Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-25
GEN. WEST MAY
TAKE REQUEST
To STATE BODY
Military Men Believe Controversy
Will Be Transferred to Leg
isIature in June.
Continued From Page I.

to time may be provided by the laws,
rules and regulations for the Govern
ment of the United States army, and
such duties as may be designated py
the Governor
Sec 1853. QUARTERMASTER
GENERAL. The Quartermaster Gen
eral shall attend to the care, preser.
walton, safekeeping and repairing OF
the arms, ordnance, accoutrements
and equipment, and all other military
property belonging to the State or is
sued to the State by the Government
of the United States, and shall be
responsible therefor He shall per
form such duties as pertain to the Of
flee of Quartermaster General as
from time to time may be provided by
the laws rules and regulations made
for the government of the United
States army and as may be prescribed
by the Governor
THE suggestion contained in your
letter is that Circular S. referred to
in your letter and issued by the
military authorities at Washington,
makes the office obsolete and renders
the rank of the Quartermaster Gen
eral excessive.
Assuming your construction to be
correct the question therefore arises
whether | shall recognize said clrcu-
lar as multiplying the law of the State
| of Georgia a embodied in the Code
of Georgia.
These Code sections declare there
shall be an Adjutant General and a
| Quarlermaster General, each of whom
shall have the rank of Brigadier Cen
eral. | believe | have no authority by
order to abolish the office of Quar-
,e.to 70
of the rank Of Brigadier General, and
regardless OF what may be my indi-
vidual opinion, l was bound TO obedi-
ence to the States law.
Section 1868, in my judgment, only
| allows the Governor to make such
regulations in detail as do not con-
| tiict with the clearly expressed in
| tention of the law, as contained in
| sections 1861 6263
Quartermaster's Salary Adequate.
| Regarding the statement in your
| letter that the sum of $2,750 paid as
| annual salary to the QuartermaSter
| General is unnecessary, my opinion is
| largely embodied in the previous por-
ton # this communication For years
| the salary of the Quartermaster Cen
| eral las been approximately this sum.
| My predecessors in office have deemed
| such compensation appropriate to the
| office of Brigadier General and betit-
ting the duties placed by statute upon
the Quartermaster General. Possibly
they have been guided by the Legis-
lative judgment that the salary of the
! Adjutant General who is also Briga-
der General. should be $4,000. Es-
pecially in view of the early session
| of the Legislature, | do not deem 1t
| advisable to change the status that
has long existed
MY understanding is that the ut
most penalty which could be visited
| by the Federal military authorities
upon the State for not reducing the
rank of Quartermaster General to
! that of Major, in accordance with cir
| cular. would be a refusal on the part
! of the Government to allow compen-
sation to the Quartermaster General
in case of maneuvers,
Refers to Legislature.
IF the sum of $2,750 is uselessly
expended and could be appropriately
saved, such suggestion should appeal
very strongly to the Legislature. In
no department should money be
wasted. 1t is my understanding that
a large proportion of the States which
have conformed to Circular have
| done so by Legislative enactment
ANY conflict with national authori-
! ties should be avoided and all rea-
sonable efforts should be made to ac-
complish such harmony as will best
/ improve the department. The queS-
/ lions submitted by you may involve
| principles of far-reaching effect. l
think the declaration of policy,
whether the National Guard of Geor-
! gia shall be State or national
force, and whether State control
shall be subordinate to national con-
troll should be determined by the
Legislature rather than the Gov
| ernor.
Requested Office Retained.
Upon entering this office l notified
| the present Quartermaster General
that desired his continuance in Of
flee under the statute.
You will observe that | have dealt
with the questions contained in your
communication solely upon the basis
of he law as | construed it. The re-
spective authority and duties of the