Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-08

AANnhI AAaGFaIAnuTt u = A. u III tNNlhA
worthy OF special mention. That officer
has not been for some time discharging
the duties which should have devolved
upon him by virtue OF his experience and
ability. 1t was nothing short OF unfortu-
nate tina an officer Of General Mac
A1hur's capacity was not fully employed
during the time when he was available for
active duty. His retirement on Wednesday,
by operation Of law, affords the oppor-
tunity Of remarking upon the distinguished
career which is brought TO an official
close. No officer is entitled to greater
praise for the services he rendered his
country han General Macarthur, who be-
gan to serve the United States as a first
lieutenant Of the TwenH-fourth Wisconsin
infantry and who was honorsbly mustered
out in 1865, after a service OF three years,
as a lieutenant colonel Of the same regl-
ment. He attained the grade Of brigadier
general and major general of volunteers In
1898; he is a medal Of honor man and his
service In the permanent establishment
since he was appointed as a second lieu
tenant of the Seventeenth infantry in Feb
ruary, 1866, has included varied and re-
sponsible tasks which he met fully in a
way that was creditable 70 himself and
valuable to the United states. He Is the
last of the lieutenant generals that office
on the active list having expired by legis-
lation with General MacArthur's retire
ment; In which connection II is proper to
note that there are now on the retired list
six officers OF that grade-Nelson A. Miles,
s. b. NJ. Young, Adna r. Chaffee, John C.
Bates, Henry C. Corbin and Arthur Mac
Arthur.
TTntaFNoI fnfnraGf nnnaQFg 70 atlAnh TO
the examination which will be held July
II OF candidates for appointment as first
lieutenant in the medical corps Of the
army. Numerous applications have al
ready been received at the office Of the
surgeon general and the indications are In
favor Of a larger number of candidates
than ever before. Applications must be in
possession of the adjutant general of the
army by June 10. There are at present lO3
vacancies in the medical corps OF the army
A gratifying response from adjutants gen
eral of the various states has been made
TO the proposition to establish three army
medical camps of instruction this summer
at Antietam, Sparta, Wis, and near san
Francisco, respectively. Several or the
states have indicated a desire to send to
one or the other of these camps all OF their
militia medical officers. who will haVe the
first opportunity of observing a field nos
pital organization complete. The absence
Of such a facility Of observation hitherto
has given rise to considerable criticism on
the part of militia medical officers, VINO
have been anxious to learn what was re-
uuired of them and to see what a field hos
pital looked like. The surgeon generals
office Of the War department is making
a.. ..a tho nxhfhtfG
at the three camps-of one field hospital,
one regimental hospital and three sanitary
apparatus-as comprehensive and instruc-
tive as possible. Officers of the regular
medical corps will be detailed to impart in
struction and deliver lectures in field work,
hygiene and regulations.
It will not surprise the War department
officials If Mr.. Charles Herring, who is
under contract to deliver a flying machine
during the present month at Fort Myer,
asks to be relieved from that obligation.
There have been indications of such a
desire on the part of the contractor. A
| request to that effect will be promptly
complied with, as is done in other in
stances where the contracts are of a tenta-
tive nature such as that in the case Of the
Herring type of aeroplane. The army sig
nal office continues to receive all sorts of
suggestions from inventors of the means
of mechanical flight. A form of reply is
sent In response to all such communica-
lions. Whenever plans are submitted they
are promptly returned, II being desired
by the military authorities to relieve them
selves of a subsequent charge that in any
successful mechanism which may here
after be developed and adopted these plans
nave been used. This is a precautionary
measure which is well taken, since some
OF the inventors are likely to recognize
in any solution of the problem the value
Of their own proposition.
The New York SUMS Washington letter,
referring to the orders issued by the Sec
rotary of war, instructing the chief signal
officer of the army TO prepare for future
use a comprehensive plan for the protec-
ton of the entire Atlantic coast by diriglble
balloons or other air craft, says the scheme
involves the establishment OF balloon
houses from Florida TO Maine. According
TO the preliminary ideas of experts, these
stations will be about $50 miles apart. At
each station there will be groups OF two
and possibly three of these balloon houses,
so that II an airship from one station
makes its way to another there will be a
place for storing and taking care of It,
The coast will be divided into zones and
airships will be assigned to each zone. The
zone will extend a specified distance sea
ward from each station, The experts do
not know how many airships will be neces-
sary to protect the coast.
1T Is not the present intention to use air
ships as fighting craft and the plans do
not contemplate the development of strate-
gical tactics for conflict. The idea is that
the most efficient and useful work Of the
airship is TO go scouting at sea, flying
back 10 shore TO give the alarm when a
fleet OF the enemy is sighted. Should the
enemy send up airships from the ships the
land batteries will be supposed 10 take
care of them. The balloon stations will be
placed as near the coast defenses of the
coast artillery as is deemed practicable,
"The type of balloon to be used for coast
defense has not been decided upon, hut II
will be OF the most approved pattern, prob
ably modelled after the best European d.
rigibles, which have had the greatest sue
cess so far, and will he more than 200 feet
long. Aeroplanes probably will not be
used, as the winds of the coast will make
their work uncertain and unsatisfactory,
as compared with that of the lighter than