The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-10-30
WEST POINTERS FAVORED.
OFFICERS FROM VOLUNTEERS DIS
cRlMlNATED AGAINST.
War DEPARTMENT Places Them Junior
to West Pointers Who Have Served
Durino a Less Period Of Time.

II appears that the war department Is
endcayoring to defraud all those officers
recently appointed from the volunteer
service TO commissioned rank In the regular
army of the credit which the law allows
them for their previous faithful service.
Captain e. p Bujac. late Of the United
states Volunteer service received yester-
day the following letter from one of his
late companions In arms
Palestine. Texas, October %, 10o1Dear
Sir: | wish to call your attention 60 the
Injustice being done the recent appolntees
to the regular army who previously hen
commissions In the volunteer army
IL Is expressly stipulated in the DILL re
organizing the army, dated February ,.
1901, that volunteer officers entering the
regular army shall take rank according
to the length of their previous commits
stoned service as volunteer. The follow
ing is an extract of the bill; Those who
establish their fitness before these exam
ming boards mag be appointed to the
grades of first or second leutenants Ia
the regular army. taking rank In the re-
spcctiYe grades according to seniority, as
determined by length of prior commits
stoned service; but no person appointed
under the provisions of this section shall
he placed above another 10 the same grade
with longer commissioned service, and
nothing herein contained shall change the
relative rank of officers heretofore eom-
missloned In the regular army" By
WHICH you VIII ItuullN see tlHI all NOiuQ-
teer officers entering the regular army
with commissions dating February ,. 1901,
should take rank above all Officers Of the
regular army In like grades who have not
had as long previous commissioned service
as yourself.
The war department IS not complying
with the law in this respect, but is doing
a great injustice to all volunteer officers
appointed TO the regular army, nv placing
them junior to officers of the regular army
VINO have had less prior commissioned serv-
Ice lliS discrimination uWIiuSf tlp OIL
GERS appointed from the volunteers was
ilrst begun by the promotion of oil second
lteuteuants of cavalry, artillery and infun-
tTE, VINO We're In the service prior TO
February . 1901 to the grade of first lieu
tenants. regardless of whether they had
had two years or two days previous com
msSioned service. For this Injustice they
can give no reason other than that man
| Of mature years and with from two 10
| three years previous service In time of
war is not as well qualified, nor as de-
! serving as young man just graduated
! from West Point or appointed from civil
| life
AS further excuse for part Of this in
! justice they give the case of First Lieu
| tenant Daniel Van NorhiS, Third cavalry,
! first day Of February. 1900 as second lieu
| tenant OF cavalry, after having served as
/ captain of volunteers from May II, 1s0S,
! to OCrober 81, 1893, which on February ..
! 1901, would give him more than two years
previous commissioned service. II given
| credit for his previous commissioned serv-
! ltts ' an Nhluln Nbulu Iduk duuul uLiN uISL
! lieutenants who now rank him. But he Is
! not given credit for his commissioned sery-
| Ice as a volunteer officer, yet at the same
| time, in arranging the relative rank Of
| officers of the cavalry, the war depart.
! ment has ruled that no officer appointed
first lieutenant from the volunteer sery-
| Ice who has not had longer commissioned
| service than Van Vor,Us, shall rank him.
The object OF this circular letter Is, at
! the instance of our local Volunteer AsSo-
citation, to call your attention to these
! existing matters and to urge upon you
| the necessity OF prompt action In bringing
about, through your representative IN con
| gress, a readjustment of them, which will
| mean to you an increase of ut least from
| four to six years in getting your cap
! taincy
1t is necessary that action be taken as
! soon as congress reconvenes and before
! the army register OF 1907 Is pnl. ished ms
| after that date It will he much harder
| for officers appointed from the volunteers
| to get their proper rank.
Hob@ag that this matter viii receive your
| immediate attention by bringing the same
to the notice of your representative in
| congress. remain, respectfully. friend
| in the cause. C. X. Fowler,
Late Captain Thirty third infantry, U.