The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-08
An Important Reeomme nda ton.

In an early paragraph Of his annual
report the Adjutant- General. under exist
ing circumstances the actual commanding
officer OF the United States army urges
the repeal OF Section % OF the Act OF March
=, 1909, for increasing the efficiency OF the
army, for the assigned reason that the
promotions which have already occurred
since the passage OF this act have scattered
the officers to all points Of the globe occu-
pied by our army, and to attempt to decide
to what positions these officers should be
restored on July 1, 1901. would result In
endless confusion"
A recommendation on a military matter
by an officer OF 30 much influence with the
Congress and the President as the Adju-
tant- General carries weight. 1t Ia Of interest
therefore to see what Section Is OF the Act
is The Act, 1t will be remembered, pro-
vided for the creation OF new regiments to
serve two years, and for the appointment
to them with higher rank than they held In
the regular army, OF officers OF the army
and the fifteenth section, 80 far as 1t has
to do with the officers OF those regiments
rcnds as follows:
SECTION Is: That the ofnesrs and enlisted men Of
| the volunteer army shall be mustered out Of the
military service Of the United States and discharged
| a. provided in the Act OF April ~. 1893 Pro-
vded also that each aud provision Of this set
| shall continue In force until July l. 1901. aud on
and after that date all tho general line and stan Of
hcsrs appointed to the army under this act shall he
| discharged aud tho numbers restored in each grade
| to those existing ct the passage OF this act .
and Provided further that oncsr who has bsen or
| may be promoted under existing Law or under the
rules Of seniority shall be disturbed In his rank"
Tho recommendation thus provides for
the continuance OF the extra twenty-five
volunteer" regiments In the army, and
for the retention by the army officers ap-
pointed to them OF their present "volun-
teer" rank. On 10 face. tho reason adj
vanced for such proceeding seems good
to put those officers back In the grades
they held when appointed to the "volun-
teer" regiments would cause much con.
fusion. But this, though the assigned
reason, should not he taken as the principal
reason; for the War Department already
has the name of every officer appointed to a
volunteer regiment with higher rank. In
the rank he held when appointed, or In that
TO which he has been promoted since he took
the volunteer" commission. Therefore,
In spite of the scattering OF our army, every
volunteer officer from the regular army
knows his position. and there will DO and
can he very little and only temporary con-
fusion In assigning those officers TO their
proper places on July 1. 1901.
A reason for criticisinR the recommends
tlon Of the Adiutant General Ia the In
justice that would he done to those officers
OF the regular army who have not secured
volunteer commissions. There are many
OF these, who have done and are doing
their duty. yet have not been preferred for
higher rank In the volunteer regiments.
II the AdJutant-Generals recommendation
10 adopted, we should find some Of the best
officers In the army. men whose services
were too valuable In their present positions,
and whose applications to go to the front
were rejected on the ground that they
were needed at home, "overslaughed" by
juniors,
Probably, however. the Adjutant- General
desires rather to hold out an incentive to
the regular officers OF the volunteer" regi-
ments to do good work than to do Injustice
to the officers not in the temporary regi-
ments. At the end Of the Civil War officers
Of the army who had held high rank In
the volunteer service were sent back TO
their regiments with their army rank.
In some cases Brgadier-Generals Of
Volunteers became again Captains OF
regular companies; 1t is well remem-
bered how Maior-Gen. CUSTER returned
10 the army % merely Lieutenant. Colonel.