Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-20
Army and Navy News

TEN YEARS AGO, when the
American dollar was worth a
hundred cents worth of bacon
and -four, Congress fixed the
pay for the regular officer of the L. 5
Army. and it has been fixed on that
basis ever since. The dollar Will now
buy only so cents worth Of bacon and
-four; and the only addition ~ the
pay and allowances of these officers
has been that of Communication Of heat
light and quarters; and there is no
| certainty even that will continue.
| Little, if any, complaint has been
heard from the officers for two rea-
| sons. They are not the kind to com
plain when war is on. Nearly all
officers of good standing have been
advanced one or two grades Tor the
| time of the emergency; and the IN
! creased pay resulting has enabled
| them to meet the increased cost CT
| living during the war period. despite
the fact that few classes OF people
have had their living expenses in
. creased at the same rate as these
! same officers. If married. or with
| others dependent upon them. they had
| to provide for themselves and anoth-
or home Cor the families. At that, it
1
buy as rnAny liberty bonds as any
other persons of their class, no mat
| ter how much they denied themselves
| to DO it.
| The ending OF the emergency brings
! to them no opportunity. Increased
! business offers to the Army officer no
easy entrance to wealth. He cannot
| use, for business purpose. the expert
| ence that he has gained in the organi-
cation of big enterprises. His financial
| reward from the government is de-
I otion to his lineal rank and grade
in the regular establishment. He must
sgain meet the same financial embarrass-
| ment that he met in 1917. when the
| cost of living had gone sky high.
! and Communication and advanced rank
| had not arrived. 1t is a positive fact
| that officers. stationed in Washington.
reduced in rank Or facing reduction.
are asking transfer to frontier regi-
| ments where the expenses will not be
so high.
| Take the case of captain in the line.
| His pay is $500 month. which. with
| additions for each five years service.
| may reach after twenty years $3.50 A
! month. After deducting the many
| extra expenses incident to his mill
| tary rank-uniformS, travelling eX
| penses for his family. entertainment
of foreign officers and kindred mat
| terest that seem trif1ing. but which in
monthly stipend. 1t Is plain that his
pay yields no more than a bare liv-
! ing for man usually with growing
| family to be educated and brought up
| ir a cultured way. If this same Of
| ficer has had the average advance dur
| ing the war ne has been DRAWN
| the pay of a lieutenant colonel. which
cannot exceed $4,000. or 1915 a month.
On this basis he Is at least able to
| live and meet ordinary expenses: but
| under the orders now in force for the
reduction of the Army to 225,000 men
| by the end of September ne must go
| back to the captains pay and take
| cut of s95 a month: or. If AZ is more
| apt to be the case, he has not been in
| the service twenty years the cut will
take him down $3.50 (each dollar only
| good for 80 cents worth OF bacon,
rem ember)
| No complaint has been heard from
| these men on this score. What has
| been written here is no brief for their
| case. 1t is an absolute statement of
| facts, showing the conditions that
every officer in the Army must face.
| Their pride will not permit them to
| beg relief; but some recognition is
| due them in this situation.
An attempt has been made in some
sources to crticise the War De-