Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-08
MERIT RULE IN TIE ARMY
Promotions Will Be Based Solely on the
Service Record Of officers,
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES ARE BARRED
Any Attempt 90 influence Executive
by other Means VIII Exclude
Applicant from COnsid-
Grafton.

OYSTER BAY, n. y, July 7.-An import
ant order was issued tonight by President
Roosevelt announcing the policy hereafter
to be followed by the administration in the
making OF appointments or promotions in
the military branch of the government
The president orders that II any officer of
the army or navy hereafter shall solicit in
fiuences aside from the records of his serv-
ice on file in the War or Navy departments,
in order to obtain promotion or assignment,
he shall be debarred thereby from the ad-
vancement or detail which he is seeking.
Text of the order.
The text OF the order follows:
THE WHITE HOUSE, July Z, 1sO5.-The
congress of the United States, by appro-
pirate legislative enactments, has made the
matter of assignments transfers and de-
tails In the army the subject Of formal
statutory regulations. Executive regula-
tions in furtherance of these statutes have
been adopted, the operation of which has
been TO place upon record In the War de
partment full and detailed information in
respect to the character, capacity, military
services and general attainments of all
officers composing the military establish
ment. The records so obtained fully set
forth the relative merits Of officers of all
grades OF rank in the several branches ot
the line and stan, and enable all vacancies
which occur in the military service to be
filled after a careful comparison of the
records Of those officers who are eligible
under the law for particular assignments
or details.
A similar legislative policy exists in re-
spect to the navy, and the records of the
Navy department furnish evidence of the
character, service and ability of all officers
of the navy, founded upon the official re-
ports of those officers whose duty 1t is to
make them. These reports are sufficiently
specific to enable the department to de-
ternline the position which each officer is
fitted to hold, without the Intervention OF
requests or otherwise from outside the
navy.
One Exception to the Rule.
1t is therefore announced that in future
appointments, details, transfers and assign
ments in the army and navy, the executive
will be guided by the official records of the
War and Navy departments, respectively
to the exclusion of other sources of lnflu-
ence or information; but in case an officer
has performed any special act of bravery
or courage, or rendered specially efficient
service, Of which there is no record, or only
a partial record, in the War or Navy de.
partment the testimony of any person who
was an eye witness of the same may be
submitted for consideration.
Should IL be discovered that since the
publication of this order an officer of the
army or navy has sought recommendation
or support from sources outside of those
named above, this fact will debar him from
obtaining the particular advancement, as
| signment detail which he has by such
means attempted to secure, and that tho
! fact that he has sought such influence will
| be noted on his official record
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.