The Washington herald., 1921-05-23
Issue With Secretary
Weeks.


Ny attention has been invited to
an article which appeared in your
issue of last Sunday on page of
the Weekly Review. This article
conveys the distinct impression to
my mind that the honorable, tho
Secretary of War. is opposed to the
placing of emergency officers upon
the retired list of the army with
pay appropriate TO their respective
grades for disability incident to
theif service in the great war.
In the second paragraph of the
article in question the Secretary
points out that officers of the regu-
lar army were retired only with
their permanent rank rather than
their emergency rank. How any in
justice to the regular army officers
resulted thereby is not seen nor is
that the point in question.
The Secretary OF War expresses
himself as of the opinion that all
regular officers without exception
and merely from the fact that they
as regular officers saw service dur
ing the great war; are entitled to
retirement for disability incident to
service in the war. Legally they
are so entitled. The Secretary OF
War denies the justice of granting
the same privilege for emergency
officers similarly disabled in the
same cause.
Inasmuch as the President of
these United States has expressed
himself in the interest of justice
for, and has recommended a square
deal for those who fought for u.s."
and for the information of the Sec
retary of War the following is sub
mitted:
Early in 1917, training camps
were established. Two men go to
the same camp. The older is a sue
cessful man, too old. however, for a
"provisionar' commission as second
lieutenant, United States army, and
of greater value to the government
in it's emergency by reason of his
experience and his previous military
knowledge acquired in the National
Guard under competent regular
army inspector instructors covering
a period of years of careful applica-
ton and study for this very emer-
gency. He is commissioned a cap
tain in the Reserve Corps.
The younger man with no previ-
Gus experience either in business or
the military profession is commits
stoned a provisional" second lieu
tenant, United States army.
Six months pass, and in this time
the provisional" second lieutenant
has been promoted to be first lieu
tenant, captain and finally a major
to fill vacancies existing in the en-
larged military establishment which
at that time could. according to the
General Staff. be flled only by the
promotion of regular" officers
without regard to their personal
qualifications, youth. or inexperi-
ence. The older man. at this time,
Is still a captain in the Reserve
Corps.
Both are sent to France, and both
are wounded. The older man, a
total disability" for life, receives
the small compensation for his serv-
ice that is administered through the
Bureau of War Risk Insurance and
which is hardly sufficient to keep
his family decently clothed and fed.
The younger man. wounded in the
heel, yet otherwise entirely well
and strong. is retired as a captain
of the regular army with the re-
tired pay of that rank.
In the opinion of the writer, the
article published in your paper
shames the sense of justice of the
Honorable the Secretary of War in
the attitude he assumes
Those. however. who served in the
great war, cannot be misled by
any arguments of the character ap-
pearing in the article in question
and with a full knowledge that the
emergency officers for a long period
were denied advancement while
those who were young enough to
obtain provisional" regular COM
missions and who had served under
us not only equaled us in rank but
were promoted over our heads sole
ly and simply by reason of the fact
that they were regular army ON
GERS" although many of them had
not had small fraction of the ac-
tnal practical military experience
of those who at, the beginning Of
their military career ranked them