Evening star., 1928-03-25
ARMY.

The Secretary or War has dtsap.
proved of the Slack .McSwain proposal.
the primary purpose Of which Is to
regulate the distribution, promotion
and separation from the active list OF
commissioned officers Of the Regular
Army. This proposal, the Secretary
points out, would cause the proportion
Of field officerS to I've increased 20 20
per cent the corresponding NUMBER
being about 4s4S, This would NOT ne
a temporary increase deferred until
S,,ch time as necessary and maintained
only 50 lors as necessary TO permit
CAPTAINS Of Y wears of service 70 DC
pronantec, but it would be a permanent
increase 10 be reached by SuoStantel
incrrments DURING the next seven wears
and TO be maintained thereafter Tne
eject would be during these seven
wears TO cause the promotion OF taFse
numbers of captains OF less tnah ~
wears of service and thereafter 10 cause
the promotion OF captains as vacsncics
occur in the 80 per cent OF neld cmcefs
without regard to the ien&ah oA soa'i0S
OF those promoted. =.
Under this proposal, all officers IN
r'udnd in the special voluntary sepafa.
t{ors would be placed upon the retifco
LIEF Thcse Of less than 70 years o.
service would receive as retired pay 90
per cent of their active pay reSaEoIess
Of their actual length OF service Nnns
those Of % or more years OF SerN'cs
uSoa,ld receive IS retired pay between %
~ ~,S Sss, sns Is per cent OF their active
nav deoenaent upon their length OF
Srrv.ce In addition 10 retired pay
trcxs oescers who on July /, 1927, we're
aver 81 wears Of age and who were re-
ti~es u3fhin the two years following
enactment Of the proposal would re-
rsive A bonus of one years active pay.
All others retired during such two years
Ard su efseerS retired Thereafter ~ouIo
receive a bonus Of one-han years aeu'e
pay. s., which
~ro,,lS eiyse all oficerS heretofore or
p,s~as feer retired at the age OF % re-
ts~eS rav st the rate of rs per cent o.
.erS;ye nav would appear 10 nave ouI
rftJs eHec4 upon q solution oi une pro-
,-,ctioy, nroblen of the Army. us ap-
y,sscetiCrs would be confined 70 the same
.srsv ra.eeorv of ofacers appointed 10
f1r regular Array on July /, 1920, wnen
ever as wears of age, Its eneet wouao
be 70 insure, the Secretary saic- 20 onl.
GERS OF this category. when reSheo =
fhs are az Ga. retired pay at the raN
- = r,er cent OF active pay. The re-
tired Y,sv Of these officers upon retlre-
y,nrt for age. as now provided oy tne
law under which they were appointed
IA rer cent Of active pay for eacn
vear os commissioned service IhAt
rnrvrass deemed il unwiSe TO insure re-
fsreS nav of rs per cent OF active pay
Ia offcers who at the time OF appoint
r1ent to the Regular Army rae a. n.1le
rs seven wears 70 serve before reacnnik
the statutory age for retirement s
rer,t from the fact that their retlre
~nen+ nav was otherwise equitahly nxeo
hy Congress in the act which permitteo
fre snpoinfrnent of officers OF TINS
age. 49,. s,,r,rv
%l,e <rxt two wears OF its operation, as
x,rn,inc the fun attrition authorised.
fhe additional cost Of major items mel
dent 10 this proposal would ne a. tol-
lows: Increased pay OF the aeave nst,
S2p72. $50: retired pay OF supernumefary
oencers. Sl.s22.5oo; bonus 70 supe.nus.
Y1praTv ctscers In addition 70 re1lreo
nav. 81 ass. 600. or q total Ct $6.7ss.lSo
fn~ the two years. or an average oi
ca I9e 500 per year. In addition, tnere
yvould be considerable increased cost,
the Secretary explained. incident 70
TRANSPORTING officers 10 be retired ana
their families TO their homes and 70
travel Of actiTe officers TO replace tnose
retired. II has been estimated tnat the
above item Of cost incident 70 bonuses
should decrease 70 about SsSO,OOo PEI
year after the second year.
within the next three months NUM-
Der OF changes affecting Army enep-
1stns on dEty in washington and vicin-
t-v will be made. The list OF changes
trl assignments is headed by the -etire-
raent Of Col John 7. Axton, chief OF
chaplains. who viii be tranferTe1 70
- - 40W
AuYii G. Col. Axton VIII oe Guceeeoeo
by Lieut.. Col. Edmund p. EAstsEhrook,
r.ow on duty as division chaplain at
Port gzm Houston, Tex, who win. BY viz
the cf his new ONCE, become colonel
with the change in the head OF me
Army Chaplain Corps the probahInrles
are that Chaplain Milton Q. Yeebe, ex-
eczyttve officer. once Of the 4hteS Of
chaplains, wiz be assigned elsewhere u
duty. II being customary for chief of
branch 70 select his executive ON
Ger. There viii be . chaplain Va
cancv AZ Fort Myer, Va. in June, foR
or the ID of that month Chaplain John
=. Axton, r., the present chaplain ai
that pogt. viii sail for his new station
IN Panama. where he win relieve Chap
lain Stanley C. Ramgdcn. 1t Is, OF
course within the EEAim OF possibility
that Chaplain Beebe may remain In
his present assignment. Nothing cen.
nste VIII be decided IN this respect until
the new chief Of chaplains actually
assumes his duties IN the War Depart-
u1eng, but there bas been Lost per-
sistSnt rInnoY that the prospective va
csney al Fort Myer wiz be given To
Chaplain Beebe. Another vacancy vii
be created In the chaplain once In the
War Department IN April. Chaplain
BENJAMIN J. TarSkey viii complete his
four years of duty IN Washington with
an the next few weeks, and ne viii sal
for 1iE new post IN the Panama Cana
Department the later part of April
Chaplain Tarskey's duties in the War
Departures viii be taken over by Chap
lain Walter j. Donogs1ue. Eho has beer
or duty IN Tt1e Philippines. Chaplain
TsYEKey viii reIieye Chaplain John r
Carroll IN Paoama. the latter chaplain
going 70 Eeifridge Fled, Mich.s FOR duty
NAVY.