Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-27

who was decorated by the Scrbians:
who developed a system Of synchroniz.
Ing machine. gun fire with the revoiu-
ton Of an nirplnnc propeller and in
stalled his synchronizcrs in American
Navy planes.
Work Won Recognition
Livingston. one of the millions drawn
into the war when the United states
entered it. is II mechanical engineer.
He started life as an apprentice ma.
chinst. During the war he served for
a time as instructor in magnetic ana
carburetor principles. Later. AS Il naval
officer. he was assigned rs instructor in
gas -enginc principles in the great
French school ut Clerget. France. His
work there won him recognition
throughout the allied armies as Il spc.
cialist in this field
Finally the war ended and he re-
turned. with brother officers. 10 the
United States. Here. because of his
ability and mechanical genius. he was
retained in the service as a temporary
officer.
His work on synchronizers followed,
and it vas while installing them on
navy planes in Guantanamo Bay that
he met disaster. This was in March.
1921. lie was testing one OF the ua.
chimes. \ whirlins propeller blade
struck him. 1t broke his back-and he
lived
For months he lay IN a hospital In
Washington. For more months he was
wheeled or huhbled about. In Novcm-
her. 1921. he applied for retirement.
The Retiring Board which examined
him reported that his disability was
100 per cent for naval sorvic" and
100 per cent for civil occupat!"n.' In
other words. hr was permanently in
capacitatcd Ani because Of n tcrhni-
| cality of the law. his application for
retirement on pay was re- j"ctrd. sub
scuuently he was houurahly discharged
and thrown on his own resources.
since then Livingston has been living
in hopr--hut rapidly losing faith--that
Congress Will come to the rescue OF
himself and several comrades III SINH
lar plight He has wife and an
eighteen. year old daughter to support.
He cannot follow his chosen profession.
He is able to walk. but slowly. with Il
cane, and only with pain and effort.
Refused Retirement
There are others who are equally en-.
titled to consideration. I.icutenHnt II.
-. l'r!cl an army tier. had his throat
burned ont at Boiling Field. Washing
ton. n year ago. lie. ike l!NlnsstOn.
was discharged from the service and re.
fused retirement
Hugh Roughley. another .for who
lives in Washington. had his left arm
So lacerated and cut with glass as to
| deprive him Of It's use. They won't let
| him retire on pay,
Lieutenant Mcdonald, hurt in n
crash on the Pacific Coast and confined
! tor months IT the Naval Hospital in
San Diego, can b" discharged, but not
| retired.
Lieutenant Spallins. at the Fensa-
! cola Air Station. suffered similarly
and made the same discovery.
| Ensign Mertan, temporary line off +.
Ger in the navy. was injured while at
sea and is now-or was rec"ntly--!n a
Brooklyn hospital. The law prevents
his retirement on pay.
All these and other temporary or re-
serve officers who have been injured
in line Of duty since March. 1921. and
have made application for retirement
since that time. only to be refused
would BE- made eligible for such retire.
nent il pending legislation were passed
Army and navy officers ar" in sym.
pa,hy with it, but action is up to the
legislators.