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About The Maupin times. (Maupin, Or.) 1914-1930 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1918)
ARMY PAY ROLL IS NEARLY A Facts and Figures About Sums Paid Various Grades of Offi cers and Enlisted Men. HOW AND WHEN THEY GET IT Wide Expansion of the Army Makes Task of Paying Off Intricate and Difficult It Quartermaster's Job Precautions Taken to Insure Meeting Pay Roll Promptly. Washington. The actual pay roll of .the fighting forces of the United States la now nearly $100,000,000 per month. This sum Is disbursed by the pay offi cers of the army and navy In the form of checks or currency or by the treas ury department In the form of family allotments as compensation for serv ices rendered according to the scale of pay prescribed by law for the uni formed defenders of the nation. This figure does not Include "family allowances" which are paid by the gov ernment toward the support of the fam ilies of enlisted men, under specified conditions, nor does It consider any of the special compensatory features of the military and naval Insurance act, under which $170,150,000 was appropri ated. For the purpose of Informing the public accurately as to the system of pay In the army the following author ized statement has been Issued by the committee on public Information: Army Pay Nearly Billion a Year. The total pay of the United States army for the month of December was approximately $78,580,800. Disbursements on account of the pay of officers and men of the army are now at the rate of about $950,000,000 per year. These figures consider solely the pay disbursed by the quartermaster de partment and do not Include fumlly allowances or compensation for disabil ity of soldiers, provided for by the military and naval Insurance act and paid by the government through the war risk Insurance bureau of the treas ury department. Following Is a comprehensive state ment of the system of pay of the army authorized by the quartermaster gen eral: The quartermaster general of the army, under the direction of the secre tary of war, Is charged with the duty of providing for the payment of the of ficers, enlisted men, female nurses, field clerks, and civilian clerks of the quar termaster corps on duty at places other than In the office of the quartermaster general. Due to the lack of office build ings necessary to tuko care of the In creased number of employees required to carry on tho business of the army at Washington, It has been uecessury to lease many privately owned buildings for office purposes. The flnunce and accounting division of tho olllce of the quartermaster general Is charged with the details of providing funds, and In terior administration In connection with the payment of the army, and is now located in a large apartment house at the corner of Fifteenth and M streets NW. Intricate and Difficult Task. The Intricate task of paying the of ficers and men of the United States army, made more dllllcult by the wide expansion of the past six monthf, Is being satisfactorily accomplished. To prevent failure to meet the monthly compensation of every man In the serv ice, no matter where he may be lo cated, liberal stuns are furnished the various disbursing quartermasters In order promptly to meet the army pay rolls with their extraordinary demands for funds. The officers nnd enlisted men of the army are paid nt the end of each month, or as soon thereafter as pos sible, by the disbursing officers of the Quartermaster corps, In cash or by check, at their Btutlons or In the field. If on duty In France they are paid In French currency or by United States checks, as officers and men may elect Pay of Enlisted Men. The pay of enlisted men depends on their grades, ratings, and length of service. From June 1, 1017, and con tinuing during the term of the war the pay of enlisted men Is as follows : Men receiving $30 : All privates, the army entering grade. Men receiving $33: First-class pri vates, men promoted to act In minor noncommissioned officer capacity. Men receiving $30: Corporals, sad dlers, mechanics, farriers and wagon ers, and musicians of the third class. Men receiving $38: All sergeant grades In the line, which Include Infan try, field, artillery, const artillery and cavalry; cooks, horseshoers, band cor porals and musicians of the second class. Men receiving $44 : Sergeants of the various corps of the engineers, ord nance, signal corps, quartermaster corps and medical department; band sergeants and musicians of the first class. Men receiving $48: Battalion ser geant majors, squadron sergeant ma jors, sergeant majors (Junior grade), sergeant buglers, master gunners and assistant band lenders of the Hue. Men receiving $01 : Regimental ser geant majors, rcglmentul supply ser geants, sergeant majors (senior grade), quartermaster corps, ordnance ser geants, first sergeants, electrician ser- ; now billion a year geants of the first class, assistant en gineers and battalion sergeant majors and battalion supply sergeants of the engineers. Men receiving $56: Sergeants, first class, of the medical department. Men receiving $71: Hospital ser geants, master engineers of the Junior grade and engineers. Men receiving $81: Quartermaster sergeants of the senior grade of the quartermaster corps, band lenders, master signal electricians, master elec tricians, master engineers of the senior grade and master hospital sergeants. Assignment to Special Duties. These are the established grades of the enlisted men, but they may various ly be assigned to such special duties as chauffeurs, switchboard operators, cobblers, clerks, camoufleurs, sanitary Inspectors, draftsmen, stevedores, ac countants, plumbers and such other oc cupations and trades as are necessary to meet the requirements of army serv ice. In addition to the rates of pay for enlisted men heretofore mentioned, supplemental pay or allowances are made as follows : (1) Increased pay Is allowed for con tinuous service, computed under what Is known as "enlistment period." An enlistment period ordlnurlly represents a period of three or four years, de pendent upon the law In effect at date of enlistment. There are seven such periods, covering a period of service of 1 year to more than 18 years pro vided for, and the Increases range from $3 to $24 per month, according to the grade and length of service. Men In the grade of private calling for $30 per month are Increased $3 per month during the second enlistment period, an additional $3 during the third en listment'perlod, jind $1 per month for each additional enlistment; period to Include the seventh enlistment period. Men above the $30 grade and up to and Including the $38 grade are entitled to $3 per month additional pay for each enlistment period from the second to the seventh for ench successive enlist ment period. Men above the $38 grade are entitled to $4 per month additional pay for ench enlistment period from the second to the seventh. Some Additional Ratings. (2) Enlisted men of the coast urtll lery, below grade of mess sergeant, are entitled to the following additional ratings, according to established Indi vidual qualifications: Casement elec trlclnns, observers of the first class, plotters nnd coxswains, $9 per month ; chief planters, observers of second class, chief loaders, gun commanders and gun pointers, $7 per month ; en listed men of the field artillery expert first-class gunners, $5 per month ; first class gunners, $3 per month; nnd second-class gunners, $2 per month ; en listed men of the cavalry, engineers and Infantry expert riflemen, $5 per month; sharpshooters, $3 per month; enlisted men of the medical depart ment surgical assistants, $5 per month; nurse (enlisted man), $3 per month, nnd dlspensnry assistant, $2 per month. (3) Enlisted men of the signal' corps, while on duties which require them to participate regularly In aero flights, as suming that they have rating of avia tion mechanician, receive 50 per cent Increase In their monthly pay. Housing and Subsistence. (4) All enlisted men, while on de tached duty not In the field where there are no army quarters available, receive In addition to their pay $15 per month to cover tho expense of housing and also a suitable allowunce for sub sistence nnd for heat and light. (5) Enlisted men, If serving In a for eign country or beyond the continental limits of the United States (Torto Ulco, Hawaii and I'nnnma canal zone excepted) receive 20 per cent Increase In pay computed on the base pay nnd service pny prevailing prior to June 1, 1017, when an act of congress In creased, for the "terra of the emer gency," the pay of all enlisted men In amounts ranging from 50 per cent to 8 per cent. (0) Enlisted men attached to the United States Military academy are en titled to the same pay and allowances as other enlisted men of the regular army of the same grade and additional compensation provided for performing ENTRANCE TO DUGOUT Ills letter home may be composed under these difficult conditions and In a conceuled "cranny" of this sort. O0000OO000OOOt 'SMILEAGE' BOOKS WILL S CHEER THE SOLDIERS J O Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. g "Smlleage books" for the sol- O dlers Is the latest device for q 3 making the man-ln-khakl's life as O cheerful as possible while at ; q cantonment camps. O "Smlleage books" are Issued o 2 by authorities In charge of camp 1 O amusements and are guaranteed J to contain 100 good times for any recruit fortunate enough to O ; possess one, which will cost $5. 2L O certain duties upon detail therefor In orders. The Pay of Officers. Officers of the army are paid accord ing to rank held by them. A second lieutenant receives $141.67 Initial pay per month; first lieutenant, $166.67; captain, $200; major, $250; lieutenant colonel, $291.67, and a colonel, $333.33, with an increase of 10 per cent known ns longevity pay for each period of five years of service, provided that such Increase shall not exceed 40 per cent. The pay of a brigadier general Is $6,000 per year ; major general, $8,000 ; lieutenant general, $9,000, and a gen eral, $10,000. These officers receive no Increase for continuous service. All officers are entitled to be fur nished public quarters, with fuePnnd light, but If these cannot be provided the officers receive a commuted money value of the same. The allowance for quarters for a second lieutenant is two rooms, or $24 per month; for a first lieutenant, three rooms or com mutation of $3ff per month ; a captain, four rooms or commutation of $48; major, five rooms or commutation of $60; lieutenant colonel, six rooms or commutation of $72; colonel, seven rooms or commutation of $84; briga dier general, eight rooms or commuta tion of $96 ; major general nine rooms or commutation of $108; lieutenant general, ten rooms or commutation of $120; and a general, eleven rooms or commutation of $132. All receive a suitable allowance for heat and light, dependent upon the locality of their stations and the season. While on foreign service officers receive an in crease of 10 per cent of their base pay nnd longevity pny. Aerial Flight Increases. Aviation officers of the signal corps, or officers attached to the signal corps, while on duty which requires them to participate regularly and frequently In aerial flights, are entitled to an In crease In the pay of their grade, under their commissions, as follows: Avia tion officers, 25 per cent; Junior mili tary aviators, 50 per cent; military aviators, 75 per cent. Each Junior mil itary aviator and each military avia tor duly qualified and serving has the rank, pay and allowances of one grade higher than that held by them under their commissions, provided that the ranks under their commissions are not higher than that of captain. For deeds of valor, recognized by acts of congress, officers and entlsted men receive certificates of merit which entitle them to an additional compen sation of $2 per month. Allowances at Retirement Enlisted men can apply for retire ment after 30 years of service. They are Retired on 75 per cent of the monthly pny drawn at the time of re tirement, nnd $15.75 a month addi tional In lieu of allowances. Officers are retired for disability or after sixty-four years of age, and re ceive 75 per cent of the pay of the grade held at date of retirement. An enlisted man In active service has no necessary personal expenses except for barber and laundry. Uniforms, un derclothing, shoes, hats, quarters, med ical attendance und subsistence are supplied them at government expense. Such materials as tobacco, postage, confectionery and Incidentals of Indi vidual tuste may be purchased at the post exchange at cost. Officers, while In hospital, are charged $1 per day for subsistence. They are not entitled to clothing or equipment nnd are required to subsist themselves, purchasing their supplies either from the quartermaster or through the ordinary channels of trade. RETURNS AFTER TEN YEARS Wanderer Comes Back to Old Home In Army Uniform and Then Leaves for France. Chicago. After ten years of wan dering, away from all communication with his family, Howard Clarke, scion of one of the oldest and most distin guished Chicago families, returned to visit those he left behind for probably the last time. He returned In the uni form of a United States soldier. He Is now Capt. Howard Clarke, and after a few days here, left to rejoin his regi ment at a Pacific port, and his latest idventure will take him to the battle fields of France. She Finds Money In Rat Hole. Kansas City, Mo. Mrs. Ralph Wlld hnuhm will buy a Liberty loan bond with $142 which she recovered from a rnt hole recently through the efforts of Arthur Leppert, a patrolman. Mrs. Wlldbauhm had placed the money In a hole In the wall of her home. Recent ly she decided to buy a bond with It, but when she went to get the money It was gone. The police were notified and 1'atroliniin Leppert was sent to In vestigate. He heard a scratching noise In an adjoining room, Investigated and found a rat hole In the floor. When the flooring was removed he found the rat's abode lined with currency, but all were there. WORLD HAPPENINGS OF CURRENT WEEK Brief Resume Most Important Daily News Items. COMPILED FOR YOU Events of Noted People, Governments and Pacific Northwest and Other Things Worth Knowing. The French government has ordered 1,000,000 footballs for the army, to be delivered within seven months. General Pershing reports four Amer ican soldiers killed, one severely wound ed and three missing in the actions on February 7, 8 and 9. General Juan Banderas was shot and killed Tuesday in a Mexico City cafe by Colonel Miguel Peralta. General Banderas took a prominent part in the revolution led by Madero and Carranza. Lieutenant Egbert McLean was killed and Lieutenant Charles E. Cum mings received injuries Monday when an airplane which they were operating crashed to the ground near Jennings, La. The death Monday of Abdul Hamid, ex-Sultan of Turkey, from inflamma tion of the lungs, is announced in a dispatch received at Amsterdam Tues day from Constantinople by way of Vienna. A state funeral will be held. That France and England are in agreement concerning the establish ment of a national home for the Jew ish people in Palestine was affirmed Tuesday by Foreign Minister Pichon in Paris, according to an official dispatch. The railway strike in Buenos Aires apparently is failing through the re fusal of Italians and Britons to quit work. These men have declined to leave their jobs, notwithstanding the threats of Spanish agitators to destroy property. Secretary Baker has approved the proposal now pending in congress to make army officers in the field either in the United States or in Europe the same extra allowance for quarters they would receive otherwise when away from their posts. Indorsement of the Federal amend ment for woman suffrage was voted by the executive committee of the Na tional Democratic committee in Wash ington, D. d Tuesday, after a refer endum to the committeemen represent ing the 48 states. A mass meeting held Sunday to ex press the popular indignation at the seditious incidents at Lamia, 90 miles from Athens, where Greek infantry regiments recently mutinied, was the biggest seen in Athens for years. Nearly 40,000 persons were present. Mrs. William B. Leeds, a wealthy American widow, and Prince Chris topher, of Greece, according to the London Daily Sketch, have been quietly married in Switzerland, where Mrs. Leeds has been staying for a time with a son who is in delicate health. A special train loaded with 250 ex pert ship builders from Holland passed through Omaha, Neb., Monday night, en route to a Pacific port, where they will enter the employ of some big shipbuilding company. Their work will be, in a measure, under the direc tion of the United States government. Only 10 names . were added to the roll of survivors of the liner Tuscania by dispatches to the War department Monday and Tuesday. The list of American soldiers who were on board the liner and who have not been re ported rescued now stands at 340, al though it is certain that about 200 of these and probably more are safe. The Earl of Derby, secretary for war, has notified Field Marshal Vis count French, commaner of the home forces, of his decision to reduce the ra tions of meat, sugar and tea for all the home forces except youths under 19 years training for abroad. He ex plained that the reduced ration com pares favorably with the field ration of most other armies. A report from the American army in France says twenty enemy airplanes which endeavored to cross the Ameri can lines were violently shelled by the anti-aircraft batteries and driven off. Venustiano Carranza, President of Mexico, sent a fulsome birthday mes sage to Emperor William, of Germany, recently, according to Reuter's Lim ited. President Carranza in this mes sage used the phrase: . "Your Maj esty, who celebrates his anniversary today with just cause for rejoicing." More than a half million acres of land in western Chauves county, New Mexico, and including a portion of the Roswell land district, have been desig nated for entry March 11, under the stock raising homestead act. Potato day, for the encouragement of potato consumption, is the latest addition to the special days suggested by the Nebraska food administration. Thursday of each week, beginning February 7, is so designated. Dealers re authorized to sell potatoes with wheat flour that day as a "substitute for flour." BURDEN ON GERMANY Collapse of Russia Hurtful to Kaiser is View of Teuton Press U. S. Sees Bright Side to Matter. Amsterdam The German press ap pears quite unable to regard Trotzky's announcement of a state of peace be tween Russia and the central powers with any feelings of satisfaction. The Berlin Zeitung Am Mittag thinks that the old chaos will continue and that therefore it will be necessary for Ger many to continue to safeguard her frontier, both from a military and dip lomatic standpoint. Washington, D. C With the open ing of the great campaign of 1918 on the western front apparently in sight, military men here examined with pro found interest the situation created by the signing of a peace pact between the central powers and the new Uk raine republic and the decision of the Bolsheviki Russian government to de mobilize the army. Their conclusions were not discour aging. These events on their face would appear to set free enormous German forces for the impending bat tle in the west and also to furnish new sources of food supply for the Teu tonic allies, but many factors detract from the advantages the central pow ers may derive. One of the threats against the west ern front dwelt upon in public discus sion is the fact that presumbly 1,500, 000 prisoners of war held by Russia would be released to strengthen the German army. The fact is said to be, however, that the great majority of the soldiers cap tured by the Russians are Austrians, not available for western front opera tions by present indications. Most of the others are civilians or camp followers of one kind or another, and, so far as known, only a small number of German troops were cap tured on that front. Any men from the prison camps are regarded as of doubtful military value for some time to come, as the Russians, unable to feed their own soldiers, hardly have improved the health of the captives. There is doubt here, also, as to the extent to which the agricultural re sources of the Ukraine or of Russia can be brought to the aid of the Ger man people in their near future. Failure of the Russian transporta tion system worked in Germany's in terest in undermining the fighting power of the Russian armies. The same agency now, necessarily, works against the central powers in its desire to get out food supplies. PREACHER SENT TO PRISON Non-Partisan Secretary Gilbert Con victed for Seditious Talk. Minneapolis A. C. Townley, presi dent of the Non-Partisan League, for whose arrest a warrant was issued in Lakefield Monday, charging conspiracy to discourage enlistments, is reported to be in Thief River Falls. Authori ties there said he would be arrested. Joseph Gilbert, secretary and organ ization manager, tried on the same charge and with violating the Minne sota law covering disloyalty, was found guilty in the district court at Lakefield and sentenced to three months in the county jail, Gilbert was arrested here two weeks ago when he attempted to hold a league organization meeting after it had been fornidden by county officials. New charges against Townley and Gilbert were brought on the grounds that Gilbert is an agent of Townley and that while he committted the ac tual act which is declared to be dis loyal, Townley is his employer and, therefore, directs his movements and is guilty of conspiring with Gilbert to oppose the nation's military policy. Flour Rule is Modified. Washington, D. C Mixed flours containing less than 50 per cent of wheat flour may be sold without ac companying substitutes, the Food Ad ministration announced Wednesday. Where a retailer sells mixed flours containing more than 60 per cent of wheat flour, other substitutes must be sold to bring the sale to a basis of one pound of substitute for each pound of wheat flour. A special exception may be granted upon application showing necessity in the case of specially prepared infant and invalid food containing flour. Vasear Building Burns. Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Fire which broke out at 6:45 o'clock Tuesday night in the east wing of the main building at Vassar College did $300,000 damage, and for a long time threat ened to destroy the entire building. It was not until 9 o'clock that the blaze was brought under control. The dam age was confined to the dining room, assembly hall, kitchens and servant's quarters. None of the 400 students was injured, and no fire reached the quarters of the students who rocm in the main building. Kaiser's Reply CheerfuL London Emperor William, accord ing to an Exchange telegram from Amsterdam, has sent the following telegram to Phillip Heinecken, mana ger of the North German-Lloyd Steam ship company: "Many thanks for your congratula tions over our first peace. It is only a small beginning made by Germany's sword against the closed door leading to a general peace. I am filled with gratitude. May God help us further." AMERICAN PATROL SURPRISED BY HUN Five Men Killed, Four Missing and One Wounded. U. S. FIRE IS DEADLY Small Body of Yankee Troops Are in Front of Entanglements When Teutons Fire From Sides. With the American Army in France One American artilleryman was killed and five artillerymen were wounded Saturday night by shell fire. The Americans sprinkled the enemy trenches with shrapnel all during the day. There was considerable patrol activity, but no further clashes were reported. Early reports of the encounter be tween the Americans and Germans Friday night in front of the American wire entanglements have been con firmed. The enemy patrol cried "Kamerad" as they opened fire and continued to fight. Yells from the enemy as the Amer ican barrage fell voiced the accuracy of the aim of the Americans. One of the American patrols, con sisting of 14 men, went out to inspect the wire. The men were moving cap tiously along when the leader heard suspicious noises ahead. The forma tion of the patrol was changed when suddenly, according to the survivors, the men found themselves almost sur rounded by large numbers of the en emy. A German cried "Kamerad" and then hurled a hand grenade. The American infantrymen opened fire with their rifles and pistols and hurled their grenades. The Germans fol lowed suit and also brought into action their automatics. x The fight lasted only about a min ute and a half, the Germans all the while yelling "Kamerad." They then retreated, taking with them four Americans and leaving behind four dead and two wounded Americans. One of the unwounded men crawled to, where a wounded comrade lay groan ing and gave him water, while the other wounded soldier dragged himself through the wire. Quickly a hail of machine gun and rifle bullets was directed against the retreating Germans. Meanwhile the wounded man, who was a sergeant, died in the ams of a private who was endeavoring to give him aid. The men in the trenches and the sur vivors had .a gleam of satisfaction when the shells from the American heavy guns and 75s began hitting in barrge. Cries and yells in German were mingled with the explosions, then the barrage widened and there were further cries, proving that the enemy had scattered. Another patrol quickly went over the top out into No Man's Land and found their five dead comrades and one uninjured survivor of the first patrol, who had remained beside the bodies and was ready to give battle if the enemy returned. The greatest courage was exhibited by the entire patrol, every man of which fought hard until killed or the enemy had withdrawn. GERMAN NEWSPAPERS GLOAT Tuscania Incident Expected to Dampen American Spirits. Amsterdam German newspapers are gloating over "the psychological effect" which they expect the sinking of the Tuscania must produce in Amer ica. , The Koelnische Volks Zeitung says the event must unfailingly dampen the spirits of Americans and proceeds: "Sundry American vessels, some with munitions and perhaps a small number of soldiers, have been sunk be fore, but so far as we know this is the first case of. a big transport with a considerable number of troops aboard falling victim to our U-boats. Large sized transports have never, or rarely, so far crossed, for the American forces in France are not yet very large." Armistice Terms Violated. London A British official communi cation calls attention to the German and Russian armistice, signed on De cember 15, that no German troops should be transferred to the Western front, save movements already begun. It has been definitely ascertained from prisoners captured on the West front, says the statement, that seven named divisions from Vilna, Lemberg, Tarno pol, Pinsk, Warsaw, Riga and Novgo rod left the East front between Dec 16 and 31, and arrived on the West front between Dec 21 and Jan. 7., 1000 Chicago Thugs Held. Chicago Five hundred rifles were distributed to Chicago patrolmen Sun day and a score of automobile squads were organized to hunt down gangs of gunmen and armed robbers who have been terrorizing the city for the last few weeks. . In the greatest round-up of crim inals in the history of Chicago, more than 1000 persons were being held Monday as a result of police activity of the past 12 hours.