Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-01-23
JUSTICE SOUGHT
FOR ARMY MEN
WAR DEPARTMENT INTENDS TO
ASK PROPER RANK ON RE-
TIRED LIST FOR THEM.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

ny EDWARD h. CLARK
Washington.-lt is the known inten-
ton of the War department TO rec
ommend to the chairmen of the mill
tary affairs committees of the two
houses OF congress that two bills be
prepared which shall correct certain
lnSuSticeS of the wartime period and
give proper rank on the retired list of
the army to certain general officers
VINO exercised commands, or who did
work, the assignment to which should
have carried promotion with it.
1t is believed that it was the inten-
ton of the War department to do this
thing long time ago, but seemingly
II felt that nothing that had an army
complexion to it would be given con-
sideration by congress or sanction by
the people. Everybody is sick of the
army, navy and war;" seemed to be
the feeling
Recently more kindly attitude to-
ward the men who risked their lives to
save their country has been manifest
throughout the land. Today some Of
attacking the services seemingly have
come into a state of mind which en-
ables them to look on men who are
willing to make the sacrifSe of their
lives with something a little bit re-
moved from scorn. 1t is literally true
that year and half ago in Wash
ington the attitude of some persons
toward the armed services made it ap-
pear that they considered the uniform
OF their country a disgrace.
Some of Those to Be Promoted.
If the military committees of the
house and senate shall agree to the
suggestion of the War department, it
Is believed that the list of those who
will receive promotion on the retired
list will contain these names: Maj.
Gen. Hunter A. Liggett, Maj. Gen.
Robert L. Billiard, Maj. Gen. Joseph
T. Dickman, Maj. Gen. Enoch H.
Crowder, Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood,
and Coils. Lloyd M. Brett and Wilds
P. Richardson.
Undoubtedly there will be some
others, but these are the names of SOL
dierS who, it is known, deserve pro-
motion and will get it if the War de-
partment can succeed in getting con-
gress to do its duty in the case. Lig-
gett, Billiard and Dickman successive
ly commanded corps and armies in
France. The command of a corps
ought to carry with it the rank of
lieutenant general. Such temporary
rank was given to Liggett and Billiard,
but it never was given to Dicknlan
and no army man or civilian who
knew the circumstances in the case
ever understood why he was denied
promotion, for his fighting work was
lust as strenuous as that of one of
the others named and more strenuous
han that of yet another.
These three soldiers, as has been
said, not only commanded corps in
France, but later armies. An army
command is supposed to carry with it
the rank of general. Dickman, as
major general, commanded a corps
at st. Mihiel and another in the Ar
come which fought its way through
to Sedan, and later he commanded the
first army of occupation in Germany
Cases of Crowder and Wood.
Major General Crowder, who is now
Uncle Sans ambassador to Cuba, was
the man who put the draft through
without friction, work which has
been commended not only by this
government but by every other civ
ilized government on earth. Crowder,
prior to this time, has been recon-
mended for lieutenant generals
rank. He, like the others who have
been named, is now on the retired list.
Everybody knows how the War de-
partment treated Gen. Leonard Wood
during the war. He trained two of the
best divisions that Uncle Sam sent
overseas, and he suffered the indignity
and the injustice of being ordered
back from the ship, on which he was
to set sail with his division, to train
another division in this country.
Col. Wilds P. Richardson, who was
a brigadier general in France, and
who did fighting and administrative
work of the highest order at Arch
angel, Russia, to which post he had
been ordered at a time when things
were delicately dangerous with the
American forces in that section, was
retired as a colonel. He has the Dis
tinguished Service Medal and received
all kinds of praise for what he had
done as a brigadier general, and yet
the rank on the retired list was de-
MED him.
Col Lloyd NJ. Brett was a fighting
brigadier general in France. His rec
ord was one of the finest to go on
the books of American achievement
on the other side. He went back to
the rank of colonel and colonel he is
today. Everybody VINO knew Brett's
record was astounded at the action
In his case.
Tax Bill May Be Delayed.
Indications are that the country
must wait until well into February be-
fore it learns with anything like
how r11I1ob biIl :.