Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-06
/, ARMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.
Matters Of Note Cleaned from the
Army and Navy Register.

Army and Navy Register.
There is great demand in the
| artillery corps for master electricians,
| for which position there are few
candidates who are found qualified. 1t
| was expected that the places would
attract candidates from civil life, but
so far but two successful applicants
| have presented themselves. There are
six OF that class and as many more
| under practical instruction at Fort
TOtten, leaving thirteen vacancies.
which are evidently hard to fill. Most
of the acceptable candidates are likely
to come from the army, and in order to
get those who are found qualified the
department is willing to waive the
| defect of marriage. which under
ordinary circumstances would be re-
gardcd as sufficient to keep good man
| out Of the place.
| The Judge advocate general OF the
army has rendered an opinion on the
| question of what is necessary for the
| determination of the right to a medal
| of honor under the provisions of the
law enacted during the last session of
|
advocate general. approved by the
| War department, that the department
| in this matter of award must be
| governed by the official records and
cannot take into consideration other
| than the reports and returns made at
or about the time of the event in be-
| half of which the medal is claimed.
| That is the information upon which the
medal is to be issued and the practice
of introducing testimony in the form of
| affidaVits Of those who We're present at
the time the incident occurred will not
be regarded as sufficient to Justify the
| issue of the medal.
Secretary Taft has been furnished
with the list Of army officers who were
retired on account of thirty years and
| twenty years service. Those of the
| latter class are Majors P. p. G. Hall
| and William +. Gould. 1t would be
possible under one construction of the
| law to promote these officers and the
president proposes to be guided In the
matter by Secretary Taft's view. If
| nothing is done for them during the
present recess of congress it is certain
| the department will recommend spec\ll
| legislation in their behalf, so there will
be no discrimination against them in
| favor of other officers of the retired list
who served during the Civil War;
| There are eleven classes of retired
officers who had civil war service and
the officers of five classes have so far
failed Of promotion under the terms of
the law of April %. These- officers are
| those who We're retired after twenty
| years service, after thirty years
! service, for disa bility not incurred in
| line of duty. by special act, and under
the act of October 1, 1880. One of the
| latter class, Captain Lewis Merriam,
has filed an argument with the War
department, pointing out the claims of
himself and other officers similarly
| situated to advancement under the
provisions of the act of April %.
| All but six of the army officers on
duty in Washington who were directed
| to report to the military secretary their
| preference for the blue or the olive
drab uniform as an apparel during the
summer months, have filed their
replies. Of the reports submitted fifty
| expressed themselves in favor of the
olive drab uniform and forty-three in
| favor of the blue uniform, while two
| o.i.cers are noncommittal. One officer
goes outside of the requirements of
| General Chaffee's circular and suggests
| that army officers be permitted to wear
| during the summer at least, civilian
attire. If officers on duty in Washing
ton We're permitted to express their
views on the subject, there is no doubt
the department would learn that the
majority view is greatly in favor of
laying aside the army uniform for
officers who are attached to duty not
with troops in Washington. There is
nothing more absurd than the practice
of recent years in the War department
of requiring officers on duty there in
any capacity to wear the regulation
uniform and it is more than an
absurdity to find officers on duty in the
national capital wearing the olive drab
uniform which is intended solely for
field use. Secretary Taft will probably
decide that the army uniform need not
be worn at all during the summer and
he has been advised to revoke all orders
on the subject and suspend the uniform
habit indefinitely.
Secretary Taft has not yet acted on
the recommendation of the quarter
master general of the army for the al
lotment CT public funds for the con-
lstruction of barracks and quarters. The
lquestion is an important one. involving
the expenditure of $7.000,000, appro-
priated by the army bill.
from the War Department, relating to
the purchase or discharge from the
army, will be amended to meet the de-
mands for something more specific in
the new rules and rates which have
been established. Numerous inquiries
continue to be received at the depart