guard division. Later, when called before an army examining board, Wood was found to be without necessary military qualification to command a division and was discharged. Political pressure was brought to bear by Governor Cox and other Ohioans and finally General March recommended that Wood get a captaincy and be assigned to command a* company in a replacement regiment in this country. Secretary Baker overruled the recommendation of his chief-of-staff, and not only gave Wood a colonelcy but assigned him for immediate overseas duty. General staff officers who examined Wood’s record reported to the chief-of-staff that Wood had never served in a higher rank than captain in active service during the Spanish war, and that he had actually never commanded troops in the’field.