The Washington herald., 1915-12-27

prcsi,ient and thcn be given full dis
charge Thus there would be always
5i1s-I of the reserve. This would mean
the training and cost "f lS',"S men earh
Year with the colors and in the schools
These men should receive army pay
for that number of men the first year.
two weeks the second and third years.
or thirteen months in all The plan or
the Secretary of War calls for pay two
months a year for three years or SIX
months in all: Therefore the cost of the
proposed scheme Will be little more
than double that Of the Secretary.
1T is hoped that a sufficient number
would volunteer for a-tive service. hut
falling that the quota required would
lie filled from the enrolled list in each
district.
The organ izcd militia would not hc
interferrcd with in any way. ON tn"
contrary. a. II is proposed TO exempt
men in that service. young men would
practically have choice Of serNlc" III
that body or the proposed Continental
army.
The legislation required is entirely
within the constitutional power OF Com
stress. sine il avoids many questionable
.rovisions which lay some of the other
plans open to criticism. Financially,
likewise. this plan avoids excessive out
lay. The cost would not equal the zen
.ral STAFF plan. but would he somewhat
in excess OF that proposed by the Set
rcJary Uf War
The executive council has sought the
hr,t military advice Ohtdinabie ana
formulated this plan after rarefUl study
and counsel from prominent civilians
vel versed in the relations of employer
and empIoye. who appreciate the I'M
possibility of securing voluntary service
for two months each year FOR three
years
Under the proposed personnel bill
all of the vacancies in the Navy Pay
Corps will be filled by graduates from
Annapolis This plan has been recon-
mended by the General Board and Is
said TO have the approval of the Sec
retary of the Navy.
For some time it has been urged
by members OF the General Board that
Annapolis graduates who have physi-
cal deficiencies which diSqualify them
for duty with the line should be ap-
pointed TO the pay corps. Officers IN
q the pay corps are assigned 10 sta-
/ tions on ships during Il battle and as
consequence it is urged that An
/ napoIis graduates would be better
qualified to perform this duty than
those that are appointed from civil
: life as is provided in the existing law
In marked contrast to the fate OF
. the French army in its conquest OF
! Haiti when thousands fell victim to
/ plague and pestiIence. is the expe-
! rience of the United States Marine
! Corps in its paCifcation work in that
war-toru little Caribbean republic.
| Medical officers. in reports just re-
| ceived by headquarters of the Marine
I Corps in this city. state that the
I health OF III" marines could not he
better despite the fact that they have
often been called upon to march
l twenty miles day over rough noun
I famous roads. under blisterlnE
, tropical sun. and under conditions or
! actual warfare.
Haiti. according to these medical Of
! fCers. has had for over a hundred
/ years the reputation of being one OF
, the most unhealthy spots in the world.
| and il has been the common belief
/ that no white man could live there
! when subjected to hardship and eN-
/ posure But it remained for our
marines to disprove this theory. They
/ have had great experience in climates
/ closely resembling that Of Haiti. and
Q have learned to take the necessary
precautions so essential to the main
! flamenco of perfect health in the
I tropics.
! Foot troubles were few and far be-
| tween. the medical officers say, aud
/ the deaths have been caused by bull
| let's not disease.