The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-27
limited States Army Now Wants $50 Lelenant From Civil Life
This Chance of Lifetime for Officers cer-
ny JOHN ELFRETn WATKINS,

washington, D. c.. August ga
title before your name. pre-eminence
In the favor of milady fair, a career of
fuss and feathers. brass buttons and
gold lace. the guarantee of g home and
salary. so long as you shall live hon
orably. and when you die. a free flu
neral. with brass band thrown in
young man. hankercth thou for these?
II dost. sit up now and take lively
notice-likewisc nota bene For II
you are sti!l enjoying single blessed
ness and are neither under onc-and-
twenty nor above one score and seven;
II you can stretch up To five feet four
In your naked feet. and tip the beam
In accordance with your stature; IL you
can exhibit chest bellows that has
manly circumference and expansion
why. for aught that you know. you
may be one Of the $50 lucky fellows
upon whom VIII now be heaped tho
honors and giories of such pictur-
esqus career.
as a result OF the recent increase Of
that service. The army now hnds Itself
short of over $50 more second lieuten-
ants than West Point can supply. SO
TO MI these vacancies appointments
will have to be made from enlisted men
In the ranks and from eligible young
men in civil life.
On September the hnal examination
for all candidates will be held at the
various military posts throughout the
country. and II you are a citizen of the
United States, answering the require
nents spec!aed-also some more in the
baf5ain-now. perhaps, is your chance
TO add military handle TO your name
and 20 earn-suitnble for framing and
hanging upon the wall-an engraved
commission. signed by the President
Of the United States. also o. K.'d by
'he Senate thereof.
In the filling of these vacencies-ac-
cording TO the law and the prophets-
preference over the man In civil life
must be given to the soldier in the
ranks. II the latter's fitness for pro
motion shall have been determined by
competitive examination" But the
chances in this exceptional year appear
TO be that $50 civilians will be needed
after the men who work IN from the
ranks have qualified So there now
are exceptional opportunities for our
young men who have never ahoulde red
'nusket or iourished sabre In the
paid service OF the L. S. A
How to Get There.
There are lots OF ms and outs to be
understood before you can get even
so far as the examination room. The
FIRST step is the fling OF an application
with the Adtutant General OF the army
at Wasain Gton. This done. you are
merely an applicant for designation,
and II rests with the War Department
whether or not 10 grant you the status
OF i candidate for examination" Your
application must state Your date OF
birth, citizenship, marital status and
the branch Of the service in which
you aspire 10 become an ofrcer-wheth-
or the infantry. cavalry. field or coast
artillery. Then. II your statement is
satisfactory, YOU VIII be authorized to
repor. for examination "a. some mill
itaFy post as near 10 your home as the
department can arrange
The course OF sprouts through which
you must now be put will depend upon
the diplomas which you can show If
you cannot prove yourself a graduate
of hrst-class university or military
oollege-if YOU are mere graduate of
the university OF experience or the
college Of hard knocks-you must. be-
fore September s. run the gauntlet OF
a preliminary mental examination.
differing according TO whether YOU
aspire 10 enter the mobile army or the
coast artillery. II you would become
an infantry. cavalry or field artillery
lieutenant. this preliminary test viii
include English grammar and orthog-
isP'lS' Algeria, geometry and trteo-
nometry, geography and history Bur
II you would enter the coast artillery.
the examination IN mathematics viii
be made sitter by the addition OF cal
culus. differential and integral. In all
cases showing in mathematics will
count you much more than proficiency
In the other subjects II you do not
make a general average OF 20 YOU are
down and out at your hrst pitfall.
This ordeal OF the preliminary es
animation you, will entirely escape II
you can prove yourself a graduate of
either recognized" college or uni
versity, or of college or school that
Is essentially military and to which an
ofttcer of The regular army is detailed
as professor OF military science and
tactics.
But whatever your educational ad-
vantases have been. YOU must report
September 5 at the designated mill
tary post. there to be taken in hand by
o hna r1 80