San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-07
MERIT system
PROPOSED BY
WAR SECRETARY
Recommends in Annual Re-
port That Promotion in
Army Be Changed.
UP TO CONGRESS
Would Accelerate Advance
Of Officers as Far Down
as Majors.

When congressman come together in
1928 they will again be confronted with
an old proposition, but a new ILL pur.
posed to inject the selectiye system into
the method Of promotion of army Off
GERS. Secretary of War Weeks EN-.
bodied in his annual report to Congress
a plan for modifying the seniority sys-
TEN with reference to the promotion of
regular army officers, and proposed
that approximately one out of every
twelve vacancies in the grades of field
officers be filled by officers promoted at
an accelerated rate.
The Secretary of Wars proposal is
an old one that Congress had been con-
fronted with time and again, each time
defeating measures with such intent.
Unless the ATTITUDE of Congress has
radically changed since such a measure
was last placed before it, the proposal
of Mr.. Weeks is doomed to certain de-
feat. Furthermore. IL the virtually
unanimous opinion of army officers in
San Antonio can be considered as an
index TO the sentiment in Washington,
the selective system has not the least
chance of being injected into the method
of promotion Of army officers.
Would Apply TO Majors.
Mr.. Weeks in his report states in
part:
II believe that it would be wise to
apply the principles of modern indus
trial efficiency to the administration
of our office body. Good administration
demands not only the protection of the
rights of the majority, but also the en-
enlargement of those who exert them
selves individually to achieve superior
results Our regular army is well
guarded against favoritism or prejudice
through the workings of the promotion
system. 1t is not, however, sufficiently
guaranteed against the stagnation of
interest which inevitably results when
advancement is based solely on senior
ity. We have a system OF appointing
general officers by selection from the
next lower grade, determined by the
action of a yearly eligibility board. l
consider it very desirable TO extend this
practice so that those officers who reach
the grade of lieutenant colonel and ma
jor with past records of superior
achievement can be pushed ahead at an
accelerated rate. This would be no ma
tCrial interference with average prog
ress to the goal Of colonelcy. and there
would be thus an incentive to endeavor
throughout the service Of all officers
that must result in a higher standard
of accomplishment for the whole
FavOritism Is Feared.
e All officers agree that the Secretary
of Wars idea is an ideal one so far as
theory is concerned, but they are afraid
TO let it go into practice because of the
fayoritism that they say will necessarily
result. Some officers said that the plan
was conceived in favoritism and was de-
signed for the purpose of promoting GER
tain officers that are low On the promo
ton list. The selective system, officers
say, will degenerate into nothing more
than political service, and social COM
petition that will prove calamltous to
the army morale. The impossibility OF
determining with accuracy those who
were entitled ia promotion out of turn
is recognized among officers as the prln-
cipal objection that should prove suffi-
Gent TO defeat the proposal. In addi-
ton TO this, it has been pointed out
that officers Jumped in this manner
will entertain grievance that they
will retain while in the service and also
carry with them into private life or on
the retired list.
Always Meets Protest.
When it is clearly evident that an Of
ficer should be promoted at an acceler,,
ated rate. as in the case of General
Pershing, there are provisions for such
actions. Congress by special act can
always promote an officer, and this
provision. officers here say, is a sufti-
Gent modification Of the promotion sys-.
TEN.
The proposal to inject the selective
system into the method of promoting
army officers has always brought a
storm of protest from army men, and
as evidence Of the undesirability OF such
q system. officers point to the action
of general officers with regard to all
proposals to modify the promotion sys-
tenn. General officers would not be
affected one way or the other If the
selective system were adopted, yet each
time that it has been proposed the ma,
t;o,'s oenerolS have vigorously opposed