Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-17

bill reorganizing the service, passed by Con-
gress several years ago, the number OF
such officers serving with the troops was In
creased to fifty-seven that number at pres
emit constituting the legal force. AT pres
emit there are but fifty-six, one man having
been retired for age Monday. These fifty
seven men are representatives OF every re-
Igious creed and denomination. There are
Catholics as we'll as Protestants, Meth
oddsts as we'll as Presbyterians They are
required to pass a rigid physical and men,
tai examination on entering the army, ana
when commissioned are given the rank OF
captain.
This is as far as they can go. Their pay
is the same as tnet If captain of cavalry,
with practically th1 same allowances ana
emoluments, but trey can never get any
higher 1t makes no difference how Valua-
BILE their services might have been or what
they might do for their country. Ihey
might come into the army at the minimum
age and they might remain until retired
for age but they would never receive high
er rank or higher pay than that given In
the regular system Of increase, certain
percentage every five years. There is hard-
~ a man, 1t is said, who holds the position
of chaplain in the army who could not Sc
cure a pulpit in any city Of the country
paying twice the salary and with one-half
the work to do. The chaplains are asking
recognition of their services and not fof
honors for any individual They point to
other branches Of the service, to the medf-
cal department the law department, the
subsistence department, the quartermas-
ter's department, where men of particu-
lar branch of the profession are required
and where prompt recognition by promo
ton comes to those who have shown them
selves deserving of 1t. This is denied the
chaplain. The man who was retired Mon
day for age had served his life a chap
lain and had grown in honors in his office.
His comrades recognized his worth and
ability, but the government for which he
worked did not. He was appointed a cap
tain, and after living lifetime and giving
lifetime's service, retires as captain.
The first ten or twelve men on the army
list as chaplains are the ranking captains
Of the army. Their rank antedates the
commission of captain attained by some of
the general officers now in the army.
Different in the Navy.
In forwarding their claims to Congress
the chaplains point to the navy an ex-
ample of what the government has done for
the chaplains of that branch of the service.
According to law four chaplains are al
lowed the rank of captain, which CORE
spends to that Of colonel in the army,
certain number are commanders. large
number lieutenant commanders and
greater number yet heutenants. They enter
the service with the rank of full lieutenant,
and as years pass are promoted. Every
man will get promotion If he lives long
enough. Under the old system. before the
navy personnel bill went into effect, an
officer was retired with the rank and re-
tired pay of the next grade higher to the
one he occupied. So that It happens that
there are several chaplains on the retired
list of the navy who hold rank which cor
responds to that of brigadier general in the
army. The men in the army have much
harder service than those in the navy, and
much more is required OF them. 1t Is de-
termined therefore that some effort will be
made to have the chaplains placed on
more equitable basis, so that their devotion
to the service and the cause they espouse
shall secure full recognition at the hands
of the government they serve.