Evening star., 1924-03-28
From Yesterdsy's,S;so Edition of The Star,
CIVIL ASSIGNMENT
OF OFFICERS ASKED
Coolidge Warts Law CIari-
fled to Meet Objection by
Controller McCan.

Legislation which would authorize
the President to appoint military Of
ficers to civilian positions in the in
tertsts Of public service in spite OF
the recent ruling OF Controller Gen
eral McCarl and the ruling of the
Attorney General was asked yesterday
from Congress as early as possible in
the present session by President
Coolidge in letter TO Speaker
Gillett
The legislation asked by President
Coolidge would permit officers in the
military service to be assigned TO
such positions as director OF the bu-
| reau of engraving and printing, Dis
trict Commissioner and wherever
else the President deemed that more
efficient service could be rendered.
Letter of President.
The President, in his letter, asks that
Officers of the United States, civil and
military, including retired officers, may
at any time be specially assigned by
the head of the department concerned,
for limited periods, to duty, or with OF
in the American National Red Cross
and other emergency relief organiza
tons
ANY officer the proposed bill
states, 80 assigned without vacating
his permanent commission is hereby
authorized to hold any public office,
the exercise or administration Of which
ls involved in the execution of the as
signment hereunder made. Sections 1922
and 1924, Revised Statutes. and the final
sentence, beginning with the words, mo
person who holds and ending with the
words, Consent of the Senate of sec
| tion 2 of the act Of July 81, 1884, are
hereby repealed
The President quotes the opinion OF
| the Attorney General rendered Sep
tember Is, 1929, on the subjct of the
use OF the naval forces in the enforce
ment of the national prohibition act.
in which the constitutional provisions
involved were thus eXpounded.
Limitation of Power.
1.-The clause of the Constitution
authorizing Congress to provide and
maintain navy confers on it the
power of determining when and for
what purpose the naval forces of the
United States may be used. 1t follows
that the constitutional provision con-
sdtuting the President the command
er-in-cnief of the Army, Navy and Mi
litia, would not give power to use the
Navy in a manner other than as au-
thorized by Congress-
assuming the soundness of this
view, and applying the language of
the Attorney General to the Army
clause of the Constitution correspond
! ing to the Navy clause cited by him.
there would result the doctrine that
/ in time of peace the President may
| not under any circumstances put any
part of the military or navy person
mel to d use of even the briefeSt dur
alton for which neither the Consti-
tuition nor act of Congress provides"
The controller generals action
| raises a practical question in govern
| ment adminisIrati ton, which | deem il
| advisable to present to Congress for
| disposition by enactment of suitable
legislation. The very few officers
now on such special assignments are
| rendering highly valuable public
service by reason of the nature of the
duties involved and their requisite
equipment of knowledge and expert
ence, and the Executive should not
be disabled from so utilizing them,
for limited periods, in the public
veal