Evening star., 1920-02-19
NEW RANK
FOR ARMY PURPOSE
Warrant Officer" Is Grade
Wanted Between Sergeant
and Lieutenant.


officer in the Army, such oficers tn
rank between a sergeant and a Sec
ond lieutenant. has been proposed
as a measure to simplify the admin
istration of military affairs and to
afford proper relief for men who dur
ing the war were commissioned from
the Regular Army. and must now
return to their previous status as
enlisted men or leave the service.
There are about 5000 men who
were in the military service before
the war and were promoted from
non n-commissiohe to commissioned
grades. Many of these have seen from
hfteen to twenty-five years service,
ana by remaining in the Army until
.ney nave completed thirty-year
period will be eligible for retire.
ment at three-fourths pay for life.
6ut. with the loss of their commits
sions, due to rehabilitation, they are
raced with the alternative of tryirs
dollars a month, or leaving the serv-
Ice altogether and losing the advan-
ords.
Draw Reduced Pay.
IT they remain in the Army as
enlisted men they will draw only
greatly reduced pay" said a friend
OF the omcers affected, ION which
they found it difficult to support
themselves .h and their families under
the most favorable circumstances in
pre-war days. while the cost of liv-
ing keeps climbing to the skies. They
see themselves denied the allowance
Ior the support of their families
gwen In addition to the pay the men,
during the war. They know that
after the present emergency has
passed they will no longer be en-
titled to increased pay for war serv-
They see that the rate Of nav to
which they will be entitled on their
re-enlistment was flxed in 1908 and
has since that time remained sta
tionary, whilG the average pay of
civilians has increased several hun
rafs raee p Per rom cent; mn. They see that the
mains for them at SIS per month,
while they know that in many places
they have to pay double that amount
FOR rent of q ballroom only. In a
word they see that under present
able to provide their families with
the bare necessities Of life if they
re-enlist In the Army. On account Of
the law which returns these men to
the grades they held at the time
they were discharged to accept a
~
selves junior to men to whom they
always before had been senior, and
who had never held Commission,
put mad been promoted as enlisted
men, while they. themselves, were
serving as commissioned officers.
''on the other hand, if one of these
men decides that. in the interest of
his family. he cannot afford to re-
enlist. he finds that he must begin
lie anew. must start from the bot
OF loyal. faithful, patriotic and. ef-
fcient service"
Amendment to BfI.
The officers affected are not organ
ICED. but individuals have been able
Congress In the situation, and an
amendment to the pending Army reor-
ganixation bill has been drawn nm as
q corrective measure.
This measure, while Offering the
Iewes pay and rask with which these
men may be satisfied As measure Of
Justice. IL also design to effect econ
omy on the part Of the Army admin.
.1strafion. It In expected to use these
men OF proven ability to replace COM
missfoned officers in a great many
cases.
That is. they can be detailed as
assistance to commissioned officers
where otherwise it would be neces-
sary to detail commissioned assistants.
thereby releasing these officers for
ssd sss With WITH ths
be detailed in administration ofiices as
assistants to the adjutants, as person.
mel omcers. post exchange officers,
police omcers, prison officers, mess
omcers. recruiting officers and as in.
structors OF n0ncommissioned officers
thereby releasing an equal number OF
commissioned officers for duty in the
line. They can be detailed as assist
ants 20 zone, camp. post. regimental
and all other supply officers, in which
case they can be bonded and made
accountable for property Committed
'They can be detailed as assistant.
to finance omcers and when bonded
can act as disbursing officer agents.
ants to transportation officers and as
Army transport agents. In addition
to the foregoing many other positions
could be nlled by warrant officers. in
each case relieving a commissioned
ofheer for duty in the line.
Tasks Interchangeable.
In many Of the foregoing cases it
win be found that warrant oficers
cannot only relieve commissioned OIL
GERS. but they can also relieve a clerk.
civilian or enlisted, at the same time,
for the reason that commissioned Of
acers seldom have had experience in,
nor is 1t considered advisable that
they should be called upon to per-
form. clerical duties. while the clerk
has had no experience in executive
duties; but the men recommended for
the grade of warrant officers in this
bill have had experience in both ca :
pacities. and in replacing the others
can perform all the duties connected
with position with advantage to
themselves and to the government
what will be the result If the re-
quest by these for the recognition of
their services and removal of their
grievances is ignored? The morale
of the Army of which we have boast
ed, and rightly. and in the making of
which these men played such a large
part, will be gone. These men will
feel that appeals to their loyalty and
patriotism were insincere and that
the enlisted man Of the Regular Army
is to find no recognition now that
the war is over and his services are
not as indispensable as in the dark
days of the recent past"