Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21
ARMY MAKES NEW ATTACK
ON sPROMOTION HUMP
Congestion of Officers From World War
Creates Serious Handicap to System
of Advancement in Service.

! gvess A number of other bills were
| introduced bearing on the general
| subject. but none Of them passed. Last
March the Secretary of War directed
the formation of boards in all corps
areas. overseas departments and serv
ice misunderstanding more than 100 In
| number-to study the question thor
oughly and through recommendations
to give what would constitute a cross
section of opinion of the officers as a
| whole. The ajority of these boards
have now submitted their recommends
tons. and next month the general
board. consisting of Maj. Gen. Mason
NJ. Patrick, chief of Air Corps: Maj
Gen. Hanson +. Ely. Maj. Gen. Robert
| II. Allen. chief of infantry; Maj Gen
Preston Brown and Brig. Gen. Ewing
+. Booth, will begin the study Of these
recommendations and present it's own
report. to be used as a basis for action
for legislation, if there is to be any
| ir the next Congress.
The plan favored by the general staff
and embodied to some extent in the
Wadsworth bill, would substitute for
the prospective Irregular flow of Off
GERS into and from the active list OF
the Army a required annual turnover
| of not less than per cent, or Al on
GERS. While those who have studied
the effect of such a system declare
| that the large majority or separations
affected would be voluntary. the pros
pect of compulsory retirement creates
something approaching panic In the
| commissioned ranks. 1t would Nsan
the possibility of enforcement of The
process which came to be known as
''blooying" an officer in France-a Sc
| lective system which sent officers from
combat troops to Blois. there to appear
before a board which determined other
duty for which they were best fitted,
or which sent them home.
The general staff plan would provide
| for the retirement of officers after
reaching certain age. or after com.
pleting a number of years of COM
missioned service. For instance,
| lieutenant colonies over 81 years of
age or of over 80 years OF commits
| stoned service; majors over 81 years
of age or of over 25 years OF COM
missioned service; captains over ~
years Of age or Of over ~ years OF
commissioned service, and officers OF
any grade of over eight years OF COM
missioned service would be eligible
either for voluntary or for compulsory
| retirement. If an officer did not
| choose to retire, board OF officers
| might recommend his retirement,
either after examination, or because OF
his service records failure TO measure
up to par Compulsory retirement
would rest with the President, upon
the advice of the War Department.
Officers Face Problem.
But the fear of selective system OF
retirement. comparable to the Nays
selective system for promotion or oHi'
GERS above certain grade, is strong
| in the Army. To counterfeit this fear.
one of the prevailing suggestions is to
make retirement attractive, either by
creating an officers reserve, it's men,
bers to be paid: by retirement pay
| based on length of service, or by a
cash gratuity based on length OF serV-
ice and paid upon complete separation
from the Army.
The human element of the problem
today rests in the fact that, under
present conditions, an officer with
some years of service behind him and
with family to support, and with no
training except his professional train
ing, must stay in the Army or starve,
unless he has the capital to support
him until he establishes himself in
new field. Many officers within the
Army's hump" no doubt would like
to get out. But the way out is block
ed. And unless the LAWS are amend
ed, those who are thrown out would
be thrown out to sink or swim.
The recommendations now being
sent in from the lower boards for
study by the general board are un.
derstood to be of one mind concern
ing the desirability Of the present
singly list of promotion, as against
Of nd
rate list for officers, say, Of the Air
Corps. They also stick to the present
system of promotion by seniority, and
not by selection, the system now OBJ.
tanning in the Army up to and In.
| Guiding the rank of colonel. 1t is
also felt that something should be
done" about the second lieutena nts,
and one plan favored is for their pro-
motion after three years of service
The junior second lieutenant in
the Army today Is admittedly in a
bad way. He receives allowa noes for
himself only and for the first five
years the law does not recognize the
fact that even second lieutenant
is entitled to marry and raise a fam.
lily while he awaits the slow process
of the machinery which will elevate
him to the rank of first lieutenant
of marrying. If dependent upon their
Army pay alone, the second lieuten-
ants today constitute a very nearly
pauperiZed class of public servants
Another accommodation is under
stood to favor a full and free use Of
the present laws governing separa.
tons and retirements from the
service.
Scale of Promotions.
This means that if all officers who
| really deserve to be placed in "class
Is" are retired that the hump will be
| materially reduced. Promotion by
service in rank. as suggested in the
| Wadsworth bill. is also looked upon
| with favor by some Of the lower
boards, but this would mean bringing
into active force the Armys classic.
cation board. and its action would be
made irrevocable.
In other words, after 10 years sorry.
Ice lieutenant would be promoted to
captain: after II years service to the
grade of major. after % years to the
| grade of lieutenant colonel and after
- years service to the grade Of colonel.
but each year certain percentage of
| ofncers would be declared supernum-
erary. either by their application for
retirement, or upon action Of a special
board. The prospect, however re.
mote it might be. of being declared
supernumerary by board, sends cold
shivers through the commissioned
ranks.
| The recommendation Of the general
board will probably include provisions
for ample pay to those who are retired
together with the repeal of laws re-
stricting the employment of retired
officers. AS it is now, the retired Of.
| ficer who is unable to make both ends
meet with his retired pay Is handi-
capped by his inability to get employ
ment with concern which sells to the
| EnNarnnnenf nd ~ the S.Irna time