The sun., 1919-01-09
THE ARMY'S PAY SYSTEM
DEFENDED.
An Official Statement OF the Methods
in Operation and Of the Efforts
Made to Avoid Delays in Payments.


Army Pay stirs Whole Nation" In this
article there are three definite state
ments made. % that there has been
failure in the payment of army allot-
monts. (2) that soldiers do not receive
the Second Liberty bonds for which they
have paid. and ts) that there has been
great delay In the payment Of troops
Neither one of these statements IL j,fsti-
fed by the facts in the case, and In the
interest of accuracy and OF fair play I
wish to submit the following statements
relative TO the article in question;
/. There are two distinct classes Of
allotments. Allotments which DO not
carry family allowances are paid by the
War Department and Navy Department
respectively. At the beginning Of the
war tho War Department aliotments
numbered less than ten thousand; as the
war proceeded they increased until they
exceeded one million. These allotments
have been paid regularly and promptly
without any delay whatever. and l pre-
sumo that the same thing can be said
OF the navy aflotments. as I understand
that the navy allotment checks have been
Issued monthly with the greatest of regu-
larity.
There Il another class Of allotinents
! which carry farnily allowances. These
allotments and these allowances are paid
By the Treasury Department and over
| these allotments and allowances the War
Department and tho Navy Department
have no control whatever.
| in the issuance of Liberty bonds where
| there has been record Of payment These
bonds are Issued from the central dis
bursting division Of the Office OF the
| Director Of Finance, and the records show
that there have been few complaints re-
ceived in this ONCE OF failure TO deliver
these bonds. In the case OF soldiers
overseas no bonds were forwarded out of
/ the country, inagnuch as the Post Once
| Department refused 10 register mail for
overseas
| In all cases OF Liberty bonds soldiers
subscribing were instructed TO indicate
! on tho allotment form the address to
which such bonds should be sent II the
| soldier was bound overseas or was over
seas at the time OF his subscription he
was notified that the War Department
would hold the bonds in trust until final
instructions were received from him as
to delivery. As stated above, there has
been no delay in the issuance of bonds,
and such complaints as have been re
ccived have been promptly settled.
In your article attempt was made to
| charge up this alleged delinquency IN
the delivery of bonds to the Treas ury
Department, which was entirely unwar-
/, ranted, az the Treasury Department has
| nothing whatever TO do with tho delivery
Of bonds subscribed for through the
medium OF the War Department allot-
rent system but l wish to repeat en-
phatica,ly that there has been absolutely
no delay or delinquency In the matter
OF delivery OF bonds where record has
been received in this Office Of completion
OF payment
3. In the case Of payment OF troops
tho statement made in your article Is
equally unwarranted All troops In the
various cantonments in this country.
some Of which Appropriated 10000 men
In strength. have been paid regularly, IN
many cases on the last day Of the month
IN which 1t was due. and an average In
u
tho succeeding month.
When war was declared army reSu'
lat.ona provided that whom a soldier was
ordered TO change his station or was de-
tsched from his command his service
record, which contained the necessary
data to provide for his pay, should be
mailed 10 his new post. Under war con-
ditions. which necessitated constant
change. Il was realized that this pro
cedure would result IN depriving. ir
. many cases, a soldier Of his pay through
delay in receipt OF such service record
md procedure was established providing
for the issuance OF a supplemental ser
wee record on tho soldiers own state
,ncnt in case Of loss OF the Original, and
also providing for the issuance OF a pa!
card TO the soldier himself which would
enable him 20 secure his pay independent
OF his service record.
Instructions providing for this method
; q, pavrent we're issued April 80 and
: were applicable both In this country ant
O, erseas Under this system Of payment
/ since the armistice nearly 100000 meT
! have been separated from the service
; md r,yen their Anal pay. taldng into ar
count their allotnents ana allowances
insurance. clothing account and the warn
Gus other factors that tend TO make tn
Cral settlement OF soldiers account
: r,,ost Intricate and complicated proce
= dure, made intricate and complicated by
the requirements of law.
The payment OF troops, however. II
this country Is a very simple procedure
compared with the settlement Of &C