The age-herald., 1901-02-09
THE RECRUITING
 SERVICE ENLARGED
Another Branch Station to be
 Opened in Alabama
0RDERLIES IN THE FIELD
Lieutenant Mitchell Will be Promoted to a Captaincy-He is an Ala bamian and Has Risen Rap-
 idly-The Enlistment.

Under the recent act of Congress reor- ganizing and increasing the United States army the scope of the recruiting service in Alabama is to be considerably enlarged.
 First Lieut. A. Mitchell, Fifth Infantry, who has been in charge of the recruiting station at Birmingham, with branch sta- tion at Montgomery, for mode than year past, recently recommended to the War Department that he be authorized to send canvassers through the State to secure re- cruits and to open additional branch sta- tions at desirable points. These recon. mendations have been approved and order lies are now in the field canvassing, au- thorized by regulations to operate within radius of 100 miles of Birmingham and 100 miles of Montgomery; and on Monday and Tuesday next Lieutenant Mitchell will open branch station at Decatur. Later in the month one or two stations will prob ably be opened in the southern part of the State.
 Number Enlisted.
 For the twelve months ending January 31 167 men were enlisted at the Birmingham station and eighty-two at Montgomery. Nearly 90 per cent of the recruits were
 
 of the 249 accepted at the two stations 2fl were native Americans. Of the eighty-two recruited at Montgomery one was born in Ireland, the others having been born in the United States 95 per cent of them in Alabama. Of the 167 received at Birming- ham the foreign element was distributed as follows: England 8, Germany 2, Ireland l, Russia 1.
 Lieutenant Mitchell says he is very proud of the class of men he has obtained for the army. The standard, morally and physically, and from the educational point of view, too, is high, but the lieutenant says the south furnishes, as rule, class of men even higher than the standard
 Lieutenant Mitchell is soon to be pro- noted to a captaincy. He appeared before the examining board at Fort Sheridan, near Chicago, last week and his examination having proved satisfactory, the President will probably send his nomination to the Senate within the next ten days. His rec ord for advancement is remarkable. Ap- pointed a cadet at West Point from Russell County, Ala, in 1891, he was commissioned second lieutenant of regular infantry in June, 1895 He was commissioned first lieu tenant in July, 1898. After service in Cuba he was detailed for recruiting service and now at the age of thirty he becomes in the regular order of promotion captain
 Lieutenant Mitchel's Standing.
 Just before the present army law was en- acted there were $50 captains in the in- fantry branch. The number is increased by exactly 100. This fact, together with the increased number of field officers made necessary by the increased number of in- fantry regiments, calls for the promotion of 125 or more first lieutenants of infantry. Lieutenant Mitchell stands 116 on the list and thus barely attains the coveted com pany command. Those ten or twelve lower in the file will have to wait some time for promotions. All the lieutenants of the regular army were greatly rejoiced at the rejection of the~eDaniel amendment which gave volun- teer first lieutenants an equal chance with the regulars for the captaincies Had this amendment become law political influence would have played an important part in the Presidents nominations, and would have worked accordingly against the regular of- ficers of the line. Mitchell, for example, instead of being a captain at 30, might have considered himself lucky in reaching that rank at forty. As it is the young Ala bamian will probably be brigadier general long before the retirement age. Major J. M. K. Davis, detailed from the artillery branch assistant inspector spection duty.