Republican farmer., 1919-08-15
TREATY DISPUTE DRIVES OFFICERS
 OUT OF SERVICE
House Holds Up Measure In tended to Prevent Wreck
 ing of Air Service.
INADEQUATE SUPPLY
 OF MEDICAL OFFICERS
Only a Few Hundred Gan Be Maintai1led-Wounded
 Soldiers to Suffer.

Washington, Aug. I2.-The Admin istration bill authorizing the Secretary of War to retain 5000 emergency of- ficers during the current fiscal year, passed unanimously by the Senate on July 2S, is held up by the House. This important measure is designed to prevent the utter wrecl.ing of the Air Service, to provide for the care or the tens of thousands of wounded and sick soldiers and to enable other army branches to retain sufficient commissioned personnel to wind up business The Committee on Military Affairs reported it with reasonable promptness Then it went before the Committee on Rules, with a view to providing early consideration.
 Had not President Wilson forced the abandonment of the proposed five-weeks recess of the House. In all probability the bill would have been shelved while the cream of the emer- gency officers disgusted over the exist ing uncertainty, were discharged.
 In the Rules Committee a dispute developed among Republicans as to the necessity for passing the bill, some declaring it would add $15, 5,0O0,- 900 to the expense of maintaining the army for the fiscal year ending June 30. Others declared that with the
 
 the War Department could get along with the officer prsonnel provided for in the Army Appropriation Bill.
 It was the House which reduced the funds for the pay of the army in the Appropriation Bill to a point which necessitates the discharge of al emergency officers by Sept. 30, unless the bill is passed. The Senate sub stantially increased the House appro- priation for this purpose, but was forced to yield.
 While it has been clearly demon strated that the Air Service should have at least a minimum of 1.2o0 com missioned officers, the large majori- ty of them pilots, unless supplement tai legislation is passed the conamis stoned personnel of this service will be reduced to 222, involving the dis charge of the tech..rcal engineering section built up during the war and leaving hardly enough officers to look after administrative work.
 There are 1,159 officers of the Regular Army in the Medical Corps and 17,315 emergency officers. Only a few hundred emergency medical of ficers can be retained under the ex- isting law, and the number will be wholly inadequate to take care of the wounded and sick soldiers.
 Other important branches Of the service are in relatively the same position and the situation grows worse from day to day as officers insist upon their release when attrac- tive business offers come to them and they have no means of knowing what Congress will do.
 In a reply to a -rumor that an order has been issued sending all the of ficers and men at the Long Island fly ing fields to Texas and Florida, and leaving only four men to guard them. Major Gen. Charles T. Menoher, Di- rector of the Air Service. today de- nied he had issued such an order or had one in contemplation. He said: l. "Of course, we must cut down per sonnel substantially, releasing some 5000 officers between now and Sept. 30, but there is no thought of dis continuing all aviation activities on Long Island Every man who has giv en any attention to the matter Is con vtnced that permanent provision must be made for aviation activities in the vicinity of New York. There is no escape from such a conclusion.
 we own Mitchell Field and 1t will be retained permanently