Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-01
SCORE Of EMPLOYEES
ARE RETIRED At
WAR DEPARTMENT
Veterans in Service Are Re.
Iieved Under Provisions of
Act of Congress.
ALL EXCEED AGE LIMIT
FIXED BY LEGISLATION
Majority of Those in Dropped List
Were Taken From Among
Field Workers.

Despite the efforts of their Official
superiors, including Secretary Hurley,
for their retention on active duty, In
the interest of good administration,
more than score of veteran employees
of the War Department, mostly in the
field service outside of this city. have
been transferred to the Civil Service
retired list, in accordance with the
provisions of the act of Congress of
July g., 1926, and its amendments ut
the latest session of Congress. All of
these employees are beyond the age of
IA years, and each has had at least
two 2-year extensions, and, in several
cases, more than that number.
Ware Oldest Man on List.
Heading the list in the matter of
sage is James Ware, who has been SUI
perintendent of construction and repair
work at Forts Monroe and Wool, at
the entrance of Chesapeake Bay, Tor
the past 81 years. Born in Philadelphia
81 years ago, he began his service Tor
the Government in the Army Ordnance
Department in 1861, and remained IN
that department until his transfer TO
his present post in 1878. So far as the
records show, he is the oldest employe
in the active service of the Government
and. despite his great age, Is reported
to be in good physical and mental con-
dition.
In the War Department proper the
list of veteran employees just transferred
to the retired list includes Jacob Frech,
former chief clerk of the adjutant gen.
erals Office, 81 years Of age and record
of SO years continuous service in the
war Department; William B. Blackiston.
also of the adjutant generals ONCE,
aged n; James H. Bessling, surgeon
generals office, aged rs, with 81 years
service; Edward M. Douglas, Office OF
Chief of Engineers, aged IS; Samuel
BRYANT. Surgeon Generals ONCE, aged IS,
and William Haller and George 5. Britt
of the Adjutant Generals ONCE, each In
his 74th year. The associates OF Mr..
Frech babe him an official farewell Sat
urdav and presented him with gold
watch and chain, in accepting which
the old veteran remarked that 1t would
be the first watch he ever had carried.
Two Retired From State Department.
The civil service retirement law af-
fected only two employees of the State
Department Henry Lewis Bryan, editor
of the Laws Ca special omce), ana Jonn
Stephen Martin, principal translator.
each of whom has rendered long and
important service to the Government.
Mr. Bryan is a native OF this city ana
has served successfully in the Army, In
the War Department, in the Senate and
in the State Department since 1871, and
has been vice president of the Associa-
ton of Oldest Inhabitants of the Dis
trict of Columbia for several years. His
associates at the State Department gave
him a farewell reception Saturday and
presented him with an onyx desk foun-
tain pen set and large basket OF now
erS.
Mr.. Martin modestly declined any
action on the part of his associates in
the department and his wishes were
respected with regret on their part. He
was born in Philadelphia July %, 1855.
and was graduated at the University
of France in 1873. He served as United
States consul at Marseille for IL years
and began his special services at the
State Department in August, 1891, and
has been its principal translator for
many years past.