The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-07

other clauses of the military laws spe-
cifically debar all but regular officers
from such retirement pay.
Illustration Is Given.
II Major-Gen. John F. Organ, COM
mander of the Twenty seventh Division.
leader of the men who broke the Hin
denburg line with the British army, had
lost leg during that offensive ne would
be retired with a percentage OF $50 a
MONTH the actual amount depending on
how the compensation bureau figured
the impairment OF his earning capacity.
and s45 for his wife and children. II he
had been in the Regular Army he could
have been retired with a pension OF
$500 a month three-quarters Of the base
pay Of a Major-General.
In tho Walter Reed Hospital there
was a temporary Captain in the Regu-
lar Army. a man who had been ad-
vanced from the ranks with temporary
commission. which also falls under the
legal ban against retirement pay. He
had been one Of the highest paid men
Of non -commissioned rank before eleva-
ton to his captaincy, an electrical ex-
pert, and as such would have been re-
tired with a pension based on service
of almost 800 a month. As a tempo
rary captain he was to be retired with
a percentage of $50 a month for partial
disability, and he is now trying to gel
back his old Regular Army, non-com-
missioned status so that he might re-
ceiye the higher pension. He does
not think he will be successful.
A Captain of engineers in the same
hospital, who entered the army from
civil life, had lost part OF his right hand
and his left eye. Before the war ne nae
been a civil engineer on Southern raii-
road at a salary Of $4,000 year. ne
found that because Of his injuries ne
could not do the work in his old position
He has a wife and two children. and
under the compensation act would get
about $45 q month, whereas II he hao
been in the Regular Army he would have
received $3.50 a month.
Regulars See Injustice.
Regular Army officers themselves saw
the Injustice OF this state Of Affairs. II
became the thing to descend on any Reg
ular Army officer who entered the hoepi-
tai and ask him the reason for the dis
(inction, and there were wounded regu-
lars there who had anything but q
happy time. They knew the worth OF
the reserve men who had fought the
battles of the American Army on the
western front, and they knew the law
was unjust. Some OF them did not hesa-
tate to say 80.
They took the case of two men. both
OF whom went to Plattsburg and were
graduated with the same rank. One
went into the regulars and the other
into the National Army. The regular
got advancement to the grade OF Cap
tain. the other became a First Lieuten'
ant, Both were badly wounded, but the
man who had received the provisional
appointment to the regulars receives
sIbo a month retirement pay, while the
other gets s21 a month.
The experience OF Second Lieut. Muir
ray Dixon. who before the war was q
young lawyer, building up practice In
the South is typical of most wounded
oficers who went from civil life. He
is now living at 16S St Johns place
Brooklyn, with his parents He has the
Croix de Guerre with two palms and tht
order of a Chevalier of the Legion OF
Honor for work as artillery observer IT
the aviation service, attached to th'
French army. He lost his right LEI
from a wound received in July. 1913
while flying near scissors, when thu
French were trying to beat back the las
great German offensive.
Dixon entered the first officers train
ing camp at Camp Mcpherson, Ca. OF
May IL, 1917, soon after this countr!
declared war, and just as soon as nj
could wind up his affairs. He was com
missioned on August Is, 1917, and or
dered overseas While at the camp ~
was asked II he wished to Join tn
regular army as a provisional officer
He did not.
Reason for His Entrance.
"I did not want 10 make the army I
profession" said Dixon. II only wen
in to do my bit in the emergency. l, AM
[ believe, none OF the other men knew
OF these retirement clauses. Nearl!
every one Of the men who entered tn
Regular Army as provisional officers from
my class has been promoted. and, o
course, can be retired X they have beei
wounded with three quarters pay"
He landed in France the last or Sep
TENDER, 1917, and in December volun
teered for aviation as aerial observe
with the French army. In February
1918, he was appointed instructor In tn
school for observers at Haussimont ant
in April, 1913 was assigned to Esca
drille 80, the French army, for observa
ton work. He won his Legion OF Hono
decoration for successfully carrying ou
dangerous bombing missions and getting
information of enemy movements. TIT
Croix de Guerre was for contact patro
work, bombing and shooting German in
fantry with machine guns, >one of thu
most dangerous bits Of work In the avi
ator's repertoire.
He was in one of the fiercest air bat
ties of the war. when the French SEN
thaU nnlNld fraintnk
planes, "taxicabs' and all. up to thu
front to combat the great German aeria
offensive.
within a mile of where I was al
least fifty fights we're taking place tina
day." he said, from a few hundred fee
above the ground to height OF 5000
yards. 1t was maddening, insane work
I Just went wild. shot at everything II
front of me, and came out of II by sheer
luck rather than any skill Planes were
falling all around us. and why We were
not hit is more than I know. I hardly
know what happened. even now"
His Leg Amputated.
A brief time later he was hit In the
leg by an explosive bullet while flyinl
low over the German lines, and when hi,
pilot dropped him at the hospital thirt,
miles behind the lines 1t was necessary
to amputate his right leg near the hip.
"None OF the men realized the joker
In the compensation law until they were
wounded" he said. 1--WE were too bus,
to think much about II. and thought we
were all on the same basis anyway an6
that IL the compensation were not large
Il was at least equal. We had read the
law that way. But when the wounded
officers reserve men In the hospitals be.
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