Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-03
By DONALD A. CRAIG.

| roy o1lOulu NC dueQudICs DdoeQ VII
the current purchasing value of the
dollar, to enable an officer at all
times to give his best thought to
the service rather than to problems of
existence" says the inter-o departmental
| pay board in laying down a set of
principles, which it believes should be
the basis of legislation to increase the
| pay Of the Army Navy, Marine Corps
| and allied services of the Government.
Army and Navy officers imagine that
oft-quoted but somewhat mythical
being-the average man." or the
average woman"-as quite ready to
agree with this statement "in principle"
but they also realize that the public, in
the absence of specific information, is
apt to wonder what all the bother is
about" They can hear the average"
person asking:
why should President Hoover and
Congress, and especially. why should the
public get excited about this pay ques-
ton? Are the men in the Army and
Navy so much worse off in this respect
than the rest Of us?"
Tries to Show They Are.
From the first to the last of its 54-
page report the inter departmental pay
board endeavors to show that the cor
rect answer is: yes, they are worse
off,"
The matter is much more serious, in
the opinion of Army and Navy officers
and of many other persons who have
studied the situation, than the average
person" Is apt to think.
1T Is only question of time" de-
clares an officer of the Ordnance De-
partment on duty at one Of the larger
| arsenals, until economic laws will
operate on the Army the same as they
do on other activities, and instead of
being able to select above average men
for offcer material. as we do at pres
ent, We shall find ourselves with moth
ing but the incompetents, insists and
leftovers that cannot succeed in the
competition of modern industrial life.
II such condition comes to pass.
the country will pay dearly in blood and
treasure for its mistaken economy in
the event of another war"
Growing Unrest" Is Cited.
| After referring to "a growing unrest
and discomfort" in the military service
a condition which is declared to exist
| also in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast
Guard, Public Health Service and Coast
and Geodetic Survey statement
issued by the War Department con-
| tinueS:
designations from the service have
been increasing from year to year. The
dimculty OF meeting not only the stand
| ARDS expected OF them, but even at times
OF providing the merest necessities for
themselves and their families, rapidly
is creating a state of mind and morale
among Army officers which is bound to
nave deleterious effects, II not corrected
in the near future.
THAT the harmful effect of the pres-
! ent situation will increase rather than
| diminish, is clear from the fact that
| tnose VINO resign from the service, on
the whole, will be its most active and
efficient officers; that the service will
cease to attract young men with the
| ambition and ability to become efficient
! Officers and that those who remain in
the service gradually will sink to the
mental level to which they are con-
demned by inadequate pay"
| II these statements present a true
picture Of existing conditions and pros
poets for the future, then the situation
is Suf1ciently alarming for the whole
Nation to take cognizance Of it and for
| Congress to act without undue delay.
in the opinion of many Senators and
| Representatives with whom the writer
has discussed the subject.
Careful Investigation Sought.
| generally at the Capitol that it is the
business of Congress to find out how
| generally these conditions prevail in
the services, by careful Investigation of
all the facts. before enacting legislation
which would add upward of $85 600, 900
to the annual pay roll of the Govern
ment, as recommended by the Inter-
departmental Pay Board
The starting point in any discussion
OF the pay question as it presents itself
today, whether in Congress or outside.
is the report of the Interdepartmental
Pay Board. This body was composed of
officers representing each of the six
services, which are grouped for paw
purposes under the present law. Its
findings are sort of text book" in the
movement for increased pay and for
| general revision of the present system
of pay and allowances.
AS pointed out heretofore in this
series of articles, the boards report has
been questioned in several important
particulars by the Bureau of Efficiency,
to which 1t was submitted for comment
by President Hoover. But War and
Navy Department officials insist that
the bureaus criticisms are based on
misconception of the military and
naval services and, in more than one
instance, on errors in fact.
Comment to Be Outlined.
In later articles in this series the
higher pay schedules recommended by
the board and the giSt of the facts and
arguments advanced in their favor will
be presented This will be followed by
an outline of the Bureau of Efflciency's
comment and of the official debate"
between the bureau and the two de-
partmentS upon the correctness Of the
boards facts and figures, as well as
discussion of other important phases
of the subject.
One of the most interesting facts
about the present movement for in
creased pay is that the Army and Navy
officers who are most active in it are
not generally disposed to criticize Con-
gresS for what they regard as their
economic plight"
IT feel that the economic troubles
OF the Army and the Navy officers
cannot be justly laid to the faults of
Congress-" said one oficer who holds
an important position. Congress In
passing the present pay act In 1922
gave the Army and Navy and the other
! four services what they thought they
wanted. Let US hope that we get some
clear thinking this ti%e and that the