The sun., 1894-10-14
WINNING THEIR SHOULDER STRAP
The Success or the Non-commis.ioned OF
acers Examined for Promotion.

acsr, Examined for Promotion.
WASHINGTON. Oct. IA round dozen Of the
seventeen enlisted men who. having passed their
respective department examinations for COM
missions, recently took their finals at Fort
Leavenworth were successful also there, and
will have commissions There were, in fact,
eleven vacancies in the grade of Second Lieuten-
ant OF the line when the examination was con-
cluded. with twelfth in near prospect.
The number of positions thus secured for en-
listed men is unusually large. In one recent
year as few five presented themselves for final
examination. So far as can bc seen, even IL the
whole seventeen had passed the tests, they
could have been commissioned without unduly
encroaching on the number of vacancies which
must soon begin to accumulate without filling
in order TO accommodate the class that will
graduate at West Point next June But even
the actual dozen vacancies Is n striking as
surance Of tho fact that rising from the ranks
is a fact of large consequence in our army.
There is In fact no doubt that not a few young
men now enlist with this particular object in
view. Among those who have just passed their
examinations are Corporal +. J. Morrow, Com
pany g, Sixteenth Infantry, son OF the late
Colonel of the Twenty first; Corporal ID. q.
Spurgn, Company G, Twenty first Infantry, son
of Capt. Spurgin Of that regiment: Sergt II. $.
Ofiey, Signal Corps son of the late Colonel OF
the Tenth Infantry: Sergt. w. T. Schenck, Troop
!, First Cavalry, son of Capt. Schenck Of the
Second Infantry. The other young men who
succeeded were Corporal L. G.. Winslow, Com
pany ID. Thirteenth Infantry; Sergt. w. A. Raj
o'"' We bis'' n"t'eis -, ,u Eiu"ei' Selsu'
w. L. Phillips. Troop A, Seventh Cavalry; sergt.
,Iar,,. f,,,,n.n,s Troo,, l., Iyt,, r,,.iu,., r..
marry Ne"e"ts, i'oop ~ run na,"r!' .or-
poral +. L. hochler, company L, Eighth lnfan-
try: Serpt, Lyon. Troop A. First Cayalry
Among the five who failed were two sons II
army officers Serpt E. A. Macklin Battsry A
Firth Artillery. son of Cant Maxim of ths.
Eleventh Infantry. and Sergt. J. +. Seton, son
Wbpro sons OF any ofiicer, enlisi If would
naturally be for the express purpose of obtain.
ing a commission. and many other educated and
profession Of arms, and vet because Of their age
or the inability TO secure a cadctship, cannot 20
the military calling Very likely also some
who may not have had this definite plan
life as they found IL have been able n worL
their way upward to the shoulder straps by the
aid of this wise nroyision of our service The
general effect must be not only to encourage
many excellent men TO enlist hit TO stimuIaie
a%S,ion hard study and T0cd e9RdHSt M
failure of five OF the candidates is shown by The
fact that they ali made general averages above
the required 70. but il is said failed TO come up
TO that provision which reouires a perCentago az
sixty-6ye i'm each subject as an absolute nre
reouisite TO acceptance. The net OF July 10
lsgo reouired that regulations should he inadr
for examinations 10 promotion to the grade OF
tSrR of add All Wb
zens of the United States are nhvsicaIIv sonnj
have served honurabIy not less than two wears
in the army. and have borne a good moral char
acter before and after eniistment may compcte
The resulations proyide for nreiiminarV and
final examinations They warn officers of de
ma rtmental boa rds that "ihe dutv of NAL inc Tho
preliminary examination is one Involving in a
high degree the welfare and character 5f The
service and thnt the most worthy should he
recommended. all statements as to character
ATTITUDE and fitness being carefully verified nv
disinterested evidence
In six subjects the maximum mark is 100
each. namely. English grammar. geography,
history military record physioue and FINALLY
the Constitution and internationai law, Three
Others yield 100 each namely mathematics
moral Character and unteretients and ''erny
and drill regulations and military capacity and
aptitude as determined thcrefrum" An arbi-
trary system of numerical reck oning is nerLaps
ALWAYS a litIle difiiCult 10 estabIish will accrr
acy, and IL seems odd TO reckon physiaue with
Of history. still, II is possible to make up for
this arbitrary elias II hcRiion In some rpsuects nv
applying the principle Of percentages. ,.
t.mhar NJ Enrt aawanpxnp,h S"'io Ro.d rd'H Hop
pointed, consisting Of five commissioned officers.
duties on the latter being Tesiricted TO renortns
49,, y ~ =, I.IanI -, ,i. uI,
has been stated that at The ontset failure io
come up 10 some measurements Threatened the
rejection OF a consid dersble humber Of the can
avoided this BY lis action on being assured Ihat
the candidates were really qualified nhy ysiCniIy
The Board for this year consisted of Lieut.. Col
[ arr, Eighth Cavalry and Cant Torrance
Thirteenth Infantry, with Surgeon DE Wit and
Assistant Surgeon Banister for the physical ex-
ANIMATION ' ''' pug
The requirements in studies cannot be called
excessive or al any rate, are not such as to bar
the attainment OF the coveted promotion by an |
VINO ueFotes hlInseI 10 the WORK with Eng !