Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-05
SECRETARY OF WAR GARRISON
PUTS STOP TO OUTSIDE ~
INTERFERENCE.
CONGRESSIONAL PULL OF
OFFICERS OF NO VALUE
Promotions to 30 Made Hereafter on
Merits and Not Because Of influsn.
tiai Frisnds-Garrison q Live Wire
and Has Made Good in Army Circles
TO Build UP Effective Machine.
Especial correspondence

| War Garrison is rapidly building up
a reputation as one OF the Invest wires
! in the form of a cabinet official that
has been found around Washington in
many months. if not years. The army
! is already swearing by the new sec
rotary and this inside of two months
after he has taken office. Stimson
was credited with a good record as
secretary of war but the army folks
say Garrison is getting start that
is likely to make his record still
better one.
The secretaries of war who have
seemed to understand that their busl-
ness was to do all possible to make
the army an effective fighting machine
and to give the army the best possible
fighting force of regular troops and
trained men in civil life have been few.
Many of the war secretaries have given
attention more to other affairs Of their
department than the strictly military
end of it. Secretary Garrison is not of
this type. He is out to improve the
army as fighting machine, TO
strengthen the national guard. and to
give the young men in civil life VINO
want military training chance to
get it and be prepared for service while
not becoming professional soldiers.
Resents Civilian Interference.
Secretary Garrison has won the
widespread approval of army men by
his recent order intended to compel
members of house and senate and other
influential civilians from using their
influence TO effect promotions and de-
tails. Such an order, II is true, mas
been on the books for a good while.
But it has been more or less ignored.
Now, Secretary Garrison has put MS
foot down and taken the position that
the use of such influence will be set
down against the record OF the officer
unless he shows that 1t was not with
his knowledge.
Another order of the new secretary
which has commended all sorts of IA
vorable comment in army circles, ana
in unbiased civilian circles, too, TOT
that matter, is one that provides for
promotions of colonies to brigadier
generals on recommendations from all
the generals on the active list. Mem
bers of house or senate are to be ls-
nored Fifteen or more colonies are
ambitious for promotion and pull OF
members of congress has been actively
at work Secretary Garrison has put
an abrupt stop to it by his new plan.
This plan simply is that when there IS
to be a promotion to brigadier general,
the various brigadier and major gen.
erals shall make confidential recon-
Inendations to the secretary of war,
SAYING what colonel best deserves pro-
motion. The secretary will be guided
by the majority opinion. lnasmuch
as the recommendations will be conf
dental and will be from seniors or
the officer to be promoted. they Will
be approximately unbiased.
End to Wire Pulling.
II these two orders are rgidly fol-
lowed, they will practically put an end
to political wirepulling in connection
with the army. The officer who mar
ries the daughter of senator will have
no better chance of promotion than
anybody else.
Not alone these orders but others
Of the new secretary are attracting no.
tice. His plan TO have frequent d.
vision notifications would be of great
service, according to army officers. The
plan to give summer camp training to
college boys has evoked much favor
able notice all over the country.
AS for the Garrison plan to shorten
the enlistment term to two years, this
is the same as the idea Of General
Leonard Wood and a large number OF
other able afficers who take no stock
whatever in the fve-year term advo-
Gated by General Ainsworth. 1t is no
ticeable that the frightening Of the
term has not worked well and also that
in other countries. especially England.
the tendency is toward the shorter
term. Secretary Garrison does not
have faith in the old notion that from
three to Ave years Of training were nee
essary before young man can be
trained to meet all the essential re-
uuirements of good soldering.