The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1924-01-23
JUSTICE SOUGHT
FOR ARMY MEN
WAR DEPARTMENT INTENDS TO
ASK PROPER RANK ON RE.
TIRED LIST FOR THEM.
BY EDWARD q. cLARK

80 Al0lA ADllGIA AEl AdtH
injustices OF the wartime period and
give proper rank on the retired list of
the army to certain general officers
who exercised commands, or who did
work, the assignment TO which should
have carried promotion with It.
1t Is believed that 1t was the inten-
ton of the Val department TO do this
thing a long time ago, but seemingly
it 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 a more kindly attitude to-
ward the men who risked their lives TO
save their country has been manifest
throughout the land. Today some of
the organizations which haye been
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 sacrifice of their
lives with something a little bit re-
moved from scorn. Ii Is literally true
that a year and a 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
7. Dickman, Maj. Gen. Enoch II.
Crowder, Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood.
and Coils. Lloyd NJ. Brett and Wilds
p. Richardson.
Undoubtedly there will be some
others, but these are the names of sol
diers who, 1t Is known, deserve pro-
motion and will get 1t if the Wal de-
partment a succeed in getting con-
gress to do It's duty in the case. Lig-
gett, Billiard and Dickman successive
1OlAA4oA0CA NOAPo oGo hAS ~
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 Dickman
and no army mar or civilian who
knew the circumstances in the case
ever understood why ne was denied
promotion, for his fighting work was
just as strenuous as that Of one OF
the others named and more s~trenuou
than that of yet another.
These three soldiers, as has bee
said, not only commanded corps |
France, but later armies. An arm
command is supposed to carry with
the rank of general. Dickman. as
major general, commanded a corp
at st. Mihiel and another in the Al
come which fought its way throug
to Sedan, and later he commanded tn
first army of occupation In German!
Cases of crowder and Wood.
Major General Crowder, who is no,
Uncle Sans ambassador to Cuba, wa
the man who put the draft throug
without friction, a work which ha
been commended not only by thi
government but by every other civ
Ilized government on earth. Crowdel
prior to this time, has been recon
mended for a lieutenant general
rank. He, like the others who hav
been named, is now IN the retired list
Everybody knows how the Wal de
partment treated Gen. Leonard Woo
during the war. He trained two of tn
best divisions that Uncle Sam sen
overseas, and he suffered the indignit
and the injustice of being ordereI
back from the ship, on which he wa
TO set sail with his division. to trail
another division in this country.
Col. Wilds P. Richardson, who wa
a b~rigadier general in France, an
who did fighting and administrative
work Of the highest order at Arch
angel, Russia, TO which post he haI
been ordered at a time when thing
were dellcately dangerous with n
American forces in that section. wa
retired as a colonel. He has the Dis
tinguished Service Medal and receive
all kinds of praise for what he hat
done as a brigadier general, and ye
the rank on the retired list was de
MED him.
Col. Lloyd NJ Brett was a fighting
brigadfer general In France His rec
ord was one Of the finest to 60 OF
the books of American achievement
on the other side, he went back Il
the rank of colonel and colonel he /
today. Everybody VINO knew Brett
record was astounded at the actiol
in his case.
Tax Bill May Be Delayed.
Indications are that the countr
must wait until well into February be
fore 1t learns with anything lik
defniteness how much IT'S tax bill /
to be cut In the future.
Ii does not seem at all likely tina
congress will be able even to formu
late amendments to the revenu &C
for some time to come. Many mem
oers, many minds. OF course the hgh
will come as between the two school:
one of which believes that the cuttin
of surtaxes Is q crime and the othe
nj which believes that such a cuttin
will release money for Industrial pun