Evening star., 1920-03-07
Military Service Pay.

Military Service Pay.
A week from tomorrow nearly all
Of the officers of the Regular Army
who were held in emergency rank in
the great war will revert to their regu-
lar grades in the Army. The scale Of
pay for those officers is so low that
decentralization Of the personnel is GER
tain to follow. Already since the
srmistice was signed 1854 officers Of
the regular establishment have re-
signed. Five hundred and fifty-eight
Of these have left the Army by resigna-
tion since the 14th day of September
last, on which date bill was intro
duced in Congress providing an in
crease Of pay. Unless way is found
to overcome the present obstacles in
the House Of Representatives that
bill, which is on its way to conference
for adjustment Of the differences be-
tween the two houses, will fail of
enactment in time to prevent most
serious depletion Of the military
ranks.
As the case stands, the House has
passed one bill providing for increases
in the pay of the enlisted personnel
and the Senate has passed as substi.
tute for it a bill extending the in
creases to the officers. This measure
provides an advance Of 10 per cent for
the officers of the Army, Navy, Ma
rine Corps, coast guard, public health
service and coast and geodetic survey,
and an increase Of 20 per cent for the
enlisted men. 1t is estimated that this
means an addition of about $66, ,000, 900
annually to the pay cost Of these six
services.
On Friday the House passed prac-
tically without dissent q bill to in
crease the pay of the employees Of the
patent Office. This is q wise measure
of conserv, ion and will yield the gov
ernment an actual return in more ef
ficient service. The same spirit should
now animate the House to pass or at
least to send to conference the mill
tary service pay bill, which is lying
ON the calendar, inactive because the
steering committee will not grant per-
mission for It to be brought before
the House.
It is assured that there will be a
military establishment and naval or.
ganization. This country cannot con-
tinue without them. It needs them.
And they should be maintained in n
manner to enable the officers and men
to live decently. 1t is particularly es-
sential to hold in line those who have
been trained into efficient oficership.
Yet they cannot be expected to con-
tinue at a scale Of compensation far
below that which they can command
In private occupation.
The fact that since the bill was in
troduced in September last more than
half a thousand officers have resigned
in despair Of gaining relief is the
strongest possible argument for
prompt action. At the present rate the
Army and the Navy will be depleted
in Q few months. Economies are, Of
course, necessary in the voting Of ap-
preparations, but the denial Of living
pay for these men is not economy. It
is sheer extravagance. It will cost
many times the amount Of this annual
addition to the pay roll to train and
develop the officers necessary to han
die the military and naval services Of
the country in case Of an emergency.
Surely the experience the United
States has recently had in the diff
fculty Of offering its wartime forces
out Of civilian ranks should serve
now to urge this wise expenditure as
an insurance.
The House should take this bill of
the calendar without further delay
and put it on its passage as it stands
or send it to conference.