Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-09
MUST MAKE WAY FOR YOUTH
Army officers Who Should Retire
Hang On,
Secretary of War Lamont Finds IL
Necessary to Make Places
for the West Point
Graduates.

Washington, May 2.-Secretary La.
mont has been carefully considering for
some weeks past the fact that more than
three-quarters of the outgoing class at
West Point mex June must be commits,
stoned as additional second lieutenants
owing to the fact that there will be but
twelve or fifteen vacancies 10 be sup
piled with officers unless unforeseen cas-
ualties occur between the present time
and the end Of the academic year. The
attention of the secretary of wal has
been drawn to the repeated statements
made that this condition exists in very
large degree because many officers in
the army who are in fact incapacitated
for the performance OF duty have not
been before retiring boards and placed
upon the retired list. That this action
has not been taken has been due TO a
feeling of sympathy on the part or COM
handing officers and those who have as
ISOLATED with them In garrison, n a
desire to permit many of such officers
to reach the next higher grade before
retirement.
The policy pursued, however, has been
extended to so many cases that Secrc-
tary Lamont has felt 1t his duty to make
investigation of the matter and to en-
deavor to ascertain ut1hnss H MnIts ~ sppffSa
omHSrS III vne reen."n.. Tha secretary
Of war very properly feels that with a
skeleton army such as the United States
possesses and with a liberal retiring
law which provides that every officer
found i~ncapacltated for duty by a board
OF fellow officers shall, during the re-
mainder OF his life. draw three-quarters
OF the pay to which ne was entitled AZ
date Of retirement. there is no reason
why the officers in active service in tho
army should not be physically and men.
tally competent to perform all the duties
required by their rank.
1t has been brought to the attention
of Secretary Lamont that there are offl-
GERS carried on the active list who are
inmates of insane asylums, who for
months past have been unable to per
form any of the duties deVolving upon
them in garrison; officers crippled by
accident and suffering from chronic dis
ease, and who, if reports are correct
should long ago have given way to their
Juniors. The statement has been made
to him that in every arm of the service
q rigid application of the law would
make a large number of vacancies and
would permit the filling Of these vacan-
cies by officers in full physical and men
tai vigor whose promotion is INSTRUCTED
because of the retention on the active
list Of those who are known To be in.
capacitated for further active duty.
With a view of asCortaining the facts
in the matter, Secretary Lamont has
forwarded to commanding officers a
confidential circular letter, calling upon
them to inform him what officers in
their regiment are incapacitated for
performing full military duty. In this
circular the secretary states that the
information is important, in view Of the
size of the class to be graduated at
West Point, and the small number of
vacancies now existing, or in prospect
between this and the Goth of June, Sec
rotary Lamont's circular is intended
to secure full and candid information
from commanders Of regiments regard
ing officers whose physical and mental
condition is known to their superiors To
10 preclude them from the full perform
lnca Of military duty.
1t Is believed hat there are q large |
number Of such officers who are being
practically nursed along in their various
known ircapacity for fun garrison duty
and that there are an equal number
who, In case Of being called into service
in a campaign. would be forced into re.
tirement, either upon their own request
or by the action of retiring boards,
Il seems to be the intention Of the
secretary to relieve the active list OF
these officers TO fill their places with
those competent to perform the dudes
required OF them, and thus TO afford OPP
p|ortunity for a large portion of the ca
diets graduating this year to enter at
once upon the duties of their profession
with the commission Of second lieuten-
ant.
If responses to Secretary Lamont s
circular are frankly made by those to
whom the letter has been sent, there Is
no reason why every cadet who gradu-
ates from the military academy in June
should not receive his commission as
full second lieutenant. Officers of the
army, familiar with the personnel of the
various branches of the service, assert
that there are at least 100 officers who,
If the question of regimental sympathy
for their condition could be eliminated,
would be found ~incapacitated for active
service by any fair retiring board which
might be called upon TO pass upon their
aa 80,