Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24

than three years, and who shall not
have been advanced in rank for such
service by any provision of law, shall
be advanced one grade in rank upon
retirement" Anticipating the pay that
Gen. Jadwin should receive as an officer
retired under the terms Of the preSi-
dental order. and the Army finance de-
partment being in a quandary IS to
what pay he should receive, decision
will be asked of the Comptroller Cen
eral based on the doubt of the survival
Of the grade of lieutenant general In
the Army.
Some War Department authorities
have challenged the existence of the
office of lieutenant general, either on
the active or retired list, and this view
is shared By number of members Of
Congress. including the chairman of
the House military committee of the
Seventy-first Congress. who entertains
the view that canal service advance
ment should take effect from the perma-
nent colonelcy possessed by Gen. Jadwin,
in which event he would be made
brigadier general on the retired list in
stead of from the temporary rank of
major general he holds as Chief of
Engineers. The act of March 2, 1907,
prescribed that when the Office of
lieutenant general becomes vacant, it
shall not thereafter be filed. but said Of
flee shall cease and determine with the
proviso that nothing in this provision
shall affect the retired list" The last
provision for the pay of lieutenant
general was made in the pay act of
May II, 1908, but in the acts of 1916
and 1920, the grade of lieutenant gen.
eral was omitted from the composition
Of the Regular Army. In the emergency
legislation of 1917, this grade was re-
vived for purposes of command in the
World War. No provision for the pay
of lieutenant general was made how
ever, in the joint service pay act of
1922, the last service pay schedule effort
that was attempted.
Although there are Is colonies who
are eligible for selection as Chief of En-
gineers, the names of Z of this group
have been mentioned more or less
prominently in this connection. First
mentioned is Col Herbert Deakyne. No.
l on the list of Engineer colonies, whose
present duty assignment Is assistant to
the Chief of Engineers, while the other
six and their present assignments are
as follows: William B. Ladue, on duty
as Engineer Commissioner for the Dis
trict of Columbia: William j. Barden,
End Corps Area Headquarters, Govern
ors Island, N. Y; George M. Hoffman,
district commissioner, New York City:
Sherwood A. Cheney, district engineer,
Boston, Mass; William P. Wooten, Of
flee of the Assistant Secretary of War;
James A. Woodruff, Fort Leavenworth.
Kans.. and Edward M. Markham. Fort
Humphreys. Va. Col Deakyne will at
tain the statutory retirement age limit
of "a years on December &c. 1881,
which, in the event Of his appointment
as Chief of Engineers, would have him
serve in that capacity but about two
years and four months before being
| placed on the retired list. Col. Ladue's
active service is but IL months lacking
| 8 days longer than that@of Col. Dea-
| kyne, the formers retirement date be-
| ing November 26, 1892 Neither one of
these two officers would be able to COM
plete their full four-year tour of duty
in event of their appointment as Chief
of Engineers. OF the others, Col. Bar
den is due to retire September 9, 1894;
Col. Hoffman on June Is. 1894; Col.
, Cheney on August "a, 1887 Col. Woo
ten on February Ia, 1887; Col. Wood