Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-12
ARMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.
Current Events Cleaned from Il

Current Events Cleaned from the
Army and Navy Register.
The signal corps officers who are inter
ested in military ballooning are planning
to have established and maintained at the
signal corps depot at Omaha balloon park
similar to the reservations abroad. The
Importance of a park has long been felt,
and the decision to establish one, IL the
means are forthcoming, Is belated action
I'm the direction contemplated. Aerial navi-
cation will undoubtedly play an important
part some day In military operations. and,
while the military balloon will be. for the
present, the principal vehicle employed,
there are numerous and increasing oppor-
tunities for investigation and experiment.
With park such as IL proposed at Omaha
the numerous inventions which are pre-
scented annually In the form of balloons.
flying machines, ETC., may be tested and
the most promising developed. The pos
session of such a park would have pro-
tected Prof. Langley's valuable investiga-
tions from public ridicule Preliminary
work In the way of testing motors and so
on could be done without interference and
molestation and much of value would UNI
doubtedly be derived from work of this
character conducted apart from public OBJ
servation. 1t might be a step toward re-
newing the Official effort to solve the prob
lem of aerial navigation.
The president has interested himself IN
the question of the system of punishment
in the army. Some one has called his at
tention to the fact that, under existing con-
ditions, It is impossible to get undesirable
soldiers out of the service, under the ex-
ecutive order of June 10, 1906. When Licu-
tenant General Chaffee was chief of stan
he believed that there was a tendency on
the part of company comanders to get out
OF service men who were regarded as UNI
fitted for duty, for one or another reason.
Accordingly, there was a change made In
the executive order prescribing maximum
punishments The effect of the change has
been to materially reduce the number of
dishonorable discharges imposed on pre-
vious conviction from "a to 5 per cent,
while the number OF summary court trials
has not been increased. 1t is likely there
will be investigation Of the whole subject
to ascertain just what effect the present
regulations have had and whether there
should be a return to the former system.
The secretary of war has decided that
there shall be limit to the period Of
furlough granted enlisted men Of the army
who expect 70 take the preliminary or final
examinations with view 20 appointment
as second lieutenant. There will be some
exceptions to the rule which is now laid
down. but, In general, it is proposed TO
grant furloughs in no case where the APP
plicant has had less than the two years
service requisite for eligibility to exam
nation for a commission. 1t has been OBJ
served in the War department that there
were cases where part OF the two years
preliminary service was evaded by those
who had sufficient pull TO obtain pro-
tracted furlough. the period being spent
ostensibly, and perhaps in reality. in pre-
pairing for the examination for appointment.
1t is considered that in the case OF aspi-
rants for commission who have had less
than two years service, the furlough shall
not be granted, unless there is an emer-
genoy existing in the individual case. BY
this means there will be no favoritism, and
no occasion for dissatisfaction on the part
of those who did not command suthcient
influence TO get this favor, and so evade
the period the candidate is supposed to
really serve in the ranks before coming up
for examination. or at least before an ap-
pointment to a second leutenancy.
The famous cabin of old Kit Carson,
which is a revered relic on the Fort Lyon,
Colo, reservation, Will be preserved by the
Navy department When authority was
given for the occupation of the abandoned
military reservation as a naval station and