Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-02
AHm4 oossrr IN wAsHrNeroS.
Current Events Cleaned from en-
army ana Navy Register.

Current Events Cleaned from the
army and Navy Register.
The vacancy in the brigadier generalship
which will occur on January ? by the APP
pointment of Brigadier General ]. f. Bell
to major gereralcy VIII probably be
filled by the appointment Of one OF the
senior colonies OF the line; az least, there
are indications OF this very gratifying state
Of affairs. II will. Of course. be some
thing of a shock TO the army. which ought
to be by this time pretty we'll accustomed
10 the violence OF selection and the de-
moralizing effect of devastating overslaugh.
The list OF candidates is a long one and
includes captains OF the line and many
stan officers, No one knows. OF course,
what Mr.. Roosevelt will do at the last
moment but IL is hoped that the present
indication in favor OF a senior colonel Of
infantry. cavalry or artillery lie not a false
alarm.
A question recently arose in the War de-
partment as to the meaning of the express
sion term of enlistment In the Official
orders defining the conditions of awarding
service and service-in-war chevrons. II
has been decided that for service chevrons
the period of service must have been a
full three years or FIVE years enlistment
and for one service-in-war chevron the
enlistment may have been honorably ter
minated before the expiration Of the term,
but to be entitled to wear more than one
such chevron for the same war or cam
paign the first enlistment must have been
terminated by expiration Of the term Of
service.
An army officer now on duty in an east
ern station and formerly on duty in Utah
has asked the War department II he may
have two horses transported from North
Dakota to his present station at govern
ment expense. When he was on duty in
the west he sold the animals he then
owned, there being no place TO keep them
at the post where he was stationed and
he now desires to have two horses trans
ported from a place OF purchase which
Is considerably more distant from his pres
ent post than is the station Of duty at
which his last service was rendered. The
application has been adversely acted upon
by the quartermaster general of the army,
whose views have been sustained by the
War department
1t has not yet been decided when there
will be another examination of candidates
army. There are no vacancies and none
in prospect, but II is considered OF ad-
vantage to obtain some qualified candl-
dates for an eligible list. The recent ex-
aminations held at West Point and San
Francisco do not appear to have resulted
in getting the desired personnel, although
the surgeon generals office has yet to
hear from the hoard on the Pacific coast
In the next examination the physical ex-
aminations will take place at the military
posts nearest the homes of the candidates,
so that those who apply may be spared
the expense of trip to the place where
the board meets for the professional ex-
! amipation. 1t so happened that several
of the candidates who appeared before
the recent board at West Point were de-
clared disqualified on physical grounds and
they might have been spared the time and
cost of the longer trip by shorter one
/ to the nearest post for an examination
| by a medical board.
A waterproof pack chest has been
adopted for use of the signal corps of the
army The chest is 3Ox15 inches, outside
measurement. 1t is made of leatheroid,
| securely bound with iron and has a sub
| stantial lock. II will be provided for issue
only to signal copps companies, on field
service and is intended for the packing
of telegraph telephone and testing In
struments, photographs, field glasses and
telescopes. small tools, such as linemen's
outfits and other small articles OF value,
which must be secured against loss and
J. instruments which should be protected
from the weather.
A. decision has been rendered by the as
sistant comptroller of the treasury to the
effect that an officer of militia who acted
as disbursing officer during an encampment
is entitled to the pay of his grade during
the encampment and for such period there
after as was actually necessarily consumed
by him in the payment Of pay, subsistence
ana transportation and travel allowances
OF the officers and men OF the militia and
in the preparation of accounts for trans
mission to the proper administrative de-
partnent Of the government.
The signal corps of the army has
4 adopted for use of signal men a brush
cutting knife. The blade is eighteen inches
long ana the knife weighs with the leather
scabbard twenty-nine ounces. The knife
will be issued as part OF the equipment
of companies on field services or depart
mefits constructing lines. They are not
intended for issue to individual soldiers
as part of their personal equipment.