The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-21
The Unfit" Army Officer.

The annual reports OF the military COM
manders are prolific this year with sug-
gestions concerning personnel legislation,
and It Is observed that reference contin-
ues TO be made 10 the presence in the
military establishment OF inefficient on
GERS. This year Brig. Gen. NJ P Maus
who is in command of one OF the military
departments, says: In the interest Of
efficiency in the army. II IS evident there
should be some legislation enacted which
would enable the War Department to re-
tire or otherwise eliminate from active
service a certain class Of officers. gen
orally Of field rank, who have no useful
place in the active military establish
ment, but are ansactual detriment TO the
service and an obstacle in the way OF the
advancement OF deserving officers"
The law at present does not reach
these cases. II Is pity that an officer
who is IN command, and who ought To
know OF the standing Of his subordlnates.
is not more specific, What is the trouble
with the army. that its commissioned per
sonnet should be so weighed down with
officers. generally Of field rank" who
have no useful place" on the active
list? There must be something woefuly
defective when officers can go through
various grades. UP TO that Of lieutenant
colonel, for instance. without having their
inefficiency or unhtness discovered and
some action taken which will accomplish
elimination before they attain exalted
rank
People who view the army without the
prejudices OF service association are IN
clined 10 believe that there is no such
wholesale defect as is pointed out In some
OF the reports. Elimination is advocated
generally on the plausible ground that
It is necessary TO improve the personnel.
AS a matter of fact. II applies Itself TO
officers OF senior rank whose retirement
would help promotion. This undoubtedly,
and naturally enough, is an agreeable
prospect for junior officers, who over
look the fact that by the adoption OF a
system of eliminating seniors. they viii
themselves come in for this violent sepa-
ration from the active list In due time
There are existing facilities for eliminat-
ing officers who are unit. and there is no
necessity for additional legislation TO
any such end. 1t was only recently that
an Officer OF the grade OF major appeared
ington with reports which suggested his
retirement. His case is still pending,
largely because the officer was able TO
point out that his fitness had been Off
cially confirmed by recent promotion
from the grade OF captain. He argued,
and with some force. that if he had not
been qualified. in the view of the promo
ton board. 70 discharge the duties of a
major, he's would not have been advanced.
This has enabled him TO resist the efforts
Of the retiring board to identify any char
acteristics, personal or professional. which
fail 10 entitle him TO continue on the
active list.
There is. therefore. no assurance that
any legislation. short of that which Is
mandatory or which is founded on an
age-in-grade retirement. viii succeed any
better than the existing conditions have
operated toward elimination. AS a matter
OF fact. it Is very difficult to determine
whether an officer should be eliminated
because he has no useful place" in the
military establishment A man may be
unfit for one class of duty and still be
valuable in another direction II is a
problem not easy TO solve. on any ground