The times., 1897-07-05
McCawley's appointment and
Denny's Promotion.
DETAIL OF INSIDE GOSSIP
Veterans who Won Shoulder Straps
in Battle Sacrificed to Officers
der-IDsinuatiuns of Deal in
Major Lowry's Retirement.
New York, July "A Washington dis

W HlNii lhtS 81 otiifbh hP Nit p'ASNiN NA 49,
Marine Corps as the promotion OF Capt
Frank l.. Denny to be major and quarter
master, aud the nomination OF Charles L.
McCawiey to be captain and assistant
quartermaster. The promotion Of Capt
Denny is had enough in all conscience, from
the point of view of the service, but the
appointment OF young MeCawlcy fairly
provokes marine officers to violation OF
that one of the articles OF war which
forbids the utterance OF sentiments deroga-
tory TO the President And when they are
exasperated to the point or criuclsing the
cOlnnlander-in-chief, what won't they say
about the colonel cOiiniandant VINO recon-
mended the appointment?
The objection TO Major Denny Is deep
seated and old. II is based holly on
the fact that throughout his service he
has had more effective working pull
than any other man in the corps. he
has seen only sey enteen years OF service
and more than two-thTds OF ii on shore.
He was well dow nin thelist or lieutenants
when ne YVES made captain and assistant
quartermaster. If he had staid IN the line
he would have been junior 10 all the pres
ent captains but two. There are captains
in the Marine Corps who have seen thirty
five years Of service. Some of them car
ried muskets in the Civil WaT and carmel
their fist shoulder straps by conspicuous
gailantry in the field. But this young man
now ranks them all and besides Will never
have TO 20 TO sea.
The opponents of Major Denny say that
his promotion was brought about by deal
fCI the retirement OF Major Lowry, similar
10 the deals which have Just been carried
through in the Army and in the Nary.
Major Lowry retired and Capt. Coilum
vas promoted That pushed Denny up
number, and Lieut. Prince was promoted to
the vacancy. Then Major Collum re-
tired and Benny was promoted But this
time a civilian was put into the vacant
captaincy. 1t is openly said here in
Vashing gton that the aTran seuents for the
deal were such that the two majors who
retired voluntarily before they reached
the Gge limit viii not suffer from the
loss Of their active service pay. The
fact is recsiled that Col. Haywood the
comniandant OF marines, tried repeatedly
to force Major Lowry TO retire and failed
every time. Since the beginning OF the
year he has had the major on the rack
three times
once he preferred charges of incOm-
potency and inattention TO duty The
giving OF the laundry contract was speci-
| fled under those charges. In response to
the advertisement for bids for that work
| only one bid was made. That was for SO
hundred but Major Lowry let the con
| tract, II was charged afterward that the
successful bidder had formed a combine
4 x.i "a h..T fgf
| Oft, aud thea divided the spoils. Aaier
! Lowry showed the court ofinquiry thatthc
| bid went through the coHmandant's Of
| fice, and that specincat ton was dropped
| In the end the ma ior beat the court and
| all the charges fell through. Then Col
! Haywood ordered Major Lowry before q
medical board Of survey, and the board re-
| ported him unfit for duty. In the regular
| course he went before the retiring board,
| but this time he won. The board reversed
| the board of survey, and the major re-
| NAMED on duty.
! IN view Of these facts there was some
| surprise wien Major Lowry Voluntarily
| applied for retirement under the length
| OF service act But when he was retired
| and Collum and Prince Were promoted
| there was no great objection, although
| il was doing with Prince something Of
| what had been done with Denny 1t was
| the last part of the deal that stirred
| things up. IT has been a constant COM
/ plaint from Col. Haywood that promotion
! IN the Marine Corps was 50 slow as to be
| discoUraging To men who were ambitious.
| He has been before the naval committees
| OF every Congress for years with appeals
| for measures of relief When the Meyer
| personnel bill was before Congress Col
| Haywood was particularly active He
| urged with emphasis the merits and the
! claims OF the men in his corps who had
| served the Government for many years
| That was all very fine, and the old cap
taiDs We're with the colonel cOmInaudant
| heart and soul. But DOW they call at
tention to the fact that at the very first
| opportunity for opening up the way foI
promotion all down the line the colone
| has recommended the appointment of g
| civilian.
1t is urged by the supporters of Major
| Denny that his present promotion is i'll due
| course of law. Col. Haywood himself de
| clares that no injustice whatever was done
10y it, and calls attention TO the fact that
Denny was the ranking staff captain ant
| directly in line OF promotion when Colun
retired.
1T is not the policy of the Navy ant
Marine Corps" he said recently, ''and
never has been, to appoint line officers t
staff vacancies
| Apparently, say the other side, the ap
pointment of Lieut.. Prince didn't count
Or perhaps the colonel comrnandant had for
gotten it. Officers who served from twenty
to twenty-five years before reaching the
grade Of captain, and who have no prospeC
OF promotion TO the grade of major unit
they have served more than forty years
are discouraged blythe. promotion of officer:
Of less than half their service, and with NJ
special distinction for meritorious service
They declare that the contention that
Denny's promotion was compulsory i:
taking advantage of techncaIity in Law
which was passed with no thought what
| ever that it would be made to apply to sucl
cases. They recognize, however, all tn,
force there is in the Denny argument, bu
they declare thatit comes with poor grae,
foT that side TO cite the law when in tn,
appointment of McCawley specific statut,
was flagrantly violated.
Section 1899 Of the Revised Statutes o
the United States says:
mo person under twenty or over twenty
five years Of age shall be appointed from
civil life as a. commissioned officer of tn
Marine Corps
McCawiey is thirty-two years old, ant
the officers of the Marine Corps who op
| pose the confirna ton of his appointment
declare that he is barred absolutely 5y
that section of the Revised Statutes. Tn,