New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-28
JUSTICE TO CHAPLAINS.
These Army Officers to Receive Re
card for Exceptional Service.
IFRoM THE TRIDuSE BUREAU

tFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU
Washington, Dec 2T.-Amercan love OF JUS
tice and fair play is being shown in the wide
spread and earnest Endorsement which comes
from every quarter in support of the proposition
now before Congress to remedy a long standing
discrimination against the status of army chap
lains and to promote the efficiency of these i'm
portant officers.
The BILL which has been carefully prepared
under the advice of Judge Advocate General Da-
Wis, with the cordial approval of the Secretary
Of War and of some thirty general officers of
the army, provides:
That hereafter the President NAV from time to
time select from among the ehaplains of the army
service Who sba tase beer cor1r,arjad ~ ,,,rtIy
or special distinction for exceptional efficiency by
manders with whose Commands thew have served
as chapiatns. and may. with the advice and consent
OF Lhe senate promote such regimenta or artillery
chaplalns to be chaplains with the grade, pay and
alloWances OF major, provided that the number
pso1Hoteu shali not az any time exceed hfteen ana
that the remaining chaplains shall have the grade
pay and allowances Of captain, mounted.
It is further stipulated that the officers of the
corps shall be addressed as "chaplans.' not as
majors or captains, and that nothing in the act
shall be construed as depriving any chaplain Of
his commission in the army.
The particularly meritorious service of many
OF the chaplains during and since the Spanish
war served to call attention to the fact that
while the officers of every other department
may receive suitable recognition there is no pro-
vision Of law by which the President may prop
erly reward a chaplain who has been recon-
mended for promotion by his commanding gen.
eral
The advocates of the new legislation claim
that distinguished service on the part OF chap
lains IS as worthy of recognition If it were
performed by a lieutenant or a surgeon, even
q he LATE praS OK iOla
have taken cOgnizance of the service OF the
chaplains but for this defect in the law.
Finding way to comply with military rec
concentrations for Executive favor in behalf of
chaplains, except to give them majority in the
pay or judge advocates departments he would
probably have asked for such a change in the
law as Secretary Root recommends had not
his untimely death prevented chal>en
transferred to either OF the above departments
with the rank of major. has been done IL
the case of other officers. would have to abandon
the work of a clergyman and turn aside from
the special field in which his efficiency had be-
come notable.
The aim Of the bill is to recognize notable
efficiency by promotion, which viii give added
dignity 10 his position as a chaplain. and to re-
tain him in the sphere for which he is excep-
tonalIy fitted
Nothing could be stronger than the commend
alton which has been given to army chaplains
in advocacy Of this legislation in the letters OF
Generals Otis. Macarthur ]. Franklin Bell. S.
S, Sumner Breckenridge, Brooke Bliss Mer-
RAM, Weston. Greedy. Ainsworth. Grant Oven
shine, Fftzhugh Lee. Wheeler Burt and James H.
Wilson, Governor William H. Taft and many
others who know well the service for which
recognition should be extended.
There is nothing revolutionary or radical in
the bill. Several prominent Senators have ex-
pressed the view that the reward proposed is
not sufficient for the service rendered.
But the aim is simply to provide one grade Of
promotion in case of exceptional service There
will be no corps created, nor will any position of
dominance over other chaplains be possible.
The chaplain who is promoted will still retain
his place as a regimentaI cha plain, and viii have
the same title in official address as before. All
of them win be called chaplain" but while
most Of them will have the pay and allowances
Of captain, as at present one-fourth of the num-
Der may, IL deserving receive the prestige and
emoluments. without the title. of major
In his recent annual message to Congress
President Roosevelt, discussing the general sub
ject Of army promotions uses an expression
which has application to the ohaplains in a par
tiCular way He says:
NO brilIiancy, no amount of hard work no
eagerness in the performance Of duty, ad-
vance him Until this system is changed
we cannot hope that our officers will be of as
high grade as we have right to expect. con-
sidering the material from which draw
Bishop Satterlee, of the Diocese of Washing
ton, takes occasion to add: THE public will
never object to the advancement Of a man who
has done something that is worthy. Neither will
il applaud wise craftsmanship such legisla-
ton as may block the advancement of worthy
chaplain while the way is open for every other
class of officers, regardless OF their merit"
Every section of the Church is represented in
the appeal to Congress to enact this remedial
legislation, and while hundreds of distinguished
men are among the indorsers II is enough to saw
that Bishops Potter and Lawrence speak for the
EpisCOpalians, Archbishop Farley and Cardinal
Gibbons for the Roman Catholics. Bishops Nc
Cabe, Fowler and Andrews for the Methodsts,
DR.. Henry van Dyke and DR.. Charles L. Thomp-
son for the Presbyterians, President Hadley Of
Yale and DR.. Washington GLADDEN. for the Con-
gregationalists President E. F. Wolf and DR..
Tenner for the Lutherans. President Taylor Of
Vassar and President Weston Of Grocer for the
Baptists. Bishops Gambler and Morrison for the
Southern MethOdists, and still others for their
particular faiths. so as TO make this the prac-
teal appeal Of a united church for justice and
honor TO worthy chaplains.