The Washington herald., 1912-10-20
iB|II URDERe0Es
General SHAKE
Ol6ise n Appropriated IN at Last
tsssion of CsngEsss Isals
10 Changes.
|a1AyE rRoBIu ron 'o1Ylc1na

L. . aa
WIN the nscsaaaty Of changfng 90 d.
tails Of The military establishment On
December u general stan onIcers Of the
Unitsd statas Army are Hhcing one At
The most serious administrative problems
of rocsut years. - the result oe clause
slippsd ia the army appropeiation bul IN
conference In the closing shoufs Of the
last session.
The clause prohibits the detailing Of
o0lcers bsjow the rank Of major away
from their companies who have not serv-
with their companie2 ThA working out
Of this order. In the opinion Of ranking
odscers Of the general stan corps. viii
result In Q temporary crippling Of the
course Of instruction In MANY Of the
service schools for oncers. and Q serious
hAmpoffng OF the administrative work
u the War Department. the, various de-
paTtmsotal headquaFters, and In the
resimsnts themselves II win call for
eeal shake-up which may seriously In.
lure the entire service.
|. Previous regulations have permitted
the detailing Of omcers to general stan.
instruction. and regimental stan posi-
t1ono who have served two Of the pre-
eeding six years with troops. Under
this regulation. details Of captains to
positions on the star Of their regi-
ments ~ regimental commissary. regi-
termaster. has been included in the
service with troops. and has. there
fore. not barred them from other de.
tails The new order. however. counts
such details n detached duty.
+ WIN Injure Work.
Aside from the apparent unwisdom
~
changes In an administrative force at
one time. 1t will be found extremely
dimcult to ind that number Of desir-
able omcers for details who will be
eligible for the regular four-year tour
Of detached service. either because OF
impending promotion or previous de-
tails. This. according to army ofncers.
will continue . condition Of unrest in
the administrative work Of the MILL
tary establishment.
The greatest harm. II IL believed. will
be worked to the service school and to
West Point A large number Of instruc-
tcrS at West Point and at Forts Leaven-
worth, Reilly. and Munroe. where young
lieutenants are completing their military
instruction. will have to be withdrawn
In the middle Of the course and their
rlaces filled by officers who have not
been in touch with the work covered in
will have to jump into the harness with
out themselves making the necessary
preparations.
BY far the largest number Of changes
will be At the War Department here, and
to many officers the necessity of making
an unexpected change will work a severe
financial hardship. Many officers who,
during the summer, were detailed to the
General Stan corps here and moved
their families and effects from different
parts Of the country In the belief that
they would serve out the regular four
years tour Of duty In Washington, will
not be forced to break up their newly
established homes IN this city and plan
for another long expensive move.
Ono case Of . military attache to .
foreign mission must be particularly
discouragfng to the victim. Capt Alfred
w. BjornstAdt. Twenty-eighth Infantry,
was detailed in the summer to the
American Embassy at Berlin. packed
his possessions and, with his family.
hetook himself to his new post Capt
Bjornstadt mad not served two Of the
preceding six years with his company.
SO he must now repack his possessions
and return to this country to spend
some time at a regimental post with
his company. Another case OF . SINH
lar nature Is found at Vienna, where
the military attache has been a resident
less than a year.
Army officers admit that the clause
strikes at a much-needed reform, but
protest that IT should be worked out
more gradually, both in justice to the
young omcers and to the service. It is
possible that Congress in the first days
of the next session will be asked to
modify the clause with this end in view