Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-07
Capital Sideligghts
Bv Y III p. X ennedv.

Relief for the poor Army officers, who
through no fault Of their own are
blocked from promotion and face the
prospect of being retired at the same
grade in which they were originally
commissioned, is promised through bill
which has passed the Senate and is
expected to be passed by the House
during the coming week. Representative
Lister Hill of Alabama. who himself
served in the Army with the 18th and
list United States Infantry Regiments
during the World War, is pushing this
bill in the House
There are in the Army today 1928
captains and 253 first lieutenants, 80
years of age and over, who under normal
conditions should now be occupying the
grade of ma or Representative Hill ex-
plains; HOB majors, 1893 captains and
II first leutenants. ~ years of age and
over, should now be lieutenant colonies,
and 445 lieutenant colonies, 232 majors.
39l captains and two first lieutenants,
so years of age and above, should now
be colonies.
AS if that was not enough to spur
Congress to remedial legislation. Rep
resentative Hill. in calling attention to
the tribulationS of the Army officers,
further points out that 8l3 second lieu
tenants. aged q and over. should now
be first lieutenants: l,54l first lieu
tenants and five second lieutenants, "a
years of age and above, should now be
captains.
And even then you have not con-
templated the hopeless stagnation which
the chief of staff. Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur. stresses is making the Army
lose its morale, becoming depressed in
psychology. Because deplorable though
conditions now are, the outlook for the
future is even WorSe-unleSS the House
sees its duty TO pass the bill this week
to promote efficiency of national defense.
Many officers, largely captains and lieu
tenants, have no hope whatever, under
present conditions, of obtaining rea-
sonably high rank before their retire.
ment for age. Seventy EIGHT officers,
by reason Of age, cannot under existing
law, reach the grade of major; sos
cannot advance to lieutenant colonies.
and 1899 cannot attain the grade of
colonel
Few of the Great American People"
even in the National Capital, where
they are asSociating day after day with
so many Army officers, realize why such
stagnation has come upon the Army.
Secretary Dern of the War Department
explains how it happened
In the reorganization of the Army
subsequent to the World War, many
officers with war service were commits
stoned permanently in the Army. This
large influx created a hump" with the
racllt tho iIlniOr nff in hot
group are separated from those at the
top by some 45O0 files. Officers, prin-
cipally graduates of the United States
Military Academy-ambitiouS for a
career-Who have entered the Army in
the past Is years, are now blocked by
the slow movement of that hump"
There are some 400 World War officers
commissioned as first lieutenants in 1920,
who have received no advancement.
The United States does not want a
''stagnant' Army.
Here's a House member who bitches
his chariot to star'-Representativ
ALBERT c. Dunn of Meridian. Miss, for
merly newspaper reporter in Cincin-
natl, Ohio. He is an aviator, and he
is soaring among the clouds these days,
exultingly. Several of his young pro-
teges have just made the worlds record
for an endurance refueling f1ight-El
and Fred Key were the co-pilotS of
the plane owned by William Ward who
personally conducted the refuelling
operations. These boys whom he has
known all his life taught Mr.. Dunn to
fly. He is said to be their silent part
ner" in the plane, and he kept in touch
with them daily by telegraph, telephone
and radio while their record flight was
being made. Early this week he intends
to put in the Congressional Record the
history of their achievement, with a
personal appreciation of these boys
Two brothers of William Ward are well
known in the Capital-JesSe Ward. who
operates one of the worlds biggest
shorthand reporting businesses and does
much important work for Government
establishments, and Truman Ward, in
charge of the majority room in the
House Office Building.