Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-05

animation beginning July IS there Will be
$50 medical school graduates who will pre-
sent themselves before the boards. This win
be followed by a final examination on Sep
TENDER s. when there will be more candi-
dates who have signitied their intention Of
appearing. II is hoped that tho results OF
these examinations with the candidates
who have now qualified there win be
class OF sixty members first lieutenants Of
the army medical oorps) at the army med
ical school when it opens at the next
session.
1t is nothing short of an outrage upon
personal liberty to prevent men from play
ing base ball on any day and Il Is no less
In that category when those men happen to
be within military rule. The men who
play base ball on Sunday on the military
reservations and the other men who witness
the base ball playing could spend the same
time in nothing so harmless. There will be
no Improvement in the condition, whatever
may be exacted in that direction by the
people who insist that Sunday shall be
spent as they would have It and according
to their own ideas Of a proper observance
of the day. 1t is regrettable that the War
department could find no opportunity to
further hold out against these selt-ap-
pOlHNeu htepeTb OF lne army
Members of a company of infantry have
been implicated in a disturbance which re-
Gently took place In a saloon in the neigh
borhood of their. post The reimbursement
for the dAnage wrought. amounting to
about $40, appears to have been paid, on
the recommendation of a board Of officers
out OF fund belonging to the post ex-
change. The War department has decided
that this is unlawful and the amount should
be refunded to the exchange. IL Upon fur
Their inquiry 1t is believed that a consider
able number Of men belonging to a par
ticular command were vngaged In the dis
turbance and the consequent destruction OF
property 1t is held that reimbursement
should be made out OF the pay OF the
men. Under the fifty-fourth article of war
where there is no doubt that injury has
been done by soldiers to the property Of a
citizen and the individual offenders can
not be identified the organization to which
they belong. II considerable number of
offenders are shown to have been members,
may be charged, pro rata, with the sum
necessary to liquidate the damage.
An unusual case has been under constd-
Grafton at the War department involving
organized a mining company. One Of the
officers solicited fundv to carry on the en-
terprise, obtaining the money by the sale of
stock and giving to purchasers notes
apparently equal to the amount paid for the
stock. These notes amounted to more than
$1,000, and 1t Is claimed by the officer who
signed them that his two associates should
share with him In meeting the payment
now demanded. The two officers decline to
do so and 1t has been suggested that an ar
| bitrator be appointed. 1t is well-settied
policy of the War department not to COM
pei officers to pay disputed private indebt-
edness, such as the present case may be
clasEed. That rule applies inlpartially
where the dispute is between a civilian end
an army officer or where all the parties
to the dispute are army officers: II there
were a mutual agreement to abide by the
decision OF the arbitrator and then q failure
| to carry out the agreement, 1t would be
possible for the War department to take
action in a disciplinary way. If the settle
ment by arbitration. however, Is not agree
able to all parties. 1t Is not believed THAI
any useful result could be accomplished by
an investigation by the War department
and the course would be by proceedings in
the civil courts.
The recommendation OF the infantry
equipment board that the emergency ration
be abolished will probably not be acted
upon favorably by the military authorities.
The commissary general OF the army is not
in favor of this change, especially as the
War department has acquired large stock
OF these rations stored in this country and
In the PhnIppines ana is constantly aug
menting the supply. 1t having been de-
termined that the emergency ration should
be kept on hand to meet an emergency.
There appears to be no doubt that the erner-
gency ration adopted by the military estao-
lishment has the necessary keeping quail
ties. OF course that is something which can
only be decided by time, but so far as the
investigation has proceeded, both in his
country and in the tropics, the emergency
ration is sufficiently enduring to justify
the acquisition Of as large q stock as 1t Is
possible to obtain. 1t is held that the
emergency ration has its peculiar functions,
which are met in no other way not even
by the hayersack ration. the object OF
which is entirely Independent OF the pur-
poses OF the emergency ration. 1t is cum
sidered that this question has been fully
discussed from all points Of view and that 1t
would be unwise to abolish the ration at
this time. 1t is not claimed for 1t that II
can, or should, be used upon any other oc-
caslon than that implied by its title and
tie suggestion that the haversack ration
take its place would be, in the opinion Of
the authorities, grave mistake.
Army officers who have had anything TO
do with the equipment of troops engaged in
! Joint army and militia maneuvers read with
much interest the criticism on the part of
the militia officers, especially those OF the
. New York commands, which took part in
the operations in Massachusetts, under
? Major General Leonard Wood last sum-
inner. Some OF the complaint which has been
made is apparently justified That has
been recognized by the army officers them
selves, who appreciate that one OF the pos
, sfbilites OF the maneuvers is to disclose de-
fects and the direction OF improvement
The great difficulty appears to have beer
. that the militia officers who take part In
these maneuvers do not go to their, tasks
I with a thorough knowledge OF the method
OF supply Some OF the militia troops FOL
1 instance, in Massachusetts, were found
I throwing away their subsistence; others DID
not appear to know and were not told hoN
to conserve the provisions and equipment
49, N0V