Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-22
ARMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.
Matters of Interest Cleaned from the
Army and Navy Register.

Army and Navy Register.
The War department will shortly ac
upon the case of Lieutenant General n
"A. Miles. L. s. A. retired. whose de-
;ail TO militia duty in Massachusetts!
Will be necessary if he is to draw The
iult pay Of his grade. 1t is understood
that some objection is destined TO b.
made in prominent quarters to the Of
ncial designation of General Miles fcl
duty with the organized militia, The
prospective appointment of Genera
Miles AS adjutant general Of Massa-
chusetts having been announced by the
new democratic governor of that state
or course there is nothing in the way
OF General Miles serving as adjutant
general of the state. but he may no,
Draw the active pay of the army rank
unless he is formally detailed to duty
at Boston. About the only objection
which can be raised TO General Miles
designation for the duty-outside Of the
prejudice which may exist against him
al the White HOuSe--iS that 1T is not
tn" policy Of the administration to de-
tail to active duty. either on militia,
work or elsewhere. retired officers OF
senior rank" This is a reason which
has been vouchsafed to inquirers from
a distinguished source of information
1t won't pass muster. however. when j;
comes to the militia details. There arr
IS retired officers detailed with the or
Sanized militia and of these no less
than nine are of the rank Of brigadier
gener1l--practically one-third of the
total number Of officers engaged on this
work are of what might be called SEN
ior rank. The scruples which are sup
posed to exist against the detail to mil
itia duty of high ranking army officers
will hardly serve as an excuse for the
refusal of the president to detail Gem
eral Miles to duty under Governor
Douglas at Boston after January l.
The general staff of the army has de-
cIded to change the effect of the para
graphs of army regulations relating to
the dates when preliminary and finai
examinations Of enlisted men as cam
didates for commissions will be held.
so far as those provisions concern mon
who would be adversely affected by tn.
changes made in the new regulations.
1t has been decided to have two final
examinations. one on May /, 1908. for
the benefit of whose term of enlistment
of two years expires by that time and
-" rtccr on September l. 1865, so tina
these whose two years service expires
after May l may be examined. The pre-
limlnary examinations will proba bly, be
he'd on February l for both classes.
The holding of two examinations was
ono way of doing justice to those sold
iers who enlisted with the prospect of
being able to complete their two years
SCI vice by September 1. 1905 and
September 1, 1906. The original
charge in the regulations re
moved the eligibility Of some Of these
soldiers hy establishing May l of each
year as the final date of examination
1T Is not announced whether the results
nf the two examinations will be COM
bined and the successful candidates
graded accordingly 1t is possible there
viii be two distinct classes and those
who pass in the May examinations will
have precedence over all of those who
pass on September 1.
~ Second Lieutenant Paul ". Mcdonald.
lrnth infantry. was placed under arrest
day. The officer recently submitted his
resignation and is understood to have
pee n'en IN the city for the purpose of urging
rs acceptance. Following a practice OF
the d-pa rtment the incident was reported
to the resimental commander with re-
" "mest for his recommendation. He at
thorities that numerous charges had been
preferred against MCDorald and that he
should be held for trial by general court
martial 1t 50 happened that this in
formation was received al a time when
that he. he placed under arrest and taken
!" tort MXef This WAS done and later
IN the week Lieutenant Mcdonald still
under arrest. was takcE to Fort l.awton.
Wash. The charges preferred againsr the
officer alleged al! manner of irresula rites
IN nm. nnanclal Transactions. including dupli-
money under false pretcuses. The officer
IS ) "a NATIVE OF Hirsinla a er;iduate OF the
time an enlisted man of troop L.. twelfth
cavalry. having been commissioned r
second lieutenant of the Tenth infantry il
October, 1909.
The language of the next appropria ion
nill Will be 81 changed as to give author
~ III, on IhW Tor the reimbursement OF army
oI'lcers or actual expenses incurred by
mem Whlie away from their stations I'M
der orders and engaged in the inspection
ana ana purchase of animals. In the execr-
ton IF the duty imposed upon the secre-
tary of war an officer sometimes more
than one) is selected to inspect TIE ami
mails presented for asseptance by persons
7" whom contracts therefor have been
awarded. Deliveries may be made under
the contracts ut places mentioned on
chose instruments or agreed upon by the
parties thereto; as q result the purchasing
and inspecting officers are obliged to trav-
el from place to place where the horses
are presented for inspection with a view
to their acceptance for the military ser
vice. In addition to this they are required
to make stops. from time to time usually
at places previously agreed upon. in or
der to inspect horses which have been col
lected with a view to contracts These
stops may and frequently 10 consume
time, and while thus remain
ing stationary the officer is under ex-