Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-28
Congress is expected to be Santa

| Army and Navy this year, the sentl-
ment in both houses being In faVor
of readjustment of pay schedules
with no irreconcilable differences IN
. the increases proposed; and as COM
4 mittees in the House that have held ex
tenslve hearings on the subject II IS
thought that Congress may dispose
of the issue before the holidays.
Several bills have been introduced
some providing for straight percent
age increase, and some for an IN
crease that would vary as the cost
of living went up or down, but the
final measure is expected to be a
committee bill embodying the best
points of all measures proposed. Inc
subcommittee of the House naval
committee has agreed upon an in
crease of about so per cent. for all
enlisted men of the navy above the
grade of apprentice seamen, a jump
of from s12 to $40 per room in the
commutation for quarters allowed Of
ficers of the navy, and an additional
increase of Is per cent in the base
pay Of all commissioned ofhcers up
to and including captain, whose rank
corresponds with that of a colonel
in the army.
subcommittee to Meet.
This subcommittee. Of which Rep
resentative Patrick II. Kelley of
Michigan is chairman, will meet early
next week with the. subcommittee OF
the House military committee, OF
which Representative Thomas Crago
of Pennsylvania is chairman, in an
effort to draw up schedule of in
services on the same footing so far
as compensation is concerned.
Both the Army and the Navy are
suffering from decreased eificlency
due to low pay schedules, and are
losing many of their most valued Of
I nj cd who at
tracted by higher pay in civilian pur-
suits, according to testimony given
before committees.
! Within the year mmediately fol-
lowing the signing of the armistice
the Army lost 426 permanently COM
missioned officers through resigna-
ton, which was more than the total
for the preceding twenty years. Dur
ing the same time 1858 provisional
officers resigned, making total OF
2O59, or more than 20 per cent. OF the
commissioned personnel of the stand
ing Army.
4 Approximately one officer In every
four in the infantry and cavalry. one
in three in the artillery and one IN nve
of the service at large have resigned
during the last twelve months. OH1cers
of the general staff have explained that
the provisional officers included in the
foregoing were not necessarily tempo
rary officers, but were those who were
in effect on probation. the majority or
whom would have been placed on a
permanent footing il they had not re-
signed.
Pinch Felt in the Ranks.
In the enlisted ranks the pinch is
felt in much the same way. If there is
any foundation for the generally &C
Icepted saying that 1.-The non-commls-
stoned officer is the backbone of the
Army the service is in a fair way TO
have it's back broken.
Men who are able to qualify as non
commissioned officers. especially those
in the technical branches of the service,
find small inducement to re-enlist under
present pay schedules.
1t is to meet this situation that the
subcommittee of the House naval COM
mittee is: giving the petty officer and
the specialist in the enlisted service a
greater increase than any one else, and
members of the military affairs commit
way about the pay of the non-commis-
stoned officers in the Army.
AT present an increase of one
| grade i'm the Army brings an In
most instances A sergeant receives
1 only $500 per month more than a
buck" although the man with three
l chevrons on his sleeve bears greatly
1 increased responsibilities. The rate
of pay for first sergeants, sergeants
Il nTSC CLASS, SeTScdHt5 HldJoI, anu da
/ M mbers of the non-commissioned
staff is correspondingly small.
III Members of the general stan ir
| testifying before the committee OF
| Congress have asked that the pay
l schedules be changed so that mar
l service can make enough money tc
| support a family and lead norma
| existence.
| Plea From Men in China,
An example of the position in which
men in the service of the United
States may find themselves is con.
tanned in the following message re.
ceived by the Infantry Association
this week from the 18th U. S. In
fantry branch of the organization
/ now in Tientsin, China:
| Rate Of exchange November IS, 81
cents local currency for 81 in COLE
| coin Of United States. Married officer.
| with rank below that of major ant
/ married men cannot pay absolutely
| essential living expenses here. Com.
| missioned officers cannot pay indebt-
| edness already incurred and life in.
| surance premiums due United States
Gravity Of situation has reached q
| critical condition. Urgently request
| very energetic aid in obtaining quick
] relief"
Probably the most discussed meas
ure for increased pay is the Stiffness
| bill. introduced in the House last Sep.
TENDER. which would give a fat in
| crease of so per cent to enlisted men
| and 30 per cent to officers, the raise to
! include all those active or retired ir
the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, coast
guard and public health service. This
would give second lieutenant $2,2OC
a year; first lieutenant, $4,000; cap
tain, 1920: major, $500: lieutenant
colonel, $4.550 and colonel, 5000
| with approximately the same schedule
for corresponding ranks in the Navy
Opinion of Some in Congress.
Some members of Congress feel that
the present cost of living is so alb
normal that the increases voted
should conform to fluctuating prices
and this idea is embodied in bill in
troduced by Senator Wadsworth early
this month. In addition to giving all
enlisted men and nurse. Of both serv-
ices an Increase of so per cent and the
officers an increase Of 10 per cent in
their base pay, he would allow each
man in the service to draw ration
SPAIN BREAKS WITH SOVIET.
Acts Because Of Attacks on EN-
bassy in Petrograd.