The Washington herald., 1918-03-23
Thousands to Lose Com
missions or Be Sent to
Duty in Field.
QUALIFIED TECHNICAL
MEN HOLD THEIR JOBS
Many Commissioned from
Civil Life Have Useful
Attainments.

Gen. Peyton c. March, chief OF
staff, announced yesterday that a
sweeping investigation of COM
missions granted to reserve Off
GERS throughout the War Depart
ment will be conducted with vigo:
and that all "swivel-chair" officers
of draft age will be weeded out at
once.
Thousands of officers will lose
their commissions or be sent to
field duty.
Gen. March's statement was
made before a meeting of the War
Council and the House Committee
on Military Affairs.
Herald Campaign Effective.
Representative Charles Pope Cald-
well, of the House Committee on Mil
itary Affairs. declared to The Herald:
Il believe that the heavy publicity
given to the matter of Stacker COM
missions by The Washington Herald
this week has been a good thing for
the country, and has brought the
Stacker in uniform scandal to a
head"
In consideration of Gen. March's
promise to weed out draft-age Off
GERS in bomb-proof Jobs. a Virtual
agreement was reached by 5sstn-
bers of the House Military Com
mittee that no House attacks
would be made on the War De-
partment. so far as the committee
could prevent it.
Gen. March also said that when
the army appropriation bill came
before the committee. it would
carry many of the present officers
as clerks. The alleged extrava-
gance of paying such officers full
salaries to perform duties ordinar-
lily cared for by civilian help had
been a special point of complaint on
the part of the committee
March Opposes Insignia.
Suggestions that the staff officers
be required to wear some special in
sigma indicating that they were not
of the fighting forces were strongly
opposed by Gen. March.
The general said that. as Chief of
Star, he would himself be compelled
to wear the white arm band pro-
posed by Representative Kitchin for
desk officers. Many stan officers, he
said. were constantly requesting him
to be transferred to active service.
{ In the new reorganization scheme
of the War Department. enlisted men
of draft age will not be permitted to
do Office work in the War Depart
nent.
In despite of this order. notice has
been given The Herald of several
cases in which officers are said to
have told the enlisted men under
their command in the Ordnance De-
partment that they would be trans
ferred to training camps for a short
time and then be returned to the
War Department when this fog rails
ed by The Herald blows over"
Names of both the men, and the
camps to which it is proposed to
transfer them. were furnished.
Do Some Filing.
1t is freely conceded that hun
dreds of staff officers in Washing
ton who have been commissioned
from civil life cannot be put in
charge OF troops IN the field. Alb
solutely unframed in military
science. the majority of them do moi
know how to salute properly. They
will probably be sent to training
camps or be deprived of their COM
missions
The trifling clerical work that
many Of the first and second lieute-
nants perform is in many cases
comparable to that of office boys
Some of them dispense pencils and
erasers. others file blue prints.
Perhaps the most bitterly resented
case Of commissioning q safety
CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE