The Washington herald., 1907-05-22
Army Rank and the Family.

The civilian mind does not readily ap-
preciate-or. appreciatiug, refuses TO ac-
cept-the potency Of rank in the military
and naval organizations. Rank even
comes into the domestic existence of army
officers and invades the home life to the
extent that the selection Of quarters at
a military post is by virtue OF position
on the lineal list. The appearance Of
senior major. for instance. at an army
station may cause change in the
habitat Of ten or twenty Of his juniors
The major may choose 10 live In the
quarters occupied by the senior captain
who moves out. and. in turn, exercises
his right to select a place in which to
live: and so on down the line. with no
more disturbance to the serenity of the
domestic estate, apparently, than is in
VOWED in an exchange of the casual
amenities Of society Army officers and
their wives are used to this seismic vista
tion, and expect it as one of the usual IN
cidents Of their careers.
\ case where rank has been invoked TO
an unusual condition has Just come be-
fore the War Department The army
transport Thomas is TO sail from San
Francisco for the Philippines on June
with two troops of cavalry and an entire
regiment Of infantry. The passenger list
includes the members of the families Of
the officers Of these commands. together
with some ten or twelve Congressman
who are going on an inspection tour 70
the Hawaiian Islands. After the passen'
ger list had been completed to the
capacity of the vessel, IT was discovered
that eleven army surgeons would have
10 be sent to the Philippines to relieve
that number OF medical officers whose
tours of duty in the islands have expired
unexpectedly under the recent ruling
shortening by few weeks the period Of
tropical duty Of army staff officers. II
is with difficulty that accommodations
will be found on the Thomas for the
surgeons. and there are no accommoda-
uons for the members Of the families of
those officers. They must so on a later
transport.
Naturally, this situation has proved an
annoy dliDt ~ liif amy s.il .'Ll'. WIN
are thus temporarily beTeft Of their fami'
lies and who are put 10 extra expense OF
account Of the separation. There IS moth
/ ing to be done 10y the Quartermaster Cen
eral who has charge Of the transport
service, beyond requiring the postpone
ment Of the sailing Of the army doctors
wives and children. One of the surgeons
has. in this extremity, appealed to th'
War Department for relief. lie is a maio
or senior captain, and he points on
/ that his rank entities him to considera
| ton over a lieutenant OF the line who il
going out with his family. To the arm'
/ surgeon this is q case OF rank. and Tn
/ fact that the lieutenant is probably les
able 10 bear the expense OF the Separa
/ ton from his family and their main
/ tenance at home while he goes ahroar
/ does not excite the sympathy Of the ap
peuaut. OF course, assignments q
staterooms on army transports are mad
i'm accordance with rank. bat we under
stand that it IS a new question to appI
rank i'm determining which officers sha
be allowed to take their families It wi
be interesting % observe how the Wa
/ Department construos this question an
decides whether the rights Of relativ
military position pertain to members @
officers families.