Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-15
TO RETIRE WITH HIGHER GRADE.
Provision Desired by Secretary Root
in the Army Bill,

in the Army Bill.
| The Secretary of War has written a let.
| ter to the chairman of the Senate commits
| tee on military affairs transmitting a let.
| ter from Adjutant General Corbin urging
that an effort be made to secure the adop-
| ton Of the provision that any officer Of
| the army now on the active list below the
grade Of brigadier general who served DUR
ing the civil war, when retired, be retired
| with the rank and pay Of the next higher
grade. Such provision Is contained Ii
| section 36 Of the army reorganization bill
| introduced in the Senate at the commence
| ment of the present session. The sane
| provision was in a similar bill introduced
| in the House by Mr.. Hull and was favor
| ably reported by the House committee on
military affairs. but stricken. out in
! the House, and is therefore not in the bill
now before the Senate military committee.
II beg" says the Secretary of War.
| that you will restore this provision. Ap.
| pended to the adjutant generals letter 10
| a list of all the officers of the army who
| would be affected by It. You will see that
there are but 26s Of all grades. You will
see that a large proportion Of them have
already held and rendered service in thS
volunteer forces. in the higher grade Id
| which this provision would enable them
| to retire Among them are many who
| have rendered conspicuous service as ma.
| jor generals and brigadier generals and
| but for such provision must now retire
as colonies or lieutenant colonies. All Of
| them, by the terms of the provision, must
| have served through the civil war. the In
dian wars, the war with Spain and in the
Philippines and in China. This provision
| gives to them. after lifetime OF faithful
and devoted service merely a retiring rank
commensurate with the responsibility they
have borne and the duties they have per-
formed Congress has accorded the same
privilege to the officers OF the navy. Surely
the services and sacrifices and achieve
| ments Of these veterans Of the army leave
no just ground for an invidious distinction
| against them"
The css officers affected by the above
| mentioned provision are distributed In the
army as follows: Colonies, 70 fstan "a and
line 800; lieutenants colonel, 70 (staff 81
and line 42); majors, So (staff 80 and line
lains, G.
Gen. COrbfn's Letter.
General Corbin in his letter gives a list OF
the officers who would be benefited by the
proposed legislation, and says;
Il feel that 1 would be unmindful OF q
duty due the older officers of the service II
l did not again invite your attention to
their claims for reward and recognition. ]
refer to those who have had service during
the war of 1S61-1S65, and been in the service
since then, having served through all our
Indian wars and more recently IN Cuba,
lands. There are all told 26S remaining on
the active list. Most of the colonies are
now fast approaching the limit fixed by
law for active service, and many of WHOM
have so little time to serve that good ad.
ministration would not warrant their being
advanced on the active list. To enable q
general to enter upon his duties tntell!-
gently and satisfactorily he should nave at
least three years of active service ahead OF
him. A number Of the colonies have only
a few, some a very few, months to serve,
they cannot for the reasons stated BE-
made brigadier generals, so that the der
partment will be, in the absence OF legis-
lation, constrained to retire them without
the reward to which their long and faith
full services fully entitle them.
ITO this end request that You urge the
restoration to the bill now pending before
the Senate the section that provides for the
retirement of this class Of officers with an
advanced grade This will enable the
colonies to be made brigadier generals. the /
majors as lieutenant colonies and captaihs
as majors-a reward that no one who at all
appreciates their claims will begrudge them i
1T has been represented that those alfI
ready on the retired list claim the same
recognition, and for this reason the section
in question was stricken out in the House
Of Representatives. While those on the re.
tired list have claims to the gratitude ana
respect of all patriotic citizens certainly
men having service OF forty years and OF
the kind that our officers OF recent yearei
have been called upon to meet, have claims
far superior to those who have served but
a comparatively brief period and VINO navel
been in the enjoyment Of the emoluments
of their grades, living In the peace and quist
Of their homes.
Again l ask that you cause this to be
presented to the Senate committee on mill !
tary affairs, with such recommendation aSsj
in your Judgment, the case calls for.
1.-THE greater number Of benefctaries OF
this proposition are so far away as not TO !;
be able to have their claims heard, even u |
they were disposed to make them. AS
rule they rely on the department to guard
their interests. and. being conscious Of this
fact, 1 feel 1t q duty to appeal for this COM
sheraton" .'