The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-15
APLEAFOR OLD OFFICERS
Provision for Their Benefit in the
Army Bill Urged.
4 Recommendation Tint Authority
BE Granted for Retiring With
Rank and Pay of the Next Higher
Grade Officers Bciow BriSadicr
Generals Who Served I'm Civil Wrr.

Secretary Root has sent to Senator Haw-
ley, Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs. the following letter:
Il transmit herewith letter from the
Adjutant General of the Army urging that
an effort be made to secure the adoption OF
the provision that any officer OF the army
now On the active list below the grade of
brigadier general, who served during the
civil war. when retired, be retired with
the rank and pay Of the next higher grade
Such a provision is contained in section
Sc of the bill tSenate 1887 introduced by
you at the commencement of the present
session. The same provision was in 4
similar bill introduced in the House by
Mr.. Hull, and was fayorably reported by
the House Committee on Military Affairs.
but was stricken out in the House. and is
therefore, not in the bill as it camo from
the House, and is now before your COM
mittee. l beg that you will restore this
provision.
Appended to the Adjutant Generals
letter is a list OF all the officers of the
army who would be benefited by it. You
Will see that these are but 2tS, OF all
grades. You will see that a large proper
tion of them have already held and rem
dered service in the volunteer service in
the higher grade in which This provision
would enable them to retire. Among
them are many who have rendered service
as MAJOR generals and brigadier generals
and but for such provision must now re-
tire as colonies or lieutenant colonies. All
of them by the terms of the provision
must have served through the civil war.
the Indian wars, the war with Spain, and
in the Philippines and N China.
This provision gives TO Them after
lifetime CT faithful and devoted service,
merely a retiring rank commensurate with
the responsibilities they have borne and
the duties they have performed. Congress
has accorded the same privilege to the Of
ficers of the navy. Surely the services and
sacrifices and achievements of these vet
Grams of the army leave no Just ground
for invidious distinction against them
General Corbin's letter is as follows:
Il feel that l would be unmindful Of
duty due the older officers of the service
il i 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 have been in the
service since then, having served through
all our Indian wars, and more recently, in
Cuba, Porto Rico, China, and the Philip
pine Islands. There are all told 26S re-
manning on the active list. Most of the
ccaonels are now fast approaching the limit
fixed by law for active service, and many
of whom have SO little time to serve, that
good administration would not warrant
their being advanced on the active list.
TO enable a general 10 enter upon his
duties intelligentiy and satisfactorily, he
should have at least three years of active
service ahead of him. number OF the
colonies have only few, some a very few,
months to serve, and even if vacancies
should be created they cannot for the rea-
sons stated, be made brigadier generals, so
that the department will be. in the alb
sence OF legislation, constrained TO retire
them without the reward to which their
long and faithful service fully entities
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 gener-
ais, the lieutenant colonies to be retired
as colonies. majors as lieutenant colonies,
and captains as majors-a reward that no
one who at all appreciates their claims
will begrudge them.
TT has been represented that those al
ready on the retired list claim the same
recognition, and for this reason the sec
tion in question was stricken out in the
House OF Representatives. While those on
the retired list have claims to the graft
tude and respect of all patriotic citizens,
certainly men having service of forty
years and Of the kind that our officers of
recent years have been called upon to
meet. have claims far superior to men
who have served but a comparatively brief
period, and who have been in the enjoy
ment Of the emoluments CT their grade
and living in the peace and quiet of their
homes.
Again 1 ask that you cause this to be
presented to the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs, with such recommends
ton as the case calls for.
THE greatest number of benefciaries Of
this proposition are SO far away as not
to be able to have their claims heard even
II they we're disposed to make them. AS
rule they rely on the department to guard
their interests, and being conscious of
this fact feel II a duty to appeal for this
consideration
Genera! Corbin appends a statement
showing the number and names Of officers
that would be affected by the enactment OF
the section in question
RnRN WITH FIFTH SET nE TEET9