The evening times., 1900-03-16
Rejected BY Mr.. ROOT
UnfaVOrable Report Upon a Senate
Army Bill.
Reasons for DiSapPrONing the
Transfer of Volunteer OmcerS Of
the Line to Departments Without
ESnTainatiOn-Speci Liquidation
Milking Exceptions Not Desirable.

The Secretary or Wax has transmitted 20
the House Committee on Military Affairs
the Following communication from the Ad-
iutaut General CT the army.
Il have the honor 20 return herewith
Senate bill 1884 10 authorize the President
10 transfer TO the AdiutanJ Generals De
partment or the Inspector Generals De
partmenJ. without examination such Of
hceTs Of the line. not 10 exceed two in each
department. as are now serving in said
department In the volunteer army. etc.
snd providing that hereafter only those
officers Of the line who have served at least
thirteen years therein shall be considered
eligible for aFD0in tment into either Of tho
two departments named
The act OF August G. making appropria-
lions for the Army. provides tlat hereafter
all appointments 10 fiji vacancies in the
lowest grade in the Adjutant Generals tho
Inspector Generals deparfmenf
respectively. shall be made from the neXt
lowest lowerl grade in the line OF the
Army Section Of the act O. March .
1899. for increasing the efficiency Of the
Army, etc. provides that the AdiutaHt
Generals and Inspector Generals depart
ments shall consist OF the number Of Off
GERS now in those departments. respective
y. provided that vacancies ia The grade
OF major occurring in either department
shall hereafter Be filled from captains in the
line OF the Army. and. provided further.
that all such captains who have e-inced
marked aptitude in the command OF trcoDz
shall be reported by their rccimental ccm-
manders 70 the War Department and shall
be entitled TO compete for any such vacancy
under such system Of examination as the
President may prescribe
No good reason is seen for special leg
il
ions Of these laws at this time No rea-
son Is seen why officers OF the line VINO
I have been appointed or detailed for duty
as assistant adiCtants general Of vdIunt-
eers or inspectors Of vOluut teers should bg
given preference over captains who nave
evinced marked aptitude in the command
OF troops for appointment in either OF
these stan apartments. The act Of March
>. 1899. above quoted. provides that va
cancies shall be filled on competitive e--,
animation by captains who have evinced
this aptitude. II must be assumed that
[ there are many captains Of the line we'll
qualified TO perform duty in the Adiutant
Generals and Inspector Generals depart -
ments. and il cannot be asserted that all
I captains who are so qualified. or best quail
ihed. received volunteer appointments IN
! those departments. The proviso in The
/ bill limiting appointments i'm these two
departments to officers Of the line VINO
have served at least thirteen years there
in. is not recommended.
The competitive examination prescrib-
ed by law is intended to secure the ap-
pointment of candida Jes best qualified. and
il exceptions should be made 10 this rule
il would evidently be in The interest Of
individuals. not Of the service. Favorable
action on this bill is not recommended
The following report on the bill has
been received by the committee from the
Inspector General:
Respectfully returned to the Secretary
OF War. The proposed bill would be mani
festly unfair to many deserving officers.
The act Of March =. 1899. was intended to
give all available officers an equal chance.
and TO select those best fitted for appoint
ment which is a policy evidently beneh-
cial to the public service. The whole ten
dency of Army legislation for some years
has been TO require examination before ap-
pointment and promotion. and this Il now
legally established as the proper method
to enter these important branches OF the
military service; and a departure from
this, in exceptional cases. would be an un-
fortunate precedent. The passage Il this
bill is not recommended"
The committee accepts the opinion OF
the War Department and recommends that
the bill shall not be passed.