Evening star., 1933-02-05
ARMED SERVICES
FEARPAY SLASHES
Concerned Also With Threat
to National Defense in
Economy Campaign.

OutCoiuc VI IclcIlIlcSS CdupdlSu III
Congress against their active and retired
pay, and are even more concerned over
what may happen to national defense
under pending economy proposals If
they become law at this session or dur
ing the next Congress.
For the first time 1t Is apparent that
the Army, in particular, cannot rely
with the same degree Of certainty as in
the past on the strong preparedness
sentiment in the Senate which has
served during recent years to prevent
emascNlation of the national defense act
by eco,omy legislation originating in
the less sympathetic House
In the present pay-cut controversy
which threatents to scrap the 10-year-
old basis for longevity pay in the Army
and limit retired pay to $1,000 a year,
the Army Is holding down the 'front.' line
trenches. If these two House amend
ments are upheld in the Senate-the
one proposed by Representative John
Taber. Republican, of New York, and
the other by Representative William P.
Connery jr., Democrat of Massachusetts,
the same drastic limitations naturally
will be applied also to the commissioned
personnel of the Navy and Marine
Corps.
Macarthur Spurs Hope.
Since Gen. Douglas Macarthur, chief
Of staff, went to the bat for all three
branches of the armed services last
week before the Senate Appropriations
Committee, hope rides high at the War
Department that the two House amend
ments will be omitted from the supply
bill when it is reported out. Assurances
from Senator Bingham, chairman of
the Appropriations Subcommittee, and
others seem to indicate that this part Of
the fight is already won, but there are
no definite assurances that the wave of
economy will lnot engulf the Army ap-
preparation bill after it gets to the SEN
ate, or even in conference between the
two Houses
Aside from the pay cut aimed directly
at them, the armed services are pro-
foundly agitated over the uncertain
ties involved In the Roosevelt -Sherley
departmental reorganization program
Another cause for anxiety lies in the
economy fight now being conducted
against the Treasury-Post Office ap-
preparation bill.
The administrative reduction of per
cent sought in the Treasury and Post
Office supply measure if applied to the
whole Federal service, would mean loss
Of nearly $4,000 900 to the military ac-
tivities Of the War Department, which
already have been reduced to a mini
mum in the House. Under any re-
organization of the departments in the
new administration. it is felt that the
Army and Navy appropriations would
be cut even more drastically. That,
however, is a bridge which has not
yet been reached, but the three armed
services are nevertheless at the pro-
iol 0f rIIcv vuh
to the pending pay cut amendments.
Longevity System Hit.
Aimed at the longevity system, which
was adopted after long and careful in
vestigation by Congress in 1922, the
Taber amendment would take from
nearly half the commissioned personnel
of the Army sums ranging as high as
SIPS q month Adopted by the House
without prior consideration in commit
tee and only about 20 minutes discus
sion on the floor. the amendment IS
the most drastic pay cut proposal ever
70 make up for the ss.5oo,ooo loss
to economy when the c. M. T. c. pro-
visions were restored to the House bill,
opponents succeeded In putting forth
this proposal to deprive the commis-
stoned officers with former National
Guard and Militia service Of pay earned
in this way. BY the elimination Of all
service other than commissioned in the
Federal service, long list of duty here
tofore included will no longer constitute
eligibility for longevity pay. Besides the
National Guard and Organized Militia,
these include such service as cadetShip
at West Point before 1912. service as
contract surgeons. pay clerks, Army
field clerks and field clerks in the Quar-
termaster Corps, veterinarian service,
duty in the Philippine Constabulary,
the Coast Guard. Coast and Geodetic
Survey, the Public Health Service and
the Marine Hospital Service.
Gen. Macarthur Is authority for the
statement that not single general no
would be affected by this pay-cut pol
icy. The group affected are those COM
missioned between June, 1908, and the
close of the World War, all veterans of
that war. As a matter of fact, 13
colonels would be eligible for very negi-
gible reductions in pay. E.
THE general result Of this amend
ment," Gen. Macarthur told the Senate
Committee, would be that on the ac-
tive list the major portion of the sac
rifice would be borne by men who were
commissioned just DeIOre curing ana
after the World War This group con-
stituteS, In general, what is known as
the hump every member Of which had
World War experience.
"a Bleak Future"
''They face bleak future now in the
matter of promotion, and to add this
additional burden seems uselessly unfair
and unjust.
Altogether some 1000 active officers
and about so per cent of the retired
list would be affected. Among the lat
ter group it is tragic fact that most
of those who would suffer this reduc-
tion have been retired for disability in
the service of their country One of
these would lose one-third of his pres
ent pay. In the vast majority of all