The Washington herald., 1918-03-20
Uniformed Men viii Be
Replaced by Civilian
Clerks.
C0NGRESSMEN PLAN
QUICK INVESTIGATION
Rep. Kitchin Leads Demand
for Distinction from
Fighters.


work in the War Department will
be assigned TO field duty as soon
as it is possible to replace them
with civilian clerks.
while it is difficult to replace
the enlisted men in our offices on
short notice, we intend to do so
as soon as possible" said Gen.
Wheeler, acting chief of the ord
nance department., late last night
to a Washington Herald staff rep
resentative.
Just how many reserve officers
OF the draft age will leave our de-
Partment is hard to say" con-
tinued Gen. Wheeler. "The matter
is optional with the men con-
cerned. 1t will be their choice
whether they remain here or go in
the field"
Officers Choose Active Duty.
1t is believed that practically all of
the officers who come under this cIas-
sitication, however, will avail them
selves of the opportunity to serve
their country in active duty.
Various Congressional rumblings
which have been heard lately are ex-
pected to shortly break in a storm
over the tremendous number of COM
missions granted in Washington to
men whose only qualifications for the
army were social or political, most
of whom occupy minor clerical or ad-
ministratiye positions that could be
filled by civilian clerks. =
The matter has been kept from open
discussion in the past from political
fears of one kind or ther, such as
fear of offending favo persons who
may have profited by present sys-
tenn Of granting com ssions or OF
disclosing to the nation Jst what has
been happening in Washington.
Now with the safety first warriors
faced by a congressional investigation
of the granting of their commissions,
led by Majority Lead Kitchin, Chair
man Dent, of the House Military Com
mittee. and prominent members OF
both Naval and Military Committees,
il seems that a Lively storm is due in
the House within the next ten days
Some Doubled Salaries.
Some War Department clerks
have more than doubled their sala-
ries by going into unshootable uni
forms. Other persons on the House
payroll. appointed by members,
have found opportunity to place
themselves in the commissioned
personnel of the War Department.
In December. Secretary Baker an
nounced that no more commissions
would be granted in the War De-
partment except to men whose
technical qualifications were so
high as to make them Of extraordi-
nary value to the war machine. For
a brief time it appeared that the
new ruling was being enforced. but
in time the bars were let down and
the number of commissions granted
to men merely for clerical service
in Washington began to swell again.
Views of COngressmen.
\ House member declared yester-
day that the House was going to
take some action on the matter soon,
however it might come up.
"we'n make the safety-firsters
either take of their uniforms. go to
France to fight. or else tag themselves
with something that will separate
them from the men who are actually
going to fight. In Canada the men in
nonshootable uniforms are scarcely al
lowed in the service clubs any longer.
and / hear that the real army men
Of Washington are getting near the
same point It's a shame the way
they go over the top every morning
to their offices In the War Depart
ment, when men in the same uniforms
are dying for them in France. At
least, they ought to be marked so
that folks will know who did the
real fighting and who didn't"
Just what proportion Of the COM
missions granted In Washington have
gone to men Of draft age and other
wise not exempt from active service is
not clear. Congressmen who are in
terested In the matter show no dispo-
sition to deny that some Of the men
commissioned are valuable and have
been rightfully given military rank
because hey bring expert advice and
experience Of military value to the
army. II is known, on the other hand,