New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-26
Where Tact Would Have Counted


We publish elsewhere on this page some
letters expressing acute dissatisfaction
with the War Departments treatment OF
candidates who have passed or are still to
pass examinations for the Officers Reserve
Corps. They are typical of large number
Of complaints which have reached us.
The departments original order regard
ing attendance at training camps was I'M
fortunately drawn. 1t seemed to contem-
plate many small injustices which the de-
partment now says were not contemplated.
1t is encouraging to know, for example,
that candidates for commissions who have
passed their examinations successfully are
not to be subjected to additional tests be-
fore a training camp board and are not to
be required to sign agreements binding
them to accept commissions IN grades
lower than those for which they offered
themselves. 1t is now announced that
those who have already qualified for COM
missions will receive them whether they
enter the training camps or not. That is
a concession to fairness and common sense.
All other applicants, however, no matter
what progress they have made in drill and
study, will have to go to the training
camps This will be hardship for many
who had about reached the point of taking
examinations, yet these candidates do not
complain so much of such forced extern
sion of the course Of instruction as they do
of the fact that the government has asked
them to serve three months at camp with
out pay. Technically, the War Depart
ment has at present no authority to prom
Use them pay, since an appropriation to
cover their pay will have to be made by
Congress. Yet Congress is likely to give
this money without the slightest hesitation.
1t would, therefore, have been more tactful
for the department to say that the pay
question would be taken up at once with
the military committees of the two houses
As a matter of fact, Congress will I'M
doubtedly not only give the department au-
thority to call all commissioned reserve
officers into active duty on regular pay,
but will also provide salaries for the can
didates for commissions while they are in
camp. Cadets at West Point are paid
while they are studying for commissions.
The government should apply the same
liberal rule to candidates for the Reserve
Corps when they drop their professions
and occupations and go into camp.
One other material cause of complaint
remains. The maximum attendance at
each camp will be $500. But out of $500
candidates the department now plans to
select officers for only one division, with
an additional regiment Of cavalry. Less
than 700 officers will be assigned to the
division and the cavalry regiment. The
other candidates who pass will be accepted
as additional reserve officers. Since Off
GERS are the most urgent need of the army,
this scheme Of selection seems too rigid.
! II will produce only about 5000 active Off
GERS out of total Of 10000 applicants.
! This is too low ratio under the cir
cumstances.
A defect in the original plan was the re-
quirement that an applicants age should
determine the grade in which he should try
70 qualify. Under this rule young West
Pointer who had resigned could enter the
Reserve Corps only as a candidate for
first lieutenant, while older civilians, with
out any military experience, were being
examined for the grades of captain and
major. There ought 10 be a greater fexi-