Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-22

The sum Of $4,000 was appropriated foI
the current fiscal year to be used by the
signal corps for the purchase and develop
ment OF wireless telephones, and the gem
eral deficiency bill Of the present congress
extends this appropriation to the next fis-
cal year The signal corps has already
done some work in the way OF experiment.
ing with wireless telephones. and tests
have been made between q station on top
Of the Mills building and one at the bureau
OF standards at Washington. While mes
sages have been transmitted between the
two stations, much in the way OF improve
ment development ramains TO be done.
Chiefs Of bureaus of the War Department
with whom are serving army officers who
are detached from their line commands,
have been called upon TO show the reasons
for the continuance on the duty Of those
officers. The reports will undoubtedly
show that the reasons are urgent and that
the officers on this detached duty cannet
be spared The same inquiry has been
made In other directions In the hope ~
expressed in a statement issued by the Sec
rotary of war, that the list OF so-celled
absentees in the line may be reduced,
Those who know something Of the sltu-
alton entertain no such expectation. The
number of officers who are likely TO be
recalled from detached duty will DO few
Indeed That has been the experience
hitherto whenever efforts have been made,
as they have been periodically, to cut
down the number OF officers on detached
duty .f 4t
Considerable interest attaches to q deci-
sion which has been rendered this week by
the comptroller OF the treasury relating
to the payment or, in this case, the non-
payment of the death benefit authorized
by the act of May II, 1905 That law pro-
vidid that army and navy officers and on
listed men in the service should designate
the person to whom an amount equal to
six months pay, should be paid In the
event of death. In the case under con-
sideration-ths late Lieutenant o. b.
Grimm of the army signal corps who died
in service in November, 190a-that officer
neglected to designate beneficiary,
short time before his death, while on leave
of absence at home, he informed his rela-
tives that it was his intention TO desig-
nate his mother as tho beneficiary He did
not do so formally, however. The auditor
| for the Navy Department decided that the
| death benefit could not be paid, whereupon
affidavits were presented from brother
and q sister of the deceased officer aiming
| to show the intention OF the army officer.
| The comptroller has affirmed the auditors
ruling and decided that the evidence sub
mitted is not sufficient to show such
designation OF the claimant as beneficiary
as is contemplated by the law This is
another instance which should impress Of
ficers with the necessity Of promptly and
sufficiently designating a beneficiary.
The tentative order prescribing regular
physical exercise and an annual physical
test for army officers is reposing in the
general staff Of the War department, to-
| gether with the woluminous documents
| from various sources, including the de-
partment commanders the surgeon general
| Of the army and the officers at the army
war college and the service schools at Fort
Monroe, Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth,
who lent themselves to an experimental
| application Of the provisions Of the
amended requirement, It Is generally pp-
| derstood that the order will not be form
ally issued until Major General Leonard
| Wood assumed his duties in Washington
as chief Of staff and takes up the subject.
| The variety of opinions submitted is due
| to the failure of the War department TO
| specify In unequivooal terms the purpose
| Of the physical test. AS has been pointed
out by the surgeon general Of the army,
| the regulation must be according to one
| standard II the intention Is to encourage
regular physical exercise and to quite an
other standard II the object Of the order Is
elimination. One provision to the tentative
order, which has attracted much attention
and which has been the subject Of official
| 10 Uhiah aHNlldaa
tain requirements officers of the corps OF
engineers who are engaged on civil duty.
| 1t has been pointed out that officers Of
| other branches of the army are identically
| situated so far as the character OF their
| tasks bear any relation to the require
ments OF physical exercise or to tho ex-
ception from an annual physical test.
| Evidently the first thing to be determined,
in reaching a conclusion upon the provi-
sions of the physical test order, win be as
to its object, and the full knowledge Of the
policy OF the administration in that re-
spect will aid the new chief OF staff in
framing his recommendations to the Secre-
| tery Of war.
An interesting question has been before
the War department at the instance of
Colonel Joseph Garrard, Fifteenth cavalry,
on duty at Fort Myer. The occasion for
ruling grew out of a circumstance at Fort
Sheridan where the commander Colonel
| w. L. Pitcher. Twenty-ssventh infantry,
deposed an officer of the Fifteenth cavalry
from command OF one of the troops OF that
regiment stationed at that post and
signed him to duty with another troop of
the regiment at the same station; at the
same time depriving the officer Of the privi-
lsge Of leaving the limits OF the post for
one month. Colonel 0arrard questioned
whether a post commander had the au-
thority, under regulations and approved
customs Of the service, TO relieve an Of
ficer not OF his own regiment from COM
mand OF tho company TO which he is regu-
larly assigned and attach him to duty
with another company that Is provided
with an officer The War department
holds that such authority is possessed by a
post commander on the ground that such
| officer In yeatad with n large reRpOnRibilItv