New-York tribune., 1908-07-13
IFron1 The Tribune Bureau ]

IFron The Tribune Bureaul
Washington. July H.
WAR ORSERVERS' HARDSHIPS.-The Cen
eraI Staff of the War Department is taking up as
a matter which be settled in dull season a
new system which will be Of advantage to army
officers who are detailed observers Of foreign
armies especially IN time OF war. 1t has be-
come a practice whenever q disturbance has
occurred requiring the employment OF troops TO
send army officers in the capacity Of military at
taches who shall make reports of the situation
and incidents of possible in our own military
equipment and plans One of the troubles expert
enced by the army officers serving with the Jap
anese and Russian troops during the war In Man
churia n living TO the laws and regola-
tions relating 10 accounts The of1cers had 10
travel with the least possible baggage, and they
found that il exceedingly difficult to comply
with all the rules. which exact duplication of
records of expenditures The result was that
nearly all Of the army officers who were In Man.
churia. well those who were In South
Africa during the Boer trouble, were much out
of pocket. They lost their records or could not
stop always obtain the vouchers for minor ex-
penditures. One officer who had this experience
has written a spirited protest to the War Depart
ment and IL is based this complaint that the
military authorities have taken up the question.
This officer says in his report: When military
observer has done his full duty in a ten days
battle in Manchuria. and when. while congratu-
lating himself having escaped with his life and
the loss of only half his baggage, he opens his
mail and finds in first letter dun from some
staff department at home to account for the rev
hundred dollars he has expended in the preceding
quarter It makes him positively unhappy. Again.
when 1 came home I worked six weeks in copying
all my vouchers the proper blank forms ana
putting them in proper shape"
MEDICAL CORPS EXAMINATIONS.-It is
proposed TO introduce a method Of appoint
ing junior officers OF the naval medical corps by
having preliminary examinations. the result of
which shall determine the provisional eualihca-
tons of candidates, who are then to be appointed
acting assistant surgeons and assigned to a course
Of instruction at the navy medical school This
will occupy period Of six months, and upon the
conclusion this instruction the student officers
will be finally examined and their order of gradu-
alton will determine final relative place the
list of assistant surgeons in the regular establish
ment. There is some question as 70 the wisdom
Of this proceeding, although the same system Is
used IN the army medical department. for the rea-
son that candidates who up to the require
rnents may not be willing TO accept provisional
annointments as acting assistant surgeons, pre-
ferrng obtain the permanent appointment
when they have passed the first examination
which is designed TO determine the professional
and physical qualifications of the candidate The
theory upon which the new plan is based. Is that
the new appoin tees TO the medical corps Will re
ceive a better training which fits them Tor the
service, although this training Is also posslbie
when they are permanently appointed after the
geons Of the regular corps receive instruction at
the naval medical school before being detailed to
duty board ship or at naval stations
PROMOTION BLOCKS AvOIDED.-The new
Secretary Of War has made an important decision
on a recommendation of the adjuAnt general OF
the army, by which it is possible to prevent the
block in promotion which sometimes occurs In the
case junior officers Of the line Hitherto 1t has
been impossible 70 promote officer until he has
been examined, except account OF an "exlgency
of the service" which makes an exception TO the
rule and permits advancement subject TO exar!na-
ton There have been long periods OF these inter
r1ptions due in nearly every case TO the illness OF
an officer who reports his inability TO be examined
In one case recently the delay in promotion was due
to the fact that the second lieutenant of in
fantry. who should have been promoted IN Novern-
Der 1907 examined until last month";
when he was retired. BY that time another second
Lieutenant of infantry reported that ne could not
take the examination and obtained leave of alb
sence until August 90. Under the previous practice
some officers who eligible 10 advancement TO
the grade first lieutenant Of infantry have been
held back great inconvenience to the government
for months The War Department has decided that
circumstances Of this kind will constitute an ex-
igency of the service" within the meaning OF the
law and an officer who is at the head OF the llst
can be promoted subject examination When he
is examined and found disqualified 1t would be easy
enough adjust the conditions.
NAVAL ENGINEERING CLASSES.-It has neen
decided TO continue system OF instructing Junior
naval officers IN engineering. The work has been
interrupted by circumnavigating cruise or the
Atlantic feet which called for the presence OF ali
available officers with the vessels AS the fleet ar
rfves at New York in February and will at once
proceed TO the Southern drill grounds for target
pra ctce and manceuvres il is possible that class
in naval engineering can made up from the |
Junior line officers who with the ships ana
whose presence with that command is not abso- |
lutely necessary. Lieutenant Commander Gustav |
Kaemmerling will have charge Of the next class In
engineering succeeding in that capacity Com |
rnander B, c. Bryan who the first officer to be
assigned the task and who developed the system
which will include work in Washington and periods |
OF observation at the leading manufacturing plants
throughout the country.
JOINT MANQUVRES IN CUBA.-The War De- |
partment has received the full report Of the MILL |
tary exercises which have been held in Pinar del |
Rio province, Cuba. under Colonel James Parker /
An opportunity existed on account Of the presence
Of the military In the island have some joint |
nannuyres. the participating commands including |
cavalry. infantry and field artillery. Several |
problems were worked and the exercises were |
witnessed by Major General Barry, who Is in com
mand OF the army OF Cuban pacihcation. and |
other officers duty at the Havana Headquarters
An opportunity was afforded to test the various |
devices and appliances which have been adopted |
the field Special confederation given the sys- |
OF the field wireless telegraph which has been de- |
h,., st.- -a1 he -