The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-17
NEW PLAN or ARMY PROMOTION,

WASHINGTON, April 8.-Heretofore when
officers Of the army were TO be examined
for promotion it has been the custom to
appoint temporary examining boards. 1t
has now been decided to appoint ten or
more such boards, whose term of service
shall be not less than two nor more thar
three years, unless there be some special
reason for a longer or shorter term for IN
dividual members. The boards will con-
sist of five members each and selection Will
be made for the appointment with special
reference to fitness for the duties to be
performed.
This is probably an improvement upon
the present system, and it may be that no
better plan can be devised. The special
trouble in the whole matter is the exceed
ing difficulty of eliminating all personal
equation. The candidate for promotion
may be and often is a personal friend or an
associate Of one or more of the examining
officers. The army is a little world by
itself, and there is a great reluctance to
turn a man down. The rules, as rules, are
broad enough and strict enough, but the
loopholes through which an entrance is too
often gained to q higher rank are many
and large.
1t has been proposed that there be Gre
ated a group of examining boards COM
posed of retired officers, and we certainly
have an ample supply of such to draw from
without going below the grade Of Brigadier-
General. On its surface this appears to be
a very satisfactory plan. 1t would give
retired officers something to do, and there
are many who would be glad Of such
occupation. 1t would, in theory, insure
competent and impartial examinations. 1t
would avoid the necessity of taking fifty or
more officers away from their proper work
with their regiments. But objection Is
made to the plan, and certain obstacles to
1t are fairly apparent.
1t is seldom that an applicant for pro-
motion is turned down on any other ground
than that OF physical disability, and in that
case he is usually put on the retired list.
1t is doubtful if the army has ever before
been quite 80 demoralized in the matter OF
promotion as it is at present. The way in
which promotion by selection has been
exercised since the beginning Of the Span
ish-American war and men Of known unfit
ness promoted, while men of recognized
ability nave been able to secure promotion
only by retirement, has had a tendency to
lower the entire tone of the question.
Fortunately, the United States Army has
only a very small percentage Of officers
who are either morally, mentally or physi-
cally unfit to serve in the higher grades.
We have Majors and even Captains in
plenty who are fit to command regiments,
and Lieutenants who are qualified for bat
talon or squadron command, Now and
then a menta or moral weakling slips
through, but there are not many Of them.
The main difficulty is the selection of gen.
eral officers, and it is an open question
whether grades above Colonel, as we'll as
those below. should not be filled by some
other method than that Of selection and
appointment by the Executive, as they now
are. We want none but the best men at
the head Of our small army, and the history
of the service during the last forty years
shows a long list of names OF general officers
who we're VIGOROUSLY far from the best Of
their day and time,
The details of the new plan are not yet
fully worked out, but 1t is hoped and be-
lieved that their completion will provide
a system which will be decidedly "for the
good Of the service"