The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-08
II JUDGE BY RECORD
SOLICITATIONS WILL HAVE NO EF-
 FECT, SAYS ROOSEVELT.
Important Statement h Issued by Pres tdent Regarding Promotions In Army and Navy of the
 United States.

Oyster Bay. N. Y., July 7.-An im- portant order was issued tonight by President Roosevelt announcing the policy hereafter to be followed by the administration in the making of ap- pointments or promotions in the mili- tary branch of the government. The President orders that if any officer of the army or navy hereafter shall so- licit influences aside from the records of his service on file in the War or Navy Departments In order to obtain promotion or assignment, he shall be debarred thereby from the advance ment or detail which he Is seeking. The text of the order follows:
 White House, July '. 1905.
 The Congress of the United States. by appropriate legislative enactments, has made the matter of assignments. transfers and details in the army the subject of statutory regulations. Ex- ecutive regulations in furtherance of these statutes have been adopted. the operation of which has been to place upon record in the War Department full and detailed information in re- spect to the character, capacity, mili- tary service and general attachments of all officers composing the military and other establishments. The rec ords so obtained fully set forth the relative merits of officers of all grades of rank in the several branches of the line and staff and enable all vacancies which occur in the military service to be filled after careful comparison of the records and these officers who are eligible under the law for particula: assignments or details.
 "A similar legislative policy exists in respect to the navy and the records of the Navy Department furnish evil dence of the character service and ability of all officers of the navy found ed upon the official reports of those officers whose duty 1t Is to make them. These reports are suff1 ff1ciently4 specific to enable the department to determine the particular duty which each officer is fitted to perform, without the in tervention of requests, claims or infiu- ences from sources outside the navy.
 Tt is therefore announced that In the future appointments, details. trans fers and assignments 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 influence or information. but in case an officer has performed any special act of brav- cry or courage, or renders specially ef- ficient service of which there is no record or only d partial record in the War or Navy Department. testimony of any person who was an eye witness of the same may be submitted for consid- eration. H-..
 Should it be discovered that since any publication of this order. an of ficer of the army and navy has sought recommendation or support from sources outside of those named above, this fact will debar him from obtaining the particular advancement. assign ment or detail which he has by such means attempted to secure and the fact that he has sought such infiu- ence will be noted on his official rec ord.
 (Signed) Theodore Roosevelt"