The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-04-12
OEMOT|ONS IN ARMY
THAT SEEM UNJUST
COMPLAINTS ARE CAUSED BY
The REDUCTION OF OFFICERS
TO THEIR FORMER RANK.
OTHERS RETAIN HIGH PLACES
Cases of kutz, Fries and Barker Are
typical of Those That Have Given
Rise to Much Unfavorable CrItisim
by the Public.
By EDWARD 3. CLARK.

been many cases OF 'ucllOllOh ny ~
lection" in the United States army. In
time of peace promotion by selection
known To some army officers as pro
motion by personal acquaintance
could not prodrce more complaints
and quarrelS.
The trouble is that hundreds of reg
uar army officers while still holding
their present rank in the regular estab-
lishmcnt, were promoted 10 hSher
rank in the National army, to keep
that rank Until the time came when
they were TO be ordered to resume
their old places in the regular army.
Many of these high ranking officers I'D
the army as it exists today already
have been sent back to their old junior
ranks, while scores and in fact hun
dreds of others, junior in the regular
army to the men already denoted, are
still holding their high rank in the
army as ii is. This means that man!
veterans of the regulars today are
ranked in the existing army by men
who are many years their junior IN
years and in service.
Peculiar Case of kutz.
There is one peculiar case which
possible is worthy of comment. I. w.
KutZ, of the corps of engineers, Is
today the engineer commissioner OF
the District of Columbia, holding the
rank of lieutenant colonel of regulars.
1t was only the other day that kutz
was brigadier general in the Amer
lean ExpeditiOnary Forces in France.
He served with great distinction as the
commander of an American regiment
in the field with the French near Yer
dun. 1t was while in command of this
regiment that he was promoted to the
rank of brigadier general. Then ne
was sent back to the United States to
organize a brigade and TO take it back
to the embattled country.
Instead of this program being fol
lowed, Kutz was discharged from his
rank as brigadier general and resumed
automatically his old rank as lieu
tenant colonel Of regulars. Today as a
lieutenant colonel. and as engineer
commissioner of the District of CO.
lumbia, he has under him as engineer
commissioner two officers of the corps
of engineers who are still full colonies
in the army as it exists, both of whom
are sixteen years KutZ'S Junior.
In this case KutZ, lieutenant col
| onel. has under his direction two col
onels. This would be impossible were
| il not for the fact that Lieutenant Col
0nel Kutz, in directing the activities OF
| the two colonies, is acting not as 9
! lieutenant colonel of the army, but aS
! engineer commissioner of the District
! of Columbia.
Demotion of General Fries.
A large part of the criticism of army
! administration is unjustifiable, but ii il
certain that the demOtiOnS which re
| Gently have taken place have brOugh
about a condition which is sOmethin!
more than merely anomalous. Amos \
Fries. corps of engineers, was the chic
of the chemical warfare service of The
| American EXpeditionary Forces il
| France. He was given the rank o
brigadier- general. and while in Franc,
he organized the gas field service from
top To bottom and set ii working. Ill
was ordered back to the United State
for conference purposes under al
agreement that he soon was to b.
. ! 4
What happened? Instead of bein;
sent back to France General Fries wa
denoted to his old rank in the regula
army. that of lieutenant colonel. He i
now lieutenant colonel of engineer
and is ranked in the army as it exist
by more than one hundred officers il
his own corps. the engineers, who ar
many years Junior to him.
Brig. Gen. John w. Barker went t,
France in the American EXpeditiOnar,
Forces. He was wounded on the fiel,
of action. He entirely recovered ant
was sent back to duty in Washington
where he found himself discharge,
from his rank as brigadier general 4
! ItNplll' b-tili Al l'uN'liAlll N'i'iltl VIII
place in the existing army beloy
hundreds of men who in the regula
service are his juniors.
Washington Still overcrowded.
Washington is still full of peopl,
war workers, peace workers, and. III
happily. il must be said. too many pee
pie who are just hangers on. Member
of the new congress are being cor
frunted with the hard task of findin
places To live.
The Capital City has lost SON
thousands of its temporary inhabitant
within the last month or two. bU
still the place is filled To overhowin:
The wonder is where all Of the pc,
pie were packed. 1t is true that IN
government put up GOrmitOr.CS f.
many of its workers. and it is just a
true that some of the workers live
two and three in room when IN
press was on. but the exodus seems I
have made comparatively little ditTe
cncc i'm the "TO Let" situation.
one result Of this is. of cours,
that the rooms are not 50 crowded a
they were. but if each room now ha