El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-17
0. H. MEN NOT
TREATED RIGHT
Made Lieutenants and Left
There; Pull Gets Others
Over Them.


washington. d. c.. april 17.-Here
Es q situation that IS bringing a storm
cr protests 10 the war department
and q congressional Investigation IS
even threatened
In the first officers training camps
$500 4en were commissioned as sec
l1L -leutenauts. Quartermaster s
cops. national army. Many OF them
indeed. 7 am reliably informed a ma
5ar-ry Of them-o55ected 10 being
uIacsd in the ouartermaster' branch,
harllg gone through the so days Of
hard training. seeking and hoping 10
obtain commissions II ihe fighting
branches OF the service. Some OF
-lezs men were actually informed
th1- they were entitled TO become
first lleuteuants, and captains in the
Ines lut that by reason OF special
clerical experiences, etc. they should
except second lieuteuaucies in that
branch OF the service 70 which their
experience In civil life best fitted
-llu. and so on
some Of chem were disposed to
break out Of harness, but they were
told that the call Of patriotism was
fzr louder than the call OF Individual
preference. and they all yielded Will
II is 1aeL. 100 tlaL q great many
NJ these second lieuteuants were told
-lzr their commissions were only
temporary. and that IN four or SIX
weeks afler the closing OF the camps,
rleT would be advanced 10 higher
rank Many OF them were told, II is
alleged, that they would see quicker
service abroad through the quarter
masters corps. and that after having
served for Q period. during the early
T q 3 =
would be transferred to the line.
SIN Iu Old Rank.
This army Of second leuteuants
were assigned TO the camps and can
comments Many OF them were &C
ruallV asst Eued 10 duty, il is said,
even including hundreds who had
been esrecially urged 20 accept that
branch Of service by reason OF expert
Business uualifi cations Young bank
CTS had giVeu up excellent positions,
brokers. lgOkkeepers5 men IN every
walk had answered this country $
Cali. and numbers OF men who had
been drawing salaries OF $1,000 or
more. or whose earning capacities
were equally as good found them
selves idlluE away their time at Cor
don. or Camp Johnston at Jackson
ville- or some other camp, drawing
the meager salary OF second leu-
tenant without allowance and pay
ilE practically all Of that salary Tor
uniforms and other personal equip
-elr and board
see Others Get Best Jobs.
Time wore on Tne reorganization
Of the departments in Washington
called for thousands OF men In the
Quart masters. ordnance shipping,
5Urclli Eclca and other noncOm blatant
bureaus 1Iel from civil lie began
r1 Get these appointments, being com
miss oued as first Eeutenants, and
cauraius and majors by the hundreds
yes. thousands The overw refining
eHHH "a me Hr Il
ceired no military training. They
had 10 be TAUGHT 10 salute. and yet
they were landed at the desk jobs
l1ev were permitted 70 buckle sEurs
10 their boots. and TO look like trained
soldiers in the mealtlne-Lne o-l1
men who had gone through the train
fuE schools and who had been pre-
vailed upon to accept service In this
uolcou Blatant branch, remained IN
the camps with Jew exceptions
Without promotions and without op-
n1rtunities 20 be Of that TItalizing
service in war that they had hoped
might be their fortune.
Trained Man Overlooked
And 90 this very hour the policy OF
appointing the captains and majors
from civil life has been almost aC-
le-el no. and though nearly three
quarters OF q gear has elapsed.
tenants &C. IT. c." who came out OF
the training camps last summer re-
main second Leutenants; and il is no
wonder that many OF them are al
most broken in spirits. When gem
cral March returned from France re-
Gently having been assigned to acting
CHIEF OF staff. he was amazed at che
humber IF men iu the draft age Who
u-erz holding down clerical JOBS In
Che government departments under
rouui EEi0us. having been issued them
f7 every branch from colonel down
He called FOR an inventory in every
branch Of every division. He went
SIT IN the ar. thereupOu orders were
issued 20 BEGIN a wedding; and thu
war department IS wedding yet. IT IS
0ulv becuu. iu fact. and in the reor-
eauizat ion that must follow the de-
termination TO ston this ignoble
stampede on the part OF young men
~ draft age for bomb proof Jobs nav
come 81 5uTtifiable RECOGNITION Of
these thousands OF young second leu-
tenants at the camps in the country
7-lo we're au0u- the first 10 answer
The call 90 the c0IOrs-