Evening star., 1923-12-30

Dy certain members Of Congress as to
what will be the pay Of Brig. Gen.
Smedley Butler. U. s. M. c., during
dde dne time ne is on leave and serving as
delphia. Under the provisions of the
old law, Gen. Butler is entitled to o.
leave Of four months with full pay and
eight months at half pay. but the new
which specifically cover a case where
an officer Is given an extended leave.
Tne matter has been submitted to the
controller general.
giving Gen. Butler much concern, it
does snow there Is an unfrfendly ele-
ment In Congress who seek every op-
portunity to discredit the Army and
ia faVy. a TINS sam same spirit is shown in
enc adoption last year of a resolution
for the purpose Of depriving Gen. Har-
Dord OF his retired Army pay, when he
accepted his position with the Radio
Corporation Of America. That the
Army and Navy can develop such men
indicates their efficiency, and it is in
sisted that 1t Is credit to both serv-
ices.
Lieut.. Col. T. c. Turner, in charge of
Marine Corps aviation and stationed in
the Navy Department, was recently ap-
pointed aide to the Secretary Of the
Navy. Col. Turner relieves Maj. NJ. E.
Shearer, U. 8. NJ. c.. in that post
The resolution creating a budget
committee and restoring military and
naval committees to something like
their former status, which was in
troduced by Representative Dempsey
OF New York, has been referred to
the committee on rules. On January
4, 1924, this committee will open
hearings and Mr.. Dempsey will short
ly after appear before the committee.
In addition to this. there are a
number of other proposals which will
be considered by the committee On
rules. which, If adopted. will curb the
power of the superappropriations
committee. One of the provisions
posal In an appropriation bill would
| be subject to point of order. Under
this rule, the only way that legisla-
tive provision could be attached in
through a favorable report from the
legislative committee. In other
words. in the reduction of the Army
to 125,000 men, had this rule been in
force, 1t would have been necessary
to have a favorable report from the
committee on military affairs.
Under the Holman rule, one of the
most vicious rules of the House.
legislation on an appropriation bill
which purports to reduce the ex-
penses of the government is not sub
ject to point of order on the floor
of the House. This has made it pos
sibfe to propose legislation from the
floor of the House. a great deal of
which never received consideration
from the military or naval commit
tees, and which was frequently adopt
ed with only a small proportion of
the House members present.
An instance of the viciousness CT
the Holman rule is the Blanton
ously interfered with the recruiting
of the Army, but has actually in
creased the cost of maintaining the
Army and at the same time decreased
its efficiency. Yet this measure was
proposed under the Holman rule as
government Just what will come
out of this attempt to restore the
legislative committees to their former
status cannot be predicted at this
that his resolution will pass If il
comes up before the House.
A bill amending the pay act of June
10, 1922, was submitted this week to
the Speaker of the House, which was
accompanied by a letter signed by
Secretary Of War Weeks. Secretary
of the Navy DENLY, Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon and Secretary of
Commerce Hoover. 1t was stated in
the letter that substantial differ
ences of opinion between the general
accounting Office and the authorities
charged with the operation and ad-
ministration" have arisen and the
recommendations of the above men
toned departments are to clarity the
import of certain parts of the act.
The bill will not be introduced or re-
ferred to any committee until Con-
gress convenes from the holiday re-
cess on January 4, 1924. and unless
serious objections are raised it will
be referred to the committee on mill
tary affairs.
Objections to a new trial of the
Noce case in the Court of Claims for
longevity cadet credit at the Mill
tary Academy has just been filed by
prominent firm of Washington at
torneys. The governments brief.
which was prepared by the judge ad-
vocate general of the Army and the
controller general, is carefully ana
lyzed, and there appears to be no
ground for a retrial.
1t is insisted that the case was
thoroughly tried" and that the de-
cision was accomplished by a thor
oughly considered opinion. to which.
as far as can be seen. nothing can
be added" The court has been asked
to promptly overrule the motion for
new trial
Maj. Gen. George C. Richards, chief
of the militia bureau. will leave
Washington Thursday for a short
speaking trip through Pennsylvania
and possibly New York state. Gen.
Richards will address joint meeting
of the National Guard, Reserve Off
GERS Training Corps and Officers Re-
serve Corps representatives on Janu-
airy at the Grove City College, Grove
City, Pa, and on January the gen.
eral will talk to the officers of the
commerce at Erie, Pa. His subject in
all Of his addresses will be on ma
tional defense matters. His plans for
a short speaking trip in New York
state are still in allegiance.
The medical department, as of De-
cember 26, 1923, has prepared a list
OF those enlisted men who attained a
passing average in the examination
which was held from October is.
1928, for promotion to the grade OF
staff sergeant. Under the head OF
medical and dental service there are
sixty-one names, while the veteri-
nary service list contains sixteen
names. all Of which are arranged ac-
cording to rank.
Maj. Alfred E. Larabee, office of the
chief signal officer has left Washing
been assigned to duty in connection
with cable-laying operations on the
Washin gton- Alaskan cable.
Besides his other duties. Maj Lara
bee will be disbursing officer on the
cableship Dellwood on her journeys
from London to Seattle and return.
The Dellwood is expected to leave
Seattle toward the end Of January
and proceed to London, where she
will take aboard 1000 miles Of cable.
She will then proceed to the cable
laying grounds. where 1t is expected
that she will begin laying operations
about April /. Completing this duty,
the Dellwood will return to London
for another cargo of cable and re-
turn Immediately to. the scene of lay.
ing operations. It is expected that
the cableship will then carry on the
laying operations until up to the
close of the fair weather season in
1924.