Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-10
MlGaATENE|H
IS TO AttOTMENIS
Gen. Lord Tells of Functions
Of War, Navy and Treas
ury Departments.
To the Editor Of The Star:


On page of your issue of January
I find an article headed Withhold
ing Pay Called Disgrace, in which a
report is made of the discussion on
the floor of the House of the so-called
Saunders bill" This bill contem-
plates providing for the payment to
allottees of allotmentsf made by GER
tain enlisted men which were being
paid by the Treasury Department up
to and inclnding June. 1918. This re-
port conveys the impression that these
aIlotments were discontinued by .the
Treasury Departmental at least
were transferred to. the War Depart-
ment by the Treasury Department
and that there has been in some mae
Unable way fault on the part of the
War Department because OF such dis
continuance.
The bureau of war risk insurance
of the Treasury Departments, as
matter OF policy. after conference
with the representatives of the war
and Navy departments, decided IN
June that it would dise0ntinae pay
ment of aIlatme n IS HIGH sdit' nor
carry with them family allowances
and with the payment of such aliot-
ments for June they did discontinue
further payments.
Treasury Controls Matter.
The war Department and the Navy
Department had no control whatever
over these. aIlotments.. They were
made to the Treasury Department on
Treasury Department forms, were.
handled by the Treasury Departments,
paid by the Treasury Department. dis
continued by the Treasury Depart
ment and are now in the flies OF the
Treasury Department. No transfer
has ever been made or could under the
law be made to the War Department
or the Navy Department. -.s
When the War Department was IN
formed that the Treasury Department
had decided to discontinue these al
lotments, which were OF the same
character as the allotments which had
been and are now being paid by the
Navy Department and the War De-
partment, the Army authorities dur
ing June cabled and telegraphed to
every camp. post, cantonment ana
other point where enlisted men We're
stationed that the sEreaSurS Depaft-
nient had Decided 10 take such action.
and gave complete instructions to the
soldiers as to the necessary procedure
to follow if they wished to continue
these allotments through the War De-
partment.
These instructions were sent out in
who wished these voluntary al1ot-
ments continued to take the. proper,
steps o~that If they desired the al.
lotment eontinued, the payment for;
July Could be made in season. Under
Army procedure this Information was
presented to every enlisted man.
wherever he might be stationed. SO
that if he so elected he could renew
his allotment and the amount could
be sent to his family without inter-
ruption. Asa result of these inStruc-
tions something more than 900
new allotments were received" from
the field and are being regularly and
promptly paid by the War Depart
ment.
In Regard to Accumulation
Another. statement that has been
current in the papers is. that from
one milliop to five millions of dollars
of soldiers allotment money has ac-
cumulated Sin the hands of the War
Department. Under Instructions is
sued by the War Department in
June ofganfzaaoh Commanders dis
continued with Sthe rindftr of June
withholding of all pay from enlisted
men whose afiotments were thus dis
continued by thesTreasury Depart
ment, and, If there were cases in
which there was failure to discon-1
tinue the Withholding of the soldiers
pay, the dCCuIuuIdtlOn OIL the money
is in the hands of the Treasury De-
partInent. and not with the War De-
partnenf. ~ r'ss
As stated above, there is no author
fty Of law for the War Departrn&nt to,
pay to the aiIottees of enlisted men.
on the strength of ailotments madeEto
the Treasury Department. I repeat
there has been no transfer Of allat--
msnts to the War Department. The
War Department as soon as the policy
of the Treasury Department was an
nounced. took the only course ayaila-
Bile to meet the condition, and it should
be borne in mind that none of these al
lotments discontinued by the Treasury
Department carried allowances. and
were not urgent cases of need, and 1t
should also be borne in mind that all
of these soldiers have been given am
pie opportunity to renew if they are
so Inclined II ii. -LORD-
Brigadier general, assistant to the di
rector of purchase. storage and