Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-19

I The act Of March 3 1911. contained some
new provisions for filling vacancies Ia the
grade % second lsutenant Of the army
No change % system vas made b. the
l provision. except that the reservation Of
lvacanciss occurring In the grade Of second
/ lieutenant for the class Of persons author
izsd to be appointed thereto the order In
Z which such VACANCIES shall BE- filled. and
the age Of civilian Applicants. are now pre-
scribed b. statute and not b. regulation
There can be hereafter no executive
waiver az 70 the order in ,Saich vacancies
| shall be filled, or a. 70 the age limits. al
though formerly there could be an ex-
ecutive waiver In both instances. The eK-
isting vacancies In the grade Of second
Lieutenant must be filled, first, from cadets
graduated from the military academy In
June Of this year and only when these
have been appointed can any enlisted men
be appointed, and then only those enlisted
men found eligible as result OF eXamina-
ton, after whom can persons from civil life
be appointed.
' General 7. n. Bliss. United States army,
who has been In command of the pro-
I, visional brigade at San Diego Cal. has
made a report on the test Of an auto
mobile truck, a two-ton Gramme type. pur-
chased originally for use with the ex-
perimental rolling kitchen Of the subss-
tence department The hauling capacity
OF the vehicle is T. 90 pounds and during
the maneuver work Il amply proved It's
capacity without overworking and per
formed the labor Of three escort wagons
During its service II handled nearly 10000
pounds Of subsistence stores and property
in addition to large quantities Of supplies,
such as beef. vegetables and flour. esti-
mated at 10000 pounds. The authorities
obtained some statistics concerning COM
parauve cost and expense Of maintenance.
The difference in first cost between the
truck and three wagons, the latter with
twelve mules, including harness. is 1854
The difference in cost Of operation for
ninety three days is S5TZ in both instances
in favor of the truck. From military
point OF view" says General Bliss, the
advantages arising from shortening the line
of march, from the absence of horses, from
the ability TO send the trains on long de-
tours. thus insuring their safety and at the
same time with the certainty of their being
on hand when wanted, are obvious. In my
opinion. the time has come for the adoption
of an auto truck specially designed for
military service and its gradual substitu-
ton for the greater part of the work now
done by escort wagons"
The infantry drill regulations. prepared
John F. Morrison, general staff; Captain
Merch b. Stewart, Eighth infantry (major,
Porto Rico regimenO, and Captain Alfred
w. Bjornstad, general staff. are awaiting
approval Of Major General Leonard Wood,
chief Of staff. General Wood took a copy
Of the new regulations with him to Pan
anna, and IT lie expected that action in the
matter will be taken on his return In
the meantime, a committee of the general
staff consisting of Lieutenant Colonel
Henry C. Hodges, IT., and Captain Paul B.
Malone, is reviewing the regulations. One
Of the most important features of the pro-
posed regulations is that which increases
the strength of companies OF infantry from
100 to $50 men. In war of any size II
would be necessary for this country to put
} at least 100000 infantrymen in the field;
and. II this force were organized into 100
men companies, II is estimated that there
would be a saving Of some $l32, 100000 year
over a similar force organized into 100 men
companies. owing to the less number of Of
ficers, bands, orderlies. transportation
equipment, horses and mules required
For example, 150-men company organiza-
tion would require 1900 less companies $50
less battalions, $50 less regiments, eighty
three less brigades, and twenty -seven less
divisions with a saving of twenty-seven
major generals. eghty-three brigadier
generals, and their aids and staffs, $50 less
lieutenant colonies, $50 less majors in COM
mand Of battallons and their staffs, 150O
) captains and lieutenants, and consider
ably less number Of non-commissioned Of
fcers.
During the existence OF the provisional
? brigade for maneuver purposes in the vicin-
ity of San Diego, there were some i'm
: porant tests OF motor cycles. two of which
: vehicles were tried out under various con-
ditions and were made the subject OF a
report sent to the War department by Ma
Jor j. p. O'Neil, Thirteth infantry. chief
of staff of General Bliss The machines
were attached TO various subdivisions of
the command in the maneuvers and used
for the purpose of keeping various camps
in contact, carrying written messages. pa
trolling, selecting camp sites and on one
occasion sent in pursuit Of deserters. Most
of the work was In a rough and mountain
Gus country, a great deal OF sandy road,
and on various occasions, across small
streams from six to eighteen inches in
depth. The cycles were never out of serv-
I ice to make repairs. In one case the chief
Of staff rode twentyfour miles spent
two and a half hours inspecting sites and
returned TO his proper station between !
and p. m. In another instance an orderly
with a message covered distance of sixty
miles In mountainous country in five hours
while an average speed of fifteen miles was
made in carrying the mails. Major O'Nell
says in his report; In maneuvers for po-
sition, in attack and defense, in patrols.
these machines were kent we'll IN the Front
doing excellent work often accommodating
the road for four or five miles in advance,
and also in carrying messages to the rear.
This was done by them while on the march
more expeditiously than messages could
be sent by horsemen or signaling Three
commissioned officers and five enlisted
men became expert In the use Of the ma
chimes. From personal experience and the
various reports rendered to me- I am of