The Washington herald., 1918-03-25
HOUSE AWAITS
DISMISSAL OF
DESK OFFICERS
Congress Looking to War
Department to Make
Staff Cleanup.

Congress now awaits the outcome Of
the War Departments projected re-
moval OF officers within the draft who
are engaged in desk work
Several members OF Congress have
been gathering exact data on the sub
ject of Stacker commissions" for some
time. II the War Department does
not clean house" vigorously, they
threaten TO air their Information on
the floor of the House as soon as the
great war bills are disposed Of, when
an open survey OF the ''bombproof"
commissions may be made. Represen-
tatives Gordon. OF Ohio. and Butler.
of Pennsylvania, in particular. have
gathered a great deal OF data bearing
upon the indiscriminate granting OF
commissions in the War Department
during the last year.
senate watches situation.
On the Senate side OF the Capitol
there is also a disposition to regard
with close interest the action OF the
War Department in disposing OF the
1000 staff officers performing clerical
work who, the Chief Of Stan has an
nounced. will be replaced by civilians
as soon as practicable.
Senator Myers. of the Senate Com
mittee on Military Affairs. said:
While j would not be understood
as placing any structure on the
technical men who are often Of such
high value to the War Department,
there must be a thorough wedding
out Of the men who have used the
service as Kidding place. and
while clad in the uniform Of SOL
diers of their country have avoided
all danger"
Senator Sheppard, OF Texas. who
is also a member of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. de-
clared that in the coming reorgani-
zation OF the War Department, all
non-technical men within the draft
should either be eliminated or sent
to active service"
Representative Kitchin, House
Majority Leader. stands pat on his
proposal TO bestow on stan oficers
some insignia distinguishing them
from hghtinG officers of the line.
"Staff officers say they already
wear insignia indicating their corps"
said Mr.. Kitchin. That is true. The
men of the ordnance. quartermaster's.
provost marshal generals and other
departments all wear various little
complicated insignia. But the gen.
eral public does not know these in
sigma One of these stan civilians
in uniform looks like a real soldier to
the unmilitary eye
Wants Fair Deal for soldiers.
'I do not decry the work sf the
stan officers. Their duties are as i'm
pOrtant and necessary as those of
officers OF the line. They should he
proud to perform them. But why do
they wish to wear the outward ap-
pearance OF fighting men? l do not
wish to discredit the stan officers. but
l do wish to give more credit to the
officers in the field who are up at
5:i5 in the morning and busy all day.
without combinations or allowances,
while these stan officers. who crowd
Washington, are satisfied to work a
seven-hour day I'm their offices and
receive subsistence and quarters al
lowances."
1t is believed that the task Of clear
ing out draft age officers will afford
the War Department with a huge
amount OF work. In some branches
of the department. IS per cent of the
reserve officers are within draft age.
Practically none OF these men have
had military training. They are en-
tirely unfit TO take charge OF men In
the field. They will either be sent to
officers training camps or lose their
commissions.