Evening star., 1920-11-26
ARMY PROMOTIONS
AROUSE OLDER MEN
Giving Younger Officers High
er Rank Starts Storm
of Criticism.

Dissatisfaction among older officers
of the Army because of what they re-
gard as the War Departments unfair
ness in promoting younger officers to
positions Of high rank since the armi-
stice already has resulted in lower
morale among the commissioned per-
sonnel. according to persons in close
touch with military circles here.
A movement already is on foot to
seek a congressional investigation
into the method Of promotion used by
the War Department. Such an in
vesti cation, 1t is asserted, would show
that the department was not guided
by the list submitted by the board, of
which Maj. Gen. Hunter Liggett was
the head. Further, 1t is stated, had
this list been followed and promo
tions awarded from top down, there
would have been none of the dissatis-
faction which is known to exist In
the Army today.
E1ghty-One OMcers Are Retired.
As an illustration Of the alleged de-
moralizatfon and dissatisfaction in the
commissioned grades of the Army, it
Is stated that eighty-one officers al,
ready have been placed on the retired
list after thirty years service, at their
own request. Many Of them are said
to be outspoken in their feeling of
resentment and injustice. Sixty-four
West Point and twenty served as gen.
eral officers in the world war and
had from five to twenty years still to
serve.
The country, therefore, loses the
ripe experience of these men at Q
needed. Many officers of the type of
those who have already voluntarily
retired are stating openly, 1t is said,
that could they afford to do SO. they
ately. To many of these officers their
full pay is necessity, 1t is shown,
to support themselves and their families
In addition to the practice by the
War Department Of selecting compar-
atively young officers for promotion
felt on the part OF many retired Of
f1cers that another injustice has been
committed by the departments fail
ure to retire officers at the rank they
held during the world war.
Retired at Reduced Rank.
Many officers held the rank of brig
adler general in France, gaining their
promotion at the beginning OF the
war. Coming back to the United
of age. after being reduced to the
rank held before the outbreak Of the
war. At the same time younger officers
have been allowed to retain their
wartime rank.
Secretary Baker has given as his
authority for this action, on several
occasions, a law which was passed
June IL, 1906, the provisions Of which
follow:
Hereafter no officer holding a rank
above that of colonel shall be retired
except for disability or on account or
80 IL 81,
years until he shall have served at
least one year in such rank"
What Army Register shows.
An examination of the Army Reg
lister of 1915 and 1918. however, will
show that Col. Yeatman was promot-
ed to brigadier general. May, 1903,
disability; Col. Howe. promoted to
brigadier general, 11th Of January,
1910. retired the same month for age:
Col. Chase, promoted to brigadier
general. May l6. 1912, retired in July
of the same year for age; Col. NC
Clernand, promoted to brigadier gen
eral 9th of August. 1912. retired in
December, the same> year, for age:
Col. Steever, promoted to brigadier
general. August S. 1912. retired the
Rosseil. promoted to brigadier gem
| eral. August IL, 1913, retired the fol-
lowing October for age; Col. Knight.
promoted to brigadier general No
yember 30, 1909. retired the fs1low.
| ing January for age; Col. Adams No
NOTED to brigadier general. Jnlv
| 1916. retired the following Sentemhar
for age; Col. Dodd. promoted to brip.
! adler general. July !, 1916. retired
| the same year in October for age ana
Col Sibley. promoted to brieadjer
general. July 81, 1916. and retired
for age in October of the same wear
Discussing their situation tnds, eai: !.
/ former officer said: !"
'Oficers in the Army. from cant.t,
up. have been promoted nm tn
strength OF what they did in the VOID
| war. This is not the only war in
| which this country has fought. how. :.
ever. during the past forty-fiye wears
In 1917 there were colonels in the
service who had spent from Ave to
, twenty years on the frontier in ardn. :.
Gus Held work against the Indians.
Recalls Long Service.
They had gone to the Santiago
! campaign in Cuba. to be followed by
| the heart tbreaking field service in
| the Philippine insurrection. Most of
! these men also took part in the Mexi-
! can border service. They were al ali
| times known as the backbone of the
army-the real leaders.
! During the war these men led
/ their brigades. their divisions, their
! corps. They put into the great war
| the same conscientious. hard-work-
ing, businesslike methods that meant
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