Evening star., 1907-05-05
Naval Corps of Civil Engineers.

Naval Corps of Civil Engineers.
It is announced at the Navy Department
| that competitive examination VIII be
| held July 5 at New York. and probably one
at Chicago also. for the purpose OF filling
i from civil life six--vacancies in the corps
! of civil engineers in the navy. That corps
has had quite a remarkable growth hav-
| ing increased from twelve officers In 1897
! to it's present authorized strength.
Due to a combination of circumstances
service in this corps was, unit recently,
not considered as desirable as In some
much needed for the seago ng branch, no
| transfers were allowed from the Naval
Academy and several civil examinations
| were held without result The pos ton is
now, however, much more attractive. The
net pay Of civil engineers and assistant
civil engineers in the navy ranges from
81, 800 to $3.50. according to length OF
service, and as these officers are always
furnished quarters or Communication there
for, the lowest pay may be stated to De
$2,0SS per annum.
1t is probable that the coming examina-
ton will present the last opportunity for
appointments from civil life. It Is Thought
that legislation requiring candidates to be
graduates of the Naval Academy Will
probably be enacted.
Dates for Joint Drills.
The War Department, having heard from
all the governors of the coast states, has
at last been able to de.lnitely arrange the
exact dates upon which the joint drills be-
tween the coast artillery and the militia OF
the adjacent states shall take place Ac-
cording to the memorandum prepared by
Gen. Murray, chief Of artillery, for Assist
ant Secretary Oliver, the exercises will
occur in the following order: Artillery dis
trict of Portland, August to 18; Boston.
July % to August 3: Narragansett, July
to Is; New London, July Is to 26; eastern
district Of New York, June to 10; artil-
lery district Of Tie Narrows, June to
Is; Sandy Hook, July g.; no exercises at
Delaware. owing to troops going to James
town exposition: Baltimore, July to IA;
Potomac, July 10 to Is; Virginia and North
Carolina at Chesapeake and cape Fear
jamestown exposition; Charleston, July
to Is; Savannah, July to Is: Key West.
August to IS; Tampa, August l to 10;
July 5 to 20: San Francisco. July 5 to 70;
Columbia, July 8; Puget Sound. shortly
after June 1.
Increased Powers of Post Commanders.
By order of the Secretary of War the
army regulations have been amended so as
to enlarge the powers and responsibilities of
general officers commanding posts. For in
stance, such officers in time of peac. may
grant leaves of absence for two months to
officers and furloughs for three months to
enlisted men.
Another amendment Oh special interest TO
members of the District National Guard
provides that the department commander
shall 'have immediate charge Of the in
spections necessary to carry out for all the
organized militia belonging within the limits
of his department, the provisions of section
IA of the militia act, approved January q.
1903: and to assist in this duty all officers of
the army, active and retired, on duty with
the organized militia within the limits of
his department will report to him and will
send through him their reports of inspec-
tions under said section IA. Reports and
returns of the organized militia which may
be required under the provisions of section
12 Of the act of January 81. 1903, will be
referred by the War Department to the de-
partment commanders for their informa-
ton TO be returned to the War Department
for file. He will designate the time for tar
get practice, examine and consolidate
ports of the same and issue the necessary
orders for holding target competitions with
in his department"
To Appoint Four General Officers.
Four more important army appointments
will fall to the lot Of President Roosevelt
during the remainder Of the present calen-
dar year. They include a brigadier general
in place of Gen. Constant Williams. COM
manding the Department Of the Columbia,
who will retire for age on the 25th instant;
a major general in place of Gen. William s.
McCaskey, commanding the Department of
Dakota, who will retire for age October 2
next; the appointment of brigadier gen.
eral at the same time TO fill the vacancy
caused by the promotion of one of that
grade and the appointment of another brig
adler general to fill the vacancy to be occa-
stoned by the retirement of Brig. Gen. Ed
ward S. Godfrey at Fort Riley, Kan, Octo-
ber next. 4
Important Needs of the Field Artillery
AS an incident to the separation of the |
Field and Coast Artillery, according to the |
act of the last Congress bearing on that |
subject, there has been freshly developed |
the pressing need Of ample and spacious
posts in the eastern part of the United |
States for the assembling and training Of |
the Field Artillery. which experience of the |
Russo-Japanese and Boer wars has demon
strated to be the very backbone of the |
army. This arm of the service, 1t is de- |
clared, must be greatly increased and /
and brought to q pitch of the |
highest efficiency II the United States army |
is to keep step with the armies of not only |
Europe but the Orient. Therefore there l
must be ample reservations provided for I
muster and drill of these forces, and Sec
retary Taft will strongly urge upon Con- |
gress at its next session the necessity of /
procuring the necessary lands. There are
already some excellent artillerv posts in l
the middle west, notably at Fort Sill and i
Fort Riley, but none east OF the Missis- /
sippi river. That Is most serious omis- |
sion, in the view of the general staff. who I
insist that posts should be established In |
tn, east regardless of the fact that land i
is much more expensive than on the west
ern prairies. One point that is urged as a |
in these days OF quick military action,
when war precedes the formal declaration
an emergency force of Field Artillery
should be always maintained close to the
seaboard, where n may be speedily placed
aboard transports. Another reason Of