El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-21

AhIHILE increase the regular army essential
W particularly in officers at this time, and The Herald
svors such measure it is opposed the proposal of pro
noting officers by selection" rather than BY seniority
These favorng promotion by selection olier the argu-
ment that this plan makes It possible to select the men
best fitted TO and place them positions OF re-
sponsibility Very few of these army officers
Over 90 percent Of the regular army otcers oppose the
It offers the temptation for the "higher up" to
promote the men promote his ideas and policies It
offers the dangerous opportunity for CHIEF Of staff and
secretary Of war to select for the higher commands
who viii do their bidding, regardless Of fitness tor the
HIGHER Dositions It Is known here that men who
heutenants when broke out have been made colo
during time at war, for the sole reason
so far the public SEE that they were good yes
men" fer their chiefs Deserving officers, whose ability
command and handle is known have been left IN
inferior positions they did not happen TO be known
to the hgher ups not in high favor with them
The selectve system of promotion may easily become
of the most dangerous influences on discipline and
morale proposed the army There IS grave dan
ger that i viii fill the army with lot Of who gam
their promotions by efficiency, the advocates OF
plan bring forward IN its support but through so
cial personal affiliations and because Of their read-
ness to receive orders and execute them the interest OF
q clique
In answer to the objection raised against seniority pro
motion that It often evates dead wood" and leaves capable
officers in lower positions, 1t can be saio hat me army mas
always effective way Of getting nd Of dead WOOD
when the material really dead FL Pasoans know
officers who have been forced out Of the service many
of them after they tried and found wanting II
IS no trouble get nd Of the who, on being pro-
NOTED through seniority reaches rank he is incapable o.
tents Often they get nd Of who not so much
incompetent they opposed to being buldozed but
the ncompetsnts always be weeded out II there IS
need, and usually
For everv man who is incapable in position reached
BY seniority there today two who incapable IN
similar positions given them through the seecve promo
ton that prevailed during the This weakens
other argument in favor of the "selecve promotion"
TEN
The thing resolves itself down to an attempt by those
N charge Of army affars-those the top now-to boil
ster ID their positions and stay there by having all pro
motions placed IN their hands Then the who does
the bidding ring acey would do the bidding OF
master can become colonel perhaps general; other
wise he may remain first lieutenant all his life 1t IS
dangerous to the army and to the country.
Under the present system, the senior officer IN one
grade be given the position IN the next grade when
there vacancy If he is not capable, he can be re
moved and the next senior gets chance and so on until
good mantle ranking officer st-gets into the JOB
Each gets chance to demonstrate if he IS fit for the
place before he is thrown aside
This is faer better and safer than just saying IN ef
feet to the secretary of and his chief Of staff Here
is the army. Promote whom you will"
There is too much temptation under this system. As
long human they viii favor their friends and