Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-26

military science at universities. 1t is i'm
possible, of course TO recall many OF these
officers, as the demand fer their services
is Imperative.
The War department is arranging TO have
the regular army represented as generously
as possible in some five military tourna-
ments to occur at as many places during
the present year. AS IS usual under such
circumstances, the troops in the neighbor-
hood Of those events will be designated
for participation. There has been at vari-
Gus times the suggestion that the army be
excused from taking part in these tourna-
ments. The point has been occasionally
raised that they are more or less OF a
commercial character, and It has been
pointed out by some critics that the army
should not be employed in these forms
Of activity, especially in year when there
is much marching to be done and consider
able work in connection with the Joint
army and militia encampments. On the
other hand, the military authorities have
found themselves confronted with the i'm
portunity Of influential business people
backed by the support of representatives
and senator's who have argued that the
army gains in friends by these exhibitions
while the people of the country have an
opportunity to see for themselves what
the military establishment is doing and
what the defenders of their country are
capable of. The tournaments Of 1910 will
include those at Nashville in June, at
Chicago July TO 13, al Des Moines and
at Tacoma in the last week in July and
at Omaha Immediately following the Des
Moines tournament.
The preliminary examination OF candi-
dates for the army medical corps, begin
mir on April H. uLder one board con-
vened in Washington and another board at
Fort Sheridan, ILL.,, applied to six candi-
dates at the former place and two at the
latter. There are now twenty-five pro-
visionally qualified candidates who will be
appointed first lieutenants in the army
medical reserve corps and enter the next
class at the army medical school in Octo-
Der, by which time it is expected there will
be at least thirty more candidates. The
present class at the school completes its
course on May l. when the examinations
commence for the purpose of determining
the relative standing of the graduates on
the list of the officers OF the regular medi-
cal corps, The graduating exercises will
take place on May 81, on which occasion
| Prof. Victor C. Vaughan of Ann Arbor
will deliver the principal address. The
medical officers, who visited New York
and Philadelphia for the purpose of croat-
! ing interest in the army medical corps
among eligible medical graduates, have met
with much success and there are indica-
tions of number of candidates from those
cities for the examinations occurring before
the beginning Of the next course at the
army medical school,
An unusual question has been raised by
! the auditor for the War department in
the matter of one days pay in the case
Of army Officers advanced in rank. 1t has
been the practice for years. with no hint
Of suspicion of its illegalty or irregu-
larity to begin the pay Of an army Of
ficer with the day upon which he is ad-
vanced. 1t happens, however, that the
officer in whose place he is promoted-by
virtue Of retirement, for instance-also re-
ceives that days pay for the same grade
and office 1t is maintained that the in
creased pay due to promotion should begin
on the day following that on which the
vacancy is created. The comptroller has
this question under advisement. There are
indications that it will be held that two
officers cannot draw the pay of the same
position for the same day. The situation
does not involve a large amount of money
in any event, and concerns comparatively
few officers. 1t is not likely that the
decision of the comptroller will be retro
active. 1t will at best amount to a new
rule to be followed hereafter and specify
ing that an officer promoted vice one
retired, will receive his increase Of pay
due to advancement on the day following
the retirement creating the vacancy.
1t is possible it will be necessary for thu
War department to amend the program fol
the joint army and militia maneuvers thii
year in the matter of commanding Officers
at the various places. When the schedul,
r of camps and the designation of theii
respective commanding officers were for
muated by the general staff Of the Wa
department 1t took into consideration tn,
then commanding generals of the various
military departments. By that time impor
: tant changes were to be made in numbe
of the departmental commands. Since ther
, It has been necessary for Major Genera
Leonard Wood to go to Buenos Ayres OF
} diplomatic mission and this will delay
| his detachment from duty in command O
the Department OF the East and CORE
/ spondingly postpone the transfer of othe
OlllCeIS from one department 10 another
One of the changes Immediately decide,
, upon has been that of the command o
the maneuver camp on the d. A. Russel
reservation, which was to be commando,
by the commanding general of the Depart
/! ment of Missouri and which duty will nov
devolve upon the post commander at For
d. A. Russell Brlgadier General w. w
e Wotherspoon, president OF the Army Wa
college, has been designated to comman,
the maneuvers at the camp to be estab
lished at Gettysburg, beginning July Il
This is the additional camp the site o
' which was selected by General Wood an
4 is intended to include the militia of tn
adjacent states, resulting in a saving 4
the cost Of transportation to camps NOR
, | remotely situated.
4 General orders have been issued thl
= week from the War department containiu
amendments in paragraphs of the arm
. regulations and the manual for the sub
: sistence department in accordance wit
recommendations made by General H. {
J, Sharpe. commssary general OF the arm,
: Tkis is an initial step toward the inauguro
" tion OF a new method Of accounting for IN
ration. This new system has been mad
Iparaaaarxf hxr hn ha in