Evening star., 1932-10-27

Governments economy pcncy mas
exacted it's pound of flesh from the
commissioned personnel of the Army.
From his professional cradle at West
Point to the gratuity his widow receives
when he is in the grave, the Army
officer, wherever he may go and nearly
whatever he may do, finds himself en-
shared in the countless meshes of the
general economy act.
The 8l3 per cent pay cut. affecting
even the siX-mcnth death gratuity un-
less Controller General McCarl reverSeS
previous ruling. is among the least of
his troubles. For McCarl literally has
tied the Army pay regulations into a
Gordian knot that defieS any War De-
partment official to cut through 1t,
officials declare. Even the enlisted man,
exempted by a sympathetic Congress
from drastic economy provisions has
seen his ration per diem reduced, his
clothing savings diminished and
chances for extra craftsmanship pay
curtailed.
Yet it's an i'll wind that bloweth no
man good. One ruling by McCarl. at
least. gives cause fer rejaicing. Doomed
by special equations to de, ote a half
day each week to golf, polo or some
other form of favorite physical exercise.
the officers early fears that this ritual
of Army life would b. paced in the
rest The controller has luled this
half day Of recreation is strc.ly within
the line OF official duty, for which the
Government must pay.
Benefits Swept Aside.
In ways innumerable. however. the
economy policy of the Government has
left trail of heartbreaks in the mill
tarv service The old TIRE ditional pc
,lo
according to officials. With furlough,
promotion and longevity pay suspended,
rental and subsistence allowances re-
duced. among ma jor sacrifices involved,
the avere ge officer is sitting up nights
trying to readjuSt his family budget to
greatly diminished salary.
The $50 000 900 reduction in current
expenditures fer the military st9b'ish
ment. from the Viewpoint of the general
stafi. was cheap price to paw for es-
cape from the calamity that nearly BE-
fell the whole Armv structure during
the last session of Congress. The bow
which the Army ultimately succeeded in
parrying was aimed directly at the
forced retirement of 1000 Regular Off
GERS. or ore-SiGth Of the total number,
besides abolishment of the c. M. T. c..
tn" r. o. T. c. and elimination of
training provisions for the Organized
Reserves.
Quoting Gen. Douglas Macarthur.
chief of staff: IAN army can live on
short ratiCCs, it c2n be in5uffcl9ntlT
clothed and housed. it can even be
poorly armed and equipped but it is
doomed to destruction without the
trained and adequate leadership of its
officers. An efficient end sufficient
corps of officers means the difference
between victory and defeat
For this reason. the general staff is
eirding itself nov to Withstand an eX-
pected renewal of assaults in Congress
next year against the fabric of the ma
tional defense act. The Army
emerged from the last offensive
with its officer and man power intact.
But during u years OF congressional
whiting the officer strength has been
reduced from $4,000 to 10000; the en-
listed strength from 100000 to ll8.1oO.
The human equation rules in Army
economy as in few other branches OF
the Government The Armv appropria-
ticn bill is mainly pay bill, or. rather,
personnel bill. The budget for the
military establishment included pc
cuniary benefit of one form or another
mostly pa, for approximately $4,000
persons, military and civilian.
s222 GOO, 600 for Pay.
Approximately 1922 100000 of the
budget estimates of S256.000,000 for the
Regular Army alone was for pay ana
expenses of personnel The remaining
$50 1000 900 was for transportation OF
supplies new motor vehicles, airplaneS,
coast defenses and other essentials OF
national defenge To effect substantial
savings without sacrificing the ma
chinery for war, it was necessary for
Congress to cut personnel expenses to
the bone. Whatever the personal sac
rificeS entailed in carrying out that
policy the Army nevertheless is car
rying on today with morale and effl-
cheney unimpaired. officers say.
Order, thrift and ecCnCmv in ham
ding of funds ard Government prop
erty is being emphasized rs never be-
fore, that the Army may not only func-
ton efficiently under decreased allow
ances. but that it may bring about ad-
ditional savings to the Treasury it is
said
The immediate result on the Army
Itself of the numerous economy rulings
has been a retrenchmont reflected IN
every order. TraTel end troop more
ments constitute the hardest problem.
Each order to an individual necessitates
additional paper worH, which has
created chaotic conditions in disburS-
ing offices, according to officers. Fewer
offcers and men are being sent to for
eign posts. Shorter jumps in the
United States are the rule. Economy
even has hit the service schools. 1t
has silenced. also IL service bands, 7
being at Air Corps fields. Only Secre-
tary of War Hurley and doctors
answering emergency calls are eX-
empted from restrictions on the use
of official automobiles.
While the Navy regrets cheaper
Grade of paper towels the War De-
partment long ago banisaed even these
from its wash rooms.
The economy drive. once begun,
struck the Army personnel when and
where least expected. Officers voyaging
from foreign posts found themselves on
payless furloughs as soon as they dis
embarked On American sill. The 1882
crop of second lieuten2nts, just grad
Uated from West Point. found them
selves in the same predicament on July