Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-26
WILL Be MORE SEVERE
Difficulty of Army Examinations
to Be Increased.
SECRETARY TAFT's EFFORTS
Incompetent Officers Should Be Drop
ped From the Service.
THE PLAN TO BE ADOPTED
Assistant Secretary Newberry Also
Trying to Brace Up the Navy
In This Respect.
SECRETARY TAFT's EFFORTS
THE PLAN TO BE ADOPTED
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
Secretary Root was very successful in Sc
curing legislation from Congress while he
was at the head Of the War Department
None of his predecessors ever did SO much
to improve the efficiency of the army or to
promote its welfare as he, but he failed
In one very important proposition. During
the session Of 10000 he proposed that Con-
gress pass a law providing for promotion
by selection; so that the brightest and best
men in the army should be pushed forward,
and the dull and Indifferent ones should re-
main in the rear. Very naturally Congress
would not crafty him, because the opposi-
ton in the army was almost unanimous
only few brilliant officers favored the bill
therefore at present, up to the rank of
colonel, promotion by seniority still pre-
Valis and the officer at the top of the list
steps into the dead mans shoes
Then Secretary Root tried to put some
vitality into the formal examina tons for
promotion, and Secretary Taft Is going to
continue that policy even more vigorously
than his predecessor.
Inc law requires an examination to show
that an officer Is qualified for the responsf-
bilities of advanced rank before he can be
promoted. but, for several reasons, chiefly
because the Secretary of War is himself
susceptible to social and political influence,
these examinations have been farces The
first time they were held several officers
were found disqualified, including the son
or member of the United States Senate,
and Secretary Proctor, who was at the head
or the War Department at that time
knocked the whole scheme in the head by
overruling the boards of examiners and
promoting the delinquents as promptly
possible. That interference did more to dis
credit and discourage mental and moral i'm
provement among the officers of the army
than anything that ever occurred before or
since. If Secretary Proctor had possessed
the nerve to enforce his own order and re-
fuse promotion to the senator's son and
other officers who had been found disquali-
fed, the morale of the service would have
been advanced ma terially. But acting on
what they considered a precedent, as dee
fining the policy of the department no
board of examiners ever found officer
mentally or morally disqualified until 1901
when Secretary Root tried to convince the
army that the examinations were intended
to be a real test of merit and efficiency. A
large number Of officers, however, were
turned down for physical disability. 1t was
not the fault of the boards of examiners,
but the Secretary of War was himself to
blame.
Incompetents With Commissions.
Since the increase of the army by ap-
pointments from civil life after the war
with Spain a large number Of incompetent
men have obtained commissions, and every
body knows it. The only way in which the
service can be relieved of their bad infiu-
ence and inefficiency is by court-nartiaI
when they violate the regulations, or by re-
fusing them promotion when their turn
comes. However, the examinations have
been so easy that during the last five years
only nine second Heutenants have been
found deficient and have gone out of the
army by reason OF failure to pass the pro-
motion examinations. Everybody admits
that they must have been hopeless speci-
mems of humanity when they could not find
enough friends among their comrades to
push them through.
Secretary Taft took a new hitch In the
examination system last year and gave or
ders that the law should be enforced as
strictly as possible; that the examinations
should be genuine, and that officers who
show & lack Of qualifications must not be
promoted. In his latest report he called
! attention to this matter and asked Con-
gress to pass appropriate legislation ito re-
move from active service every officer who,
by failure In the garrison or service school,
or at his promotion examinations, demon
strates his incapacity and ineficiency to
perform the duties required of him..
Secretary Taft's Remedy.
Speaking of this the other day he said:
"Oflcial records show that a number of
schools, some from incapacity to master
the course, and some from indifference. In
neither case can we hope that such officers
will prove efficient, but the only penalty
now for failure in any of the army schools
Is to have the fact noted on the officers
record. Unless an officer who has failed in
garrison and service schools fails on his
examinations for promotion also, no amount
of ignorance of the duties of his profession
or want of efficiency will remove him from
the service In my judgment, such a result
of an examination ought to be visited with
more penalty than now obtains, If. indeed,
there be said to be any penalty at all
for such failure. l do not think 1t would
be too severe IL the statutes were to pro-
vide that every officer failing in a garrison
examination should at once be brought be-
fore a board for determining whether he
is mentally fit to continue in the service,
with power to dismiss him if found want
ing.
I'm my judgment" continued Secretary
Taft. ''one possible and practical solution
of the congestion and slowness of promo
ton that we are certain to have in the reg
ular army is in greater severity in the
elimination of those who show themselves
at any stage of their career unfit to bear
the responsibility and enjoy the privilege
of wearing the uniform of the United
States army.
Secretary Taft has not succeeded in Sc
curing any legislation from Congress- but
he intends to accomplish the same result
IN a Qirect way un0er the present statute.
In the first place promotion examinations
will hereafter take place at Fort Leaven-
worth. Fort Riley, Fort Monroe. the Presi-
do and other central points in order to
get rid of neighborhood influence, local
pressure. and the favoritism that always
has been and always will be exercised in
behalf of the delinquents by their friends
and messmates.
Examinations to Be severer.
In the second place. the general staff pro-
pose to make the examinations much more