The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-13

1catiOn. urges reglmental promotion IN
cOntradistinOtiOn TO promotion in the arm
OF service. or what is generally called hnsal
promotion.
There is undoubtedly a great deal to be seid
In favor OF regimental promotion. Under
that system Of promotion. in vogue In the
United states until quite recently. the Second
and First Lleutenants were promoted only
In their own regiments. so that an Onicer re-
NAMED In the same regiment from the time
he entered the service as a Second Lieutenant
until he was promoted to a Majors rank. in
other words. for the best part Of his life.
This naturally resulted In producing strong
reeimentAl feeling and sspTtt de corps among
the officers. which feeling was OF course
reflected In the men and produced certain
degree OF COntentment throughout the regi-
ment. The company officers knew their men,
and the latter knew the officers and there was
"A mutual feeling OF interest and confidence.
These are the arguments in favor OF the old
system OF regimental promotion. which Cen
eral Barry apparently favOrs. The cOndl-
tions OF the regiments and especially Of the
companies he says. ARE not what they were
when regimental promotion was in vOgue.
Then and reRimentaa spirit was
encouraged and engendered because Of the
permanency OF the officers belonging to the
companies and the regiments"
Under the present system Of lineal promo
ton in the arm OF the service. by which the
officers OF infantry. cavalry or artillery Of
any grade are promoted not in their own
regiments but into any regiment where the
vacancy happens to have occurred. there IL
no such permanently. Indeed. quite the re-
verse. An officer who may have been as
signed to any regiment originally Is almost
sure to leave IL on promotion; moreover. the
detail system Of appointments to the stan
departments frequently takes officers away
from their companies and regiments. so that
| there Ia NOnntQmt 0hanRA In fha nn1NRra Of the
companies. The effect Of this Is soon felt
by even the best organization. and It is not
salutary.
The disadvantage OF regimentaI promotion
is that IL makes promotion too unequal. even
in the same branch OF the service. The bad
effects of the old system can now be seen in
the army. particularly In the coast artillery,
where one graduate Of the class of II at the
Military Academy ranks far above another
Of the class OF 'TOl
While regimental promotion. therefore.
undoubtedly has much TO recommend IL as
improving the esprit OF the army. It is doubt
full II q return TO this system can be effected.
Most officers OF the army agree with General
Barry that IL would be good to preserve the
old feeling Of regiments. much OF which still
remains among the older officers and has
existed in some cases for fifty or a hundred
years in the older regiments. yet the evil
effects Of regimental promotion were 80
uthEhtu anu DEDuuctu 30 muCu utNcO0Nfub
that IL Is doubtful II officers generally would
recommend a return to Il. ut least as IL was
when abolished.
Some other solution OF the problem must be
found which will preserve reRimentAl feeling
and yet make promotion equal in the same
arm OF the service.
The detail system was also discussed in
General Barry's repor Formerly the So
called stan departments (pay. ordnance.
q-uartermaster's. inspector-general's. adju-
tant-general's. &cD were composed Of officers
assigned to them permanently. but by a re-
cent law the positions in them have been
filled by the detail of line officers for a period
OF four years at a time. The disadvantage
OF the new system are many.
Under the detail system" says General
Barry, the best officers are naturally and
necessarily taken from troops. Bureau chiefs
and others seeking officers for their depart
ments' naturally recommend the best. and
generally without considering their availa-
bility or length OF former detached duty"
Another disadvantage is the fact that IL
takes officers away from their companies
and regiments and leaves the latter under
Oficered. Moreover. IL liz very doubtful II
the detail system Is advantageous to such
departments as the ordnance. where ex-
peTts Of the highest standing are required.
IL is not believed that a detail Of four years
will ever produce ROdman or a Dyer. or any
Of the brilliant men who still adorn that corps.
and whose reputation rs international, Crozier.
Biruie. MacNutt. Dunn, Blunt. Baker and
BrutT among others.
Under the old system Of permanent appoint
msnt to the stan departments an officer who
distinguished himself in any way could be
rewarded by appointment In the subsistence
or au-artermaster's department. or by being
promoted into the inspector-generals. adju-
tant-gener9l's, judge-advOCate generals, or
pay department. Now this is no longer pos
sible. These are the disadvantages Of the
detail system to the stan departments.
The advantages are mainly those which led
to its adoption. namely. the fact that the
stan departments are made more efficient
thereby, because they are thus constantly
In touch with the army and know its needs
better. and the routine OF work makes more
officers available for special work in time OF
war.
Before the detail system was adopted the line
Of the army felt that the officers in the stan
departments had become narrow and preju-
diced, and had lost all feeling for the line.
This, while Undoubtedly true In many cases,
is not fair to the present generation OF higher
officers Of the stan departments, who are not
only efficient in their corps but also sensible
men in general. with a warm sympathy for
and interest In the line, Consequently. there
Ia not at present the same absolute need for
the detail system. On the other hand. the
old conditions may return II these stan
departments are left to themselves.
General Barry believes that the detail sys-
tenn will fail of its purpose because all line
officers on stan detail will In time OF war
endeavOr to leave the stan In order to get
TO the front with their own regiments. He
therefore suggests a modification OF the
detail system. making IL apply to the lower
grades Of rank only. the higher grades to be
filed by the permanent appointment Of those
who have shown themselves most proficient,
at the same time leaving It discretionary with
the President to appoint officers Of the line
who have specially distinguished themselves.
This appears TO be the best solution Of the
difficulty. and one that would increase the
efficiency OF the stan departments and yet
make them keep in touch with the line Of the
army in a satisfactory way. At the sans
time Il would permit OF rewardIng officers
who have distinguished themselves in the
Geld or otherwise.
The details OF line officers 10 the so-caIled
staR departments (Ordnance. inspector-gen-
eral. pay. dol make vaoacanles In the regi-
ments from which the officers come. and
thus cause promotion. but other details do
not. These latter details include especially