Evening star., 1925-04-19

According to the plans now being
formulated by the Citizen Officers AS
sociation intensified vigcr will mark
s The activities of this organization dur
ing the next session of Congress for
the equalization of the promotion list
of the. Army. IL will be recalled by
those of the armed, citiZenry who kept
q watchful eye on the legislative cal
Sndar last session that it was this
organization which sponsored the Nc
kellarJohnson bill Is. 4044 and H. R.
ll64D, which authorized the Secretary
of War to revise and rearrange the
Army promotion list so that those Off
GERS appointed from the emergency
forces to the grades of captains, first
lieutenants and second lieutenants in
the regular establishment under the
provisions of section "a of the Army
reorganization act OF June 4, 1920.
should be placed on said list in the
respective grades to which they were
originally appointed Immediately be-
low the captains, first lieutenants and
second lieutenants, respectively, of the
Regular Army as Of July J. 1920, in
accordance with commissioned service
Eendered prior to November II, 1918. :.
1t is pointed out that section ,24a, of
the above mentioned act. which pre-
scribed the method in arranging the
original promotion list, provided that
persons TO be appointed as captains
or lieutenants under the provisions of
section "a, hereof, shall be placed ac-
cordlnS TO commissioned service rem
deFed prior to November IL 1878"
etc. As a result of the construction
placed by the War Department on
this provision, selections made by the
PerShlng board under section "a were
placed on the promotion list in ac-
cordance with the length of their COM
missioned service, regardless of the
grade to which they were appointed.
As an instance of the general dissatis-
faction expressed by the large ma
Jorlty of persons appointed from the
emergency forces, an officer selected
by the PerShing boards and appointed
10 the grade of second lieutenant was
paced on the promotion list ahead OF
all persons selected and appointed TO
'He. grades OF captain and first lieu.
etnant S1p the event his commissioned
service prior to November II. 1918.
exceeded that of those appointed to
the higher grades.
kPhe belief is held by members of
etae association that the War De-
partment'S construction of this nro
vision is CONTRARY to the Intention of
tsongress, and that instead thereof. il
was intended that emergency officers
appointed to the grade of captain
should be placed among themselves
IN tina { grade in accordance with their
commissioned service, that first lieu
tenants should be placed likewise
among themselves, with similar ar
rangement pertaining to second lieu
teuants.& An examination of the pro-
motion list will reveal the fact that
there are considerable number of
officers who were appointed second
lieutenants, under section % of the
reorganization act of July /, 1920.
who are now holding the grade of
captain, and who are now a con-
siderable number of files ahead of
those who received their original ap-
pointment at the same time in the
grade of captain. -.
a considerable amount of data is
being compiled, which will be sub
mitted to Congress upon the conven-
ing of that body in December next,
at which time it is being planned to
reintroduce a bill which will rectify