Evening star., 1919-05-11
Many High Officers
Are Lost to Service.

xAAV AAVcs w WA Stratee that
they possess high order OF business
ability. 1t was perhaps to be expect
ed that men Of the type of Maj. Gen.
Goethals, who had won his reputa-
tion, would leave the Army as soon
as there was no longer imperative
need Of their service In the winning
Of the war; but the limit is not with
men of his class. Already Brig. Gen.
wood. Brig. Gen. Rose and Brig. Gen:
Humphreys have joined the still
greater number Of civilians tempo
rarily serving as Army off1cers. put
left at the call of their country
paraphrase Of dropping the plowhan,,
die for the sword only the sword
was a desk and a telephone.
But there is another factor IN the
situation: The cost of living for Of
servative estimate by at least one
half Of what it was before the war,
but with the exception of a more I'D.
eral rule in regard to commutation OF
quarters, there has been no advance
in the pay Of Army officers. This fact
has been met In part by the rapid ad-
vance in rank Of the majority of the
officers, with corresponding increase
in pay and allowances. Now the time
is approaching when. il some legislA-
does
GERS in their advanced rank. they will
automatically fall back to their lineal
rank in the regular establishment and
to their pre-war pay basis. The nat
ural effect Of such situation will
be to force from the Army men to
aries triple that Of their present rank
IL they will leave the military service
TO enter the vast fields OF national liz
dustries that are looming wider and
wider with the entry OF the United
States into the problems OF the older
countries.
There is still another factor which
impels offlcers who did not get over"
to leave the service. They realize that
for them there is a serious obstacle
in the way of professional success.
No matter how well they served here.
take actual part in the great war. AS
an artilleryman put it. II studied hard
and felt that / knew what the books
said: but an officer who has been in
the thick Of it will overturn my theo-
ries in two minutes" They say that
where men think they own their jobs
and that it is no more than fair that
the opportunities for advancement
shall be given to the officers who
have had experience. which they
gained at the risk of their lives
When to such off1cers-and it Is to
those who served on this side that it
comes-an offer to enter business is
made there is a strong temptation to
leave the Army. They find themselves.
as some already have found them
selves. and more must. reduced In
rank and pay with heavy living ex-
penses and long period Of waiting
before they can expect the advance
of a single grade: and on the other
hand comes the offer Of life Of busy
occupation with a promise of financial
return greater even than the pay Of
their present advanced grade. The
worst feature of this situation for
the Army is that the inducements to
leave the Army come to those who
have made good under the practical
tests and not ito those of mediocre
the best officers Of the Army show
the high order of patriotism that puts
family and self below their obligation
to the Army. the Army loses some of
its best men.
The only other hope Of relief is
take some action that will make 1t
possible for officers to retain at least
to some degree the rank to which
they were temporarily advanced dur
ing the war.
X * X X
With possible Army reorganization
coming before the next Congress,
the question of
Promotion in ArmY promotions is
l. pl ~ 49, bound again to
w ~'0" ~ AAe"' present itself.
Coarsely put. the question will be:
Which method shall prevail-the one
where a good stomach and an amia-
Bile disposition hold a man in his
job. or that .or which a man will
have to schema to stand well with