The Washington herald., 1915-12-08
BY r. b. JOHNS.

The general staN Is not only asking lot
a larger army but a more efhicient one
Among other recommendations Tor rais
ing the standard in the regular army Is
one by which all second heutenants upon
entering the service shall receive Pro-
ba tionary commissions for two years Al
the end of this period, upon the recon-
nen6s tIon of the commanding officers,
they will be allowed to take eNaiiiha-
tions for permanent commissions.
This law applies to West Point grad
uates as well as all other second heu-
tenants. II has been found that some
young men who graduate well up IN tne
class at West Point have not been an'e
to fill all OF the conditions OF military
service An officer to be effcient and
good discipline rian must have something
more than intellectual qualifications
The ability to lead. train and discipline
men Ia a. necessary as mental qualifi-
cations. Often West Point graduates
have not found military service con-
genial, and, as a consequence, do not
come up to what the general stan In
sists should be the standards OF en-
cheney.
ON the other hand. officers who come
ND from the ranks and from civil lire
have frequently been more efficient than
those West Point graduates who lack
the necessary military spirit. The regu-
lar army officers acknowledge that there
are officers In the National Guard who.
with a year or two training In their reg
ular establishment, would be valuable
acquisitions to the service. With the
new scheme of the general staff. not
only would undesirable West Point grad
VA ties be eliminated but there would be
attracted to the army those men of ex-
traordinary natural ability In the Ma
tional Guard. the military departments
OF the colleges and from civil life. The
general staff after careful study of
the matter. believes that some way
should he opened by which men OF nat
ural ability could secure commissions in
the regular army.
| Another feature Of the proposed change
| Is that probational commissions for sec
ond lieutenants would tend to speed up
younger men when they enter the army.
Too many OF them imagine their work
is done when they secure commission.
II IL argued that IL earlier in their career
they were impressed that the require
mcnts OF the service are exactinR. it
! would stay with them in the higher
grades.
The assignment OF Rear Admiral
Charles F. Pond to command the naval
auxiliaries IL expected to inaugurate a
new policy in handling the fleet. The
assignment of rear admiral to this
duty Is an indication of its Importance
in the mind Of the Secretary of the Navy.
who is convinced that more attention
should be given to this class of vessels.
The auxiliaries have been termed the
supply train of the feet. and the Euro
pean war has demonstrated that the sup
ply problem is one of the most difficult
, to solve In war
In the war problems to be worked out
by the Atlantic fleet. the auxiliaries I'M
der the command of Admiral Pond will
take an important part.
The question us to whether junior Of
fcers In the navy should not have serv-
ice with the coast survey Is being seri-
| ously discussed In the Navy Department.
| Before the civil war. this was a part of
the naval officers education and II is
now being urged that too little attention
| is being given by the Navy Department
! In acduainting officers with the conditions
, of the coast.
! 1t is suggested that class of junior
officers of the navy could study nav
survey. Just as officers take up other
specialties-
Lieut.. Robert AZ. Danford, Fifth
Field Artillery, who had been station
ed at Fort Sill. passed through WASH
ington yesterday on his way to New
Haven. Conn.,. where he will serve Is
instructor inspector Of the Yale Uni-
vsrsity battalion of field artillery. The
movement for the organization of Ma
tional Guard field artillery at uni
sAesA are In pfccssB OF organisation