The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-06
ARMY WOMEN ARE VERY ANGRY
AT GENERAL OVER MARRIAGE
REcCMMENDATi
They Claim That Lieutenants With
Small Pay Can Support Wife
and Family.

( .I
recommending a rule that young Off
GERS must seek permission of the war
department before they marry.
Lieutenant General Adna r. Chat
fee. who has been married long time
has had leisure between campaigns in
Cuba, China and the Philippines to
come to the conclusion that a 1euten-
ant and his wife will have hard time
to make the ends of $1,000 meet at the
end of the year, but he says a law by
congress will be necessary to make Of
| fcers seek the sanction of 'the war de-
partment before they are bound by the
post chaplain or other clergyman to a
! lifelong comrade.
Washington is full of officers VINO
married young and who are glad of 1t.
! ed the FIRST United States dragons in
| 1887. as a second lieutenant, is hale
and hearty at 80, and he rejoices that
he entered matrimony early. His
daughter is Mrs. Philip Sheridan, Wild
ow of the famous cavalry leader.
Here is exactly what General Corbin
! wrote in his annual report:
/ Marriage of army officers who have
made no proper provisions for assun-
ing the responsibilities therefor is
! hurtful both to the army and to the
! officers themselves. To this broad
/ statement there are. of course. eXcep-
! lions, as there are to all broad state
ments. but the general fact remains
that our army is over married.
"The pay Of a subaltern officer is
barely enough for his proper support
and the expense of MS equipment and
uniform If to this is added the ineV-
table expenses attached to family,
it is not only probable, but almost GER
tain. that when the officer strikes his
balance at the end of the year, he will
be behind, if he has no income but his
pay.
THAT a bachelor officer is more val
liable to the service than married
officer does not follow, nor do l wish 10
be understood as 50 saying, but the
married officer is less valuable if in
marrying he has not exercised that
prudence which should govern all
, transactions in life. BY this l mean
that he should by some means, before
assuming the responsibilities of head
of a family, so arrange his pecuniary
affairs that the worry and anxiety
over possible deficits snail not divert
his energies and capacities from his
military duties,
In my experience as adjutant gem
eral of the army and department COM
mander there have been very many
instances that have come to my at
tention where officers of the highest
character and attachments have be-
come involved financially on account
of their families. not through eXtrav
agance nor bad management necessa-
rily, but from absolute necessity, and
l nave always hesitated, and usually
refrained from applying any punitive
measures. knowing that these officers
simply could not help themselves.
Il am firmly of the opinion that no
officer should enter the marriage re-
lation without first getting the author
ity of the war department, and that as
necessary condition thereto he should
make it clear that his income after
marriage will be sufficient to support
himself and family, and, above all, if
he is to live on his pay he should state
on honor that he is free from debt.
! Starting in even he has fighting
chance but starting in debt he under
takes Il well-nigh hopeless task. Par
ticularly will this prove true if ne has
frequent changes of stations, when all
the expenses of travel of his family
have to be met by the officer him
self
Acting Secretary Oliver of the war
department said:
This is Il question which | would
| say was none of the war departments
business. An officer has right to mar
ry if he desires; the war department
has no authority to deny him that
/ privilege. Legislation by congress
would be necessary to put any such
policy in force. and think it is safe to
say no one will ever advocate it in the
capitol. 1 would like to see any one
! tell me not to marry if I was an army
! officer and desired to do So
Senator Proctor of Vermont, for
| mer secretary of war, said:
! Il have never understood that af
! fairs of the heart could be regulated by
any army edict. Marriages have always
taken place in the army, and I suppose
they will continue. Certainly know
of no disposition among legislators for
the army to curtail the inclination of