Speech #840146242

Gen. Frank G. Partridge to the Immigration Service of the United States. It is of course regrettable that the appointment of these two distinguished gentlemen should be made the subject of congressional concern. but there is a very important principle involved since their appointment is in effect an exemption from the established law relating to the appointment of -retired military personnel to civil positions. To legalize the appointment of these two gentlemen is to open the front doors of our civil service and particularly to high office to an administration by a military junta. The concepts of retirement would be completely defeated if retired military officers can continue to spend their retirement days in public service. After all. if they have useful years of service. the military organization itself should have first call on these services rather than the civilian Government. Furthermore. in the case of the Immigration and Naturalization Service which is already headed by General Swing. the inability of the general to find suitable civilian personnel to fill the high offices of Assistant Commissioners of Immigration appears a little like cronyism at its very worst. It is inconceivable that the qualifications of these distinguished gentlemen are of such unique and extraordinary nature that only they can fill these jobs which have been previously filled by civilians with apparent satisfaction and which have already been vacant for 11/2 years without any adverse affect to the service. It is also significant that these vacancies were in fact filled by the same generals in question in blatant violation of the principles of the law while they were retained as consultants in an advisory capacity. The appointment of retired military officials to high offices in the civilian administration of the Government would have the effect of discouraging qualified civilian officers from remaining with Government service. If these devoted servants of the Government must serve throughout the years only to have the top positions filled by others. the effect on morale in the Civil Service would be depressing. The Immigration Service cannot afford to become a sanctuary for retired generals with special dispensations granted by the authority of Congress. It is the solemn obligation of this Congress through its established committees to further inquire and investigate the obvious futility of General Swings effort to obtain adequate civilian personnel to fill these important posts. It is indeed strange that a general in charge of a civil function of Government is unable to find anyone else but another general to fill an important office of confidence and trust.