Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-02
To the EDITOR Of The stor:

To the Editor OF The Star:
The s5th Congress was
particularly hard working
and diligent. but one Of It's
most grievous errors. al
though Of little direct con-
sequence to the taxpayer, was
the tremendous injustice
done retired officers Of the
armed forces under the new
pay bill, effective June /,
1858. For the first time In q
century. retired officers Of
the armed forces were not
accorded the usual compen-
sation based on rs per cent
of the current base pay Of
the grade held on retirement.
The Star brought this un-
fortunate discrimination TO
its readers attention some
weeks prior to the passage Of
the new pay act, and again
on August rs in an editorial
entitled Inferior Retired
Officers."
1t has usually been the ex-
perience that the American
people and the Congress.
once broadly informed upon
the facts, have evidenced q
sense Of fair and accurate
evaluation of the armed
forces, and the past services
rendered the Nation by re-
tired personnel Of the regular
forces, as well as war vet
Grams. This approach has
been far above the narrow
and penurious views Of the
Budget Bureau toward re-
tired personnel Of the armed
forces, the opportunism OF
the Department of Defense
and even the secretariats Of
the services themselves in
this instance, which can be
characterized respectively,
and in order, as eager. anx-
ious and at least willing to
make a small savings, but at
+. critical expense to retired
personnel, knowing they
would not encounter any
political opposition from this
group, and cognizant of the
complete dependence Of re-
tired personnel upon the adj
ministration. Yet the savings
for which these agences
were willing to commit q
gross breach Of faith, as well
as a hardship from the rapid
increase in cost Of living, av-
erages only $13 million a year
until these retired officers
and men die. Those that re-
place them on the retired
lists after June /. 1858. will
receive compensation based
on the traditional rs per
cent of the new pay sched-
ule, which results in as much
as IS per cent more pay in
some grades over the 6 per
cent fiat increase given per-
sonnet retired prior to June /.
Moreover, this 6 per cent
does not cover the increased
cost Of living since the 1915
pay schedule, as evidenced by
higher increases recently &C.
corded by Congress as follows
Social security, 7 per cent;
civil service, active and re.
tired, 10 per cent: D. C
teachers, IA per cent.
*K X
An important point receiv.
ing little or no consideration
by the press is that the large
part Of the regular officers o.
this retired group not onl!
saw service in World War ]
but furnished the top leader
ship in World War II anC
Korea-office like Ridgway
Kruger, Bedell Smith, Mari
Clark, j. Lawton Collins
Leslie Groves Of atomic bomI
fame, and scores of othe,
army, corps and division
commanders; distinguishes
naval leaders such as Rad
ford, Denfeld, Fechteler
Settle, Carney and Hewitt
and those who pioneeret
United States air power to it
present heights, like Spaatz
Kenney, Eaker, and Quesads
Let it be remembered tina
these men all rose to leader
ship in the crucible of "hot
war-the test of battle. Il
time of peace, between Worl'
Wars / and II, they stuck b,
the services Loyalty durini
years when pay was exceed
ingly low, and promotion s
slow that many served as frs
lieutenants and captains TO
Is to 20 years: when tn
services had to practice an,
effect economies that woul
make even Defense Assistan