Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-31
JUSTICE TO cHAPLAlNs.
These Army Officers to Receive Re
ward for Exceptional Service.


These Army Officers to Receive Re-
ward for Exceptional Service. !
Washington. Dec. 30.-American love of
justice and fair play is being shown in
tne widespread and earnest Endorsement
port of the proposition now before Con
gret>s 70 remedy long standing discrimi-
,lauon against the status of army chap
i11 ro ,.na promote the efficiency of these
important officers.
The bill, which has been carefully pre-
pared under the advice of Judge Advocate
General Davis. with the cordial approval
VI ", tne secretary OF War and of some thir-
~ general olncefS or the army, provides:
1hat hereafter the President may. from
tifne to time. select from among the chap
lathS OF the army and chaplains having
not less than ten years service who shall
have been commended as worthy Of
Spccial distinction for exceptional effici-
ehcy by the regimental Cor post) and de-
partment commanders, with whose com
rnands they have served as chaplains.
ana may, with the advice and consent of
tue Senate, promote such regimentaI or
artillery chaplains to be chaplains with
,ne fIaae. pay and allowances of major.
provided that the number promoted shall
not NJ any time exceed fifteen. and that
the remaining chaplains shall have the
sitide. pay and allowances of captain,
1t is further stipulated that the officers
OF the corps shall be addressed as chap
iains, not as majors or captains, and
tEat nothing in the act shall be construed
mission in the armv.
Inc particularly mertorious service of
many of the chaplains during and since
me spanish war served to call attention
10 the l&ct that while the officers of
every other department may receive suit
able recognition there is no provision of
Ia" by which the President. may properly
reward a chaplain who has been recon-.
meHded for promotion by his commandiuc
general.
The advocates of the new legislation
claim that distinguished service on the
part of chaplains is as worthy Of recoeni
ton as if ii were performed by a Ueuf.n-
ant, or surgeon, or even n colonel
The late President Mckinley would have
taken cogniZance Of tIe service of the
chaplains but for this defect In the law
Finding no way to comply with military
recommendations for Executive favor in
behalf of cbaplains, except to give them a
departments, he would probably have
asked for such q change in the law as
Secretary Root now recommends had NOT
his untimely death prevented A chap
lain transferred to either OF the above
departments with the rank of major as
has been done in the case of other officers.
would have to abandon the work of Il
CLERGYMAN and turn aside from tht special
field in which his efficiency had become
notable.
The aim of the bill is to recognize nota-
bic efficiency bV promotion which will
give added dignity to his position as a
chaplain. and to retain him in the sphere
for Which he is eScentionallv fitted
Nothing could be stronger than the
army chanlnins IN anvncacv of this S Iee,i "
lation in the letters Of Generals Otis Mae
Arthur j. Franklin Bell, s. S. Sumner,
Breckinridse. Brooke. Bliss. Merriam,
Weston Graalv AinsWorth Grant Oven
shin, Fitzhnyh Ice Wheeler Rurt aud
James H. Wilson. Governor William H.
TAFT and MANY ofners who know 50 we'll
the service for which recognition should
he extended
Their, iq nothing revolutionary or radi-
cal in the hill Several prominent Sena-
tors have EXPRESSED the view that the re-
ward 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 he no CORPS created
nor will anv position of dominance over
other chaplains be possible The chaplain
who is promoted will still retain his place
as = recimental chaplain. and will have
the same title. in official address as be
fore. All Of them will be called chap
lain" but while most of them will have
the nav and allowances Of captain as at
present, one-tourth of the number may.
if deserving receive the prestige and
cn,olumcnts without the title Of major.
In his recent annual message to Con-
.-ress President Roosevelt, discussing the
general subject of army promotions uses
an expression which has application to
the chapainS in a particular way. He
saws:
mo briliancy, 70 amount of hard work.