New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-26
"Penalizing Patriotism
Harsh Effect Of the New Training
Camps Order
DO the Editor of M Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The following is the circular sent by
Eastern Department Headquarters just re-
ceived by officers of the officers Reserve
Corps emitting the locations Of camps:
!. Training camps for the instruction Of reserve
officers and candidates for reserve officers WIZ oe
established for n period Of three months. beginning
May ). in this department at the following
points
.. As no APPROPRIATION or authority TO order re-
officers 10 active duty is available. all reserve
officers Of the line and the engineers are invited 10
attend the camp in their district for the iul three
months period. without enlisting. No assurance
can be given relative TO pay Of reserve ohcer'
or candidates.
p The object Of each camp is the training and
selection Of officers for full division and one addi-
tional cavalry regiment.
T. The maximum attendance az each camp VIII be
$500. divided into fifteen companies, during the hrst
month. and then reassgned TO nine infantry COM
panies. three troops two batteries and one en-
gineers' company for the remaining two months -
D. After each organization named has trained al
members thereof and finally selected officers for one
regiment. the remainder are TO be appointed as ad-
dtional reserve officers, II competent
g. You urged 10 attend these camps ana are
advised 20 apply directly TO the commanding officer
of the camp in your district for permission TO do
T. II Is intended 20 have the camps ready TO re-
ceive reserve officers and candidates on May ], the
intensive course Of instruction to begin May 3.
and equipment v LA s. ROCKWELL.
Assistant 20 Adjutant.
The Hay-Chamberlain bill provides that
reserve officers are part of the regular army.
They have been commissioned after long
study and service in various organizations,
upon rigorous examinations, and by accepting
their commissions have offered themselves as
volunteers in the service Of the country in
time Of need Since when has 1t been the
policy Of the United States to accept gratui-
tous volunteers for the army in time of war?
| have served over seven years IN the Ma
tional Guard. including six months on the
Mexican border at great financial hardship;
| have expended several hundred dollars in
purchasing uniforms and equipment neces-
sary for field service; my entrance into
active service will involve abandoning pro-
fossional income on which | am dependent,
several times as large as my pay as an Off
Ger; | cannot abandon the claims OF my
family; and am now "invited" and urged"
by a necesstous if parsimonious country to
give three months hard work in the service
of that country gratuitousy! This policy
would be amusing if it were not disgusting.
The situation of candidates for commits
sions attending camps is even more unfair.
These are urged" and invited to abandon
their positions. clients or customers, to spend
money for uniforms and equipment, and to
spend three months in gratuitous labor, with
little or no assurance Of employment at the
end. either for the term of the war or other
wise For division at war strength requires
Tables Of Organization, 1914, p. 49, $40 Of
fcers; an additional cavalry regiment, 81 Of
fcers: total, GIL officers. The circular pro-
vdes for an attendance Of $500 at each camp,
from whom are to be selected officers for
division and a cavalry regiment Thus there
will be 1s29 left-overs at the end of three
months, who are baited with appointments as
additional reserve officers, "if competent
In fact, the number will be greater, for it is
not expected that generals, colonies and
majors will be selected from among the re-
serve officers and candidates.
Here's pretty state of things"
am ready TO make sacrifices to do what
can for the country in this present emer-
gency. But the War Department, or Con-
eress or both, with an austere snub cacu-
lated to calm any remnants of enthusiasm
left after my border experience, now present
me with the alternative Of becoming a mill
tary pauper or Stacker. | shall elect the
former: but there are times when | wish |
had devoted my energies to becoming Home
Defence Lacquer or Boy Scout or some
thing in the stay-at-home line.
Penalizing patriotism!
CAVALRY OFFICER. o. r. G.
New York, April 81 1917.