The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-10-06
CORBIN WILL NOT
make ANY TROUBLE
Staff Will Pay No Attention to
Major Generals Anti
Marriage Ideas.
CHAFFEE OPPOSES PLAN
Cites the Case of a Young Officer Who
Pays His Debts, Supports a Bride
and is Able to Live Well on
His Salary.

NdSiiilSkoH SpSSldl. IhdIbI sAIGII-
eral Cofbin's recommendation that
army officers be not allowed to marry
without the consent and authority of
the war department has stirred UP
some discussion among I'm officers,
but it will accomplish nothing more
than that. II will not even be made
the subject of consideration by the
general staff. One reason why it will
not be noticed officially is that Lieut.
enant General Chaffee has no sympa-
thy with the proposal, and another is
that it would require an act of N
gress at least, and probably an amend
ment to the constitution, to AIRY out
General Corbin's idea.
General Chaffee admits that some
young officers marry before their at
fairs are in such shape that they car
support their wives, but he suggests
that young men outside of the army
sometimes make the same mistake.
He thinks an army officer should ave
as much discretion as a private citizen,
and that If he acts foolishly he should
expect to pay for it.
Wouldn't Copy Europe.
General Chaffee has very strong
| opinions about the American army. He
believes it is a good enough institution,
SO that it needs no foreign trimmings.
General Corbin's idea of putting a
check on the marriage Of officers is
4 COpleU 1lOiil Lie NGlIlldll - di lily, l-
which the General was much interest
ed when he was in Europe with Cen
erals Chaffee and Young two years
ago. An officer in the German army
who marries without the consent of
the general staff f~orfeits his commits
sion. When he applies for permission
to we'd he must snow that he is able
to support a wife, or that his pros
pective bride has means to support
herself. 1t usually is on the latter
claim that the application is based,
and the young Won1an'S financial
standing is inquired into carefully by
the staff officers.
The pay Of a second lieutenant is
s., 4O0 and of a first lieutenant 81, 800 a
year, with allowances in each case
amounting to about $500 more. That
rate of pay. General Corbin thinks. is
not sufficient to support a wife and
family unless the officer is out of debt
and careful with his cash account. If
the officer and his wife could be togeth-
er all Of the time and live in the quar-
iers furnished by the government, they
might get along without running into
debt, but it often happens that an Of
icer who is ordered to q distant post
cannot take his wife along and is COM
PEELED to keep up two households. If
his wife does accompany him, her
travelling expenses eat up his pay, so
that he is about as badly off way
as the other. The cost of new uniforms
and keeping old ones in repair is an
important item with all officers, and es-
pecially the younger ones, who are
more particular about their appearance.
A complete new outfit for a second lieu
tenant costs from $500 to S l 1000, and the
annual cost Of keeping his uniforms UP
runs from $3.50 to $500, according to the
tastes of the officer. This does not in
clude the citizens clothes. of which he
must carry a goodly wardrobe.
Example to the Contrary.
Many high army officers agree With
General Corbin that young officers Of
ten marry before they are able to as
sumo the responsibilities of married
life, but they see no way of preventing
it. Most of them consider it simply q
question of the good sense Of the man
A case was cited today of a young sec
ond lieutenant who is stationed undel
General Corbin at Governors island
When he was married he was $500 II
debt. Since his marriage he has paic
off nearly all Of his debts and has main
tanned his wife and himself in becoming
style. This was spoken of as n case
in which General Corbin's rule would
have worked badly.
Under the regulations none but un
married men can receive commission
in the army. They must be single whel
they enter the military academy, AM
they cannot marry while they ar
there.
The same regulation exists in tn
navy, but young midshipnen are no
given their commissions until they haV
spent two years at sea. so they mus
wait two years longer than army Off
GERS before they can marry. Civilian
and enlisted men i'll the n who com
up for examination for promotion t
second lieutenant must be unmarried
Only single men are enlisted in tn
army, but soldiers are allowed to MAI
~, and married soldiers with good rec
ords are sometimes re-enlisted undo
a special order.