The Ordway new era., 1919-10-24


of the $4,000. These selections are well
under way and It will he necessary
that the discharge from the service of
all temporary officers not so selected
for retention. be accomplished before
November /. 1919.
This means the discharge within the
next five weeks of approximately TO-
900 emergency officers. most of whom
desire to remain in the service hut for
whom there are no vacancies under
the law. In determining the manner
in which temporary officers are to be
retained. the department has been
guided by the consideration that the
immediate commanders know best the
relative merits of the officers under
their command md are hest qualified
10 Judge which officers will he of the
greatest value TO the military estab-
lishment for the particular work to
be accomplished by this establishment
between now and June 30. 1920. The
army has important work to do before
that date, and the retention of tenn
pOrary officers must be based upon
their fitness to do this work rather
than as reward for their services
during the war.
Ranks Must Be Readjusted.
The war department has fixed the
number of officers that there may be
in each grade of the $4,000 officers.
thereby terminating the opportunity
for extensive promotion that has eX'
listed during the war. In getting the
$4,000 officers into these grades. there
must be sacrifices of rank and pay
throughout the service; n necessary
consequence of readjusting the rank
of officers from that held In military
force having 100000 officers to thos'
they can properly hold in force hav-
ing only $4,000 officers.
The temporary officers to be retained
will be largely applicants for permn
nent appointment. These officers
along with all others have reached
grades in the large army raised during
the war that they cannot expect to
hold in the small peace-time force.
determination of the decrease in rank
of these officers in order to properly
fit them into the new commissioned
force Will be made by the war depart
Much Treaty Legislation Needed.
Ratification of the treaty of pence
with Germany will not end the
responsibility of congress in con
nection with the pact. There will
still remain the question as to how nu
merous provisions of the treaty are to
be administered. 1t is reasonably GER
tain that congress, in enacting legisla-
tion that will be necessary In order to
put into effect many provisions of the
treaty so far as the United States is
concerned, will see to 1t that broad
powers are retained by the legislative
body, or at least by the senate. Assum-
ing that the treaty, with the League of
Nations covenant included, will be rnti-
! fed with certain reservations, 1t Will
be necessary for the United States
to have representatives on large num-
Der of international tribunals.
The treaty is silent as to how these
representatives of the government shall
be appointed. Should congress fail TO
act, the president would appoint in
every instance. But congress, SO the
leaders in the two houses say, has no
Thought vi ldliiliB " act. II WIZ pio
vide. through legislation, If present
plans are carried out. that all repre-
sentatives of the United States on the
international tribunals shall he nomi-
mated by the president and confirmed
by the senate.
When the treaty goes into effect
there will be opened up an entirely
new field of international activity. 1t
is field that will call for trained
men of the best type. Congress will
fix the salaries of these men and will.
of course, have to appropriate money
to meet the expenses of the United
States In participating in the numer-
Gus new international activities.
Will Require Many Experts.
There will have to be II mixed arbi-
tral tribunal established between each
of the allied and associated powers on
the one hand and Germany on the
other within three months after the
ratification of the treaty. Each of these
tribunals is TO consist of three mem
hers. The United States will, in case
the treaty is ratified, appoint one mem
Der of the tribunal which is to repre-
sent 1t. Germany will appoint one mem
her, and the two thus appointed will
choose the third. There will also have
to he created n permanent commission
which will advise the council of the
League of Nations on military naval
and air questions. II will also he nee
essnry for the United States TO name
members of more than II score of other
commissions that are to deal with
problems rowing ont Of the war
A typical commission is the one pro-
vided for TO deal with the Sanr basin.
This commission. II will be recalled. is
10 consist of five members chosen by