New-York tribune., 1907-12-23
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Pay Increase Prospect-Many Army
Commands Are 4ctually Decimated.
from The Tribune Bureau
We ocI,f,v.n., DoeCeY

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington, December %
GOOD NEWS FOR SERVICE.-There is evidence
at the Capitol of definite progress toward the
passage of the service pay bill There has for
some time been practical certainty that the Dill
would be adopted by the Senate. and now the in
dicatiors strong that Speaker Cannon Is com
ing TO look more favorably on the measure Inc
report of Captain johnson Haygood. of the Coast
Artillery. handed about in committee rooms at
the Capitol yesterday, and its striking illustrations
and clear cut sensible arguments appealed foTclny
TO the members Captain Haygood takes occasion
to emphasize the fact that the Increased wages
paid to artisans and others Is not urged ground
for asking equal pay for the soldier out merely
evidence that the soldier must have some IN
crease. Soldiers have never received the same
pay civilians, and property so. but when lhe
present service pay tables were fixed due regaro
paid TO prevailing wages. and Congress deter
| mined what 1t regarded as the proper discrep
ancy between the Now that civilian pay mas
materially increased, the proportion which Con-
gress deemed proper has been thrown out OF pal
ance. and a readustmcnt OF service pay IS essen
tal the retention and contentment OF the soIoef
For instance the most unskilled farmland can
command $50 month and board lodging ana WASH
ing The administration urges that the private
soldier get SIS month. the difference being onset
by the medical attendance, certainty OF employ
ment. etc. which the soldier enjoys. This Is COM
mon argument which appeals TO members OF
Congress.
Such instances as that of a company OF Infantry
which recently set out on 4 twenty-one days prac-
tice march from Fort Niagara with nine men IN
the ranks, with the wagons. one quarterfnaster
sergeant and two cooks, leaving five OF the COM
pany guard Fort Niagara. afford striking evil
dence OF the actual necessity OF taking that step
which the President and the General Staff regard
the only practical means of keeping tho SER
vice recruited up TO the normal peace ttrength.
THE HORSEBACK RETIREMENT-Nothing in
long time has so interested army officers as the
action which will be taken BY Secretary TAFT as
soon as he can reach the subject, upon the report
of the retiring boards which have examined the
army officers who failed to take failed in taking
the test horsemanshi7. There more than
thirty cases pending and most OF these officers
are Of the rank of colonel and lieutenant colonel
and most or the remainder majors, it means
considerable IN the of promotions II the recon-
nendaticns for retirement are approved The de-
lay has served TO give these officers an opportu-
nifty to urge the War Department to make excep-
tons in certain cases. while the petitions from
commercial bodies have been presented in behalf
of Colonel ". l.. Marshall, OF the corps Of engi-
neers. who is IN charge of river and harbor work
! in New York. The action on these retiring cases
will be an illustration Of the policy OF the admin
istration M Roosevelt adheres TO his BELIEF that
all officers should be able 10 ride. those Of
the infantry who have hitherto not been ex-
pected qualify themselves in this respect II
this works is expected. the infantry officers
will have good claim for asking Congress for
mounted pay, and there are probably few infantry
captains who will object to the requirement that
they shall ride. II strengthens their claim to be
considered in the same class the captains OF
cavalry.
MEDICAL DISCOVERY IL tiUAM.-The naval
surgeons are considerably interested In the pros
pect that important discovery has been made
! by the naval surgeon duty at Guam. Reports
the year have shown that the natives of the
island are troubled with strange disease known
/ as gangosa, which has been considered incurabe.
and has spread at such rate as to require isola-
| ton of the victims. In the case OF lepers The
| naval surgeon on duty at Guam. Passed Assistant
| Surgeon Albert J. Geiger. has been devoting con-
siderable time study the disease, and has
made several reports to the surgeon general Of
| the navy on the subject The first report de-
scribed the character the disease and the treat
| rnent which had been applied to 1t, and this was
published in the quarterly bulletin which is issued
| from The bureau of medicine and surgery The
next bulletin will contain some further Information
as a result of tho continued Investigations Of DR.
| Cieiger who believes that he has discovered the
cause Of the disease. If this is the case. i'm
portant contribution has been made 10 science and
| stems will be taken to find a prevention for the
| spread of the devastating disease.
| WEST POINT AND CORNELL--Some mischiev-
GUS publications have sought TO make 1t appear
| that the authorities at the Military Academy had
| insulted party of students from Cornell Uni
versitv who attended the football game played at
west Point between the academic team and that
| from Cornell. The army officer who Is on duty a
| the university. Captain Frank A Barton Sd cav
airy has taken occasion to deny in vigorous terms
anv such intention. The use Of troops upon the
occasion in question due TO the landing Of ex-
/ curs,onists from the steamer Monmouth. The
I
| Military Academy authorities were grateful over
the denial which has been made by Captain Bar
ton and IN whom Colonel II. l. Scott. the super
! ,ntend.nt Of the academy, has expressed his ap-
preciaton adding, '.AU the officers and cadets of
the academy have a genuine affection for Cornell
and we feel that the sentiment Is recfprocated and
| will last always
| TEACHING THE FILIPINOS.-The authorities
,n the Philippines have come to the conclusion mat
II is necessary TO compel the Filipnos and others
cd a live to the oDilEaConS I'M
nosed nv a bond case. that involving the
rouef from the payment OF a penal amount OF BOND
given TO assure the safekeepng Of firearms which
were subsequently rrecoverably lost in the sea- the
governor general has decided to deny all applica-
tfons for such relief. He says: II excuses are TO
| Ia accented for the loss OF firearms ana rehei
Granted the giving of bond will become mere
matter of form and sales and transfers OF arms to
nersons not entitled to have them VIII be mace
easv In a number of cases Fipinos have pre-
snted nett,ons asking relief from their bonds
"a sat,iny forth circumstances Of the loss OF
arns Their petitions have been denied IN every
case" This will be the policy of The authorities IN
the Philippines.