Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-06

Current Events Cleaned from the
Army and Navy Register.

current bNcmNa NlemmeM from Nhe
Army and Navy Register.
The War department has refused to con-
slider the request for a court Of Inquiry
preferred by an army officer who believed
that he was not fairly treated In an eff
cheney report filed by a senior officer. The
secretary Of war has decided that the au-
thors Of reports Of this kind should not he
restricted by the prospect that the candid
expression of their honest opinion regard
ing fitness Of su%bordinates should be ham
pered or otherwise influenced by the pros
pect of the proceedings Of courts OF In
quiry, AS Is very we'll known. the subject
Of an efficiency report always has the OPT
portunity to file his reply to criticisms
and TO make his own defense in his own
way 90 long as there is nothing in the way
Of vituperation I'm the answers: a rule which
applies as well to the composition of the
efficiency report itself. This provision for
defense in the case Of an officer who be-
lieves himself unfairly treated or
"~wronged" in any way Is regarded by the
War department as answering all the needs
Of the situation.
Colonel William f.. Stewart Of the coast
artillery corps, who has been residing at
Fort Grant, Ariz., under orders from the
president, has been before an army retir-
ing board in Washington last week. The
board, of which Brigadier General w. p.
Hall, L. S. A, is president, has not COM
pleted its examination. No case Of retire
ment In the army has attracted so much
attention as that Of Colonel Stewart. No
doubt Is entertained in the War depart
ment concerning the findings of the board
and there is is every prospect that Colonel
| NgunrN -AgT ~, F..,-l -aw,attaAaA TO-
active duty and retired.
The war department continues to re-
ceive by the hundreds the applications for
the civil war campaign badge. The re-
quests must be denied, of course, since the
badges authorized are for officers and en-
listed men in the service and that for those
In the service the badges constitute a por-
ton of the uniform. Among the requests
received lately are those from members OF
the organized militia, who have observed
that officers ard men of the District of
Columbia organization have received cam
paign badges. BY authority of the presi-
dent, certain distinctive badges are author
lied for officers and men in the regular
service, and there is warrant for supposing
that these badges are to form part of Che
uniform required under the Dick law to
fully equip the national guard in accord
ance with that act. Moreover, the badges
are to be issued to individuals and'not by
the method under which the other articles
Of the uniform are issued.
The War department has held in the pre-
vailing question concerning the employment
of army bands outside the service that the
law applies equally to the band as an or
- a
who are members thereof in the prohibit
ton against competing with local civilian
musicians. 1t is pointed out that 1t is an
error TO suppose that the pay of members
OF army bands is in consideration for their
military service only. They nave recently
been granted a substantial increase OF pay
which was understood by congress TO be in
consideration of the patronage of which
they are deprived by the act of restrictive
legislation embodied in the law OF May
II. The execution of the statue may be
enforced by a resort to disciplinary meas
ures II necessary, the character and ex-
tent OF which measures must in the ma
ture of the case be left TO the judgment
and discretion of the proper commanding
officer, In a case arising in the execution
of a statute which involves disobedience of
orders the offender should be pro-
ceeded against for that o~ffense: other
wise a charge should be formed under the
thirty-second article of war, a proper pen
atty being imposed upon conviction by the
court charged with the trial of the case.
Army officers who have survived with
entire credit to themselves this years phys
ical test in the army of the ninety-mile
three-day horseback ride entertain what
- 49,
the exaction as it now prevails in official
orders is needlessly severe on both man
and beast. 1t was appreciated when the
presidents scheme OF promoting physical
endurance was promulgated that It made
use of conditions likely to prevail In an
emergency by applying them as a test of
personal fiteness. The army ride has some
thing to be said in it's favor to the extent
that 1t compels the sedentary officer to
get out into the open and exercise. But
beyond that 1t establishes little In the way
Of demonstration OF professional qualifica-
! tions and the conservative opinion-which
is not likely to prevail to any extent dur
ing the present administration in things
either military or naval-is entirely In ia
vor of a modification Of the test SO as to
bring 1t down TO a three-day ride of fif-
teen miles a day, or twenty miles at the
outside. This would not fatigue officers
or wear out animals. as has been the case
in the three-day ninety-mile ride, espe-
cially on the first day the War depart
ment officers rode to Fort Myer, when
the weather was sultry almost to suffoca-
don. A distance Of forty-flve miles on
horseback in three days would accomplish
all that the ninety-mile ride has realized.
1t would furnish the same evidence of in
dividual skill and endurance without the
needless hardship which Is now imposed.
Personal NOTES.