The Washington herald., 1916-10-19
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column in City.

The War Department Is in the market
for an automobile expert to be stationed
at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois
in connection with its plans for the in
tensive use Of the motor truck in the
regular army.
1t has called on the United States Civil
Service Commission to hold a competitive
examination for such an expert Appli-
cants for the position will be examined
by the commission in Washington, Bos-
ton Philadelphia, Atlanta, Cincinnati,
Chicago, st. Paul. New York, New Or
leans, and st. Louis on October "a
From the list of eligibles resulting from
this examination, Certifcation will be
made to fill a vacancy in this post in
the Ordnance Department at large at a
salary of $40 year.
Candidates for appointment as auto
mobile expert must show that they have
been graduated from course Of four full
years of study in school having a cur
riculum equivalent to that Of a high
school, Additional credit will be given
for college or university work
Applicants must have had at least five
""r'orce in the automobile busi-
ness, not less than two years Of which
must have been in a supervisory capac-
lty IN the designing or manufacturing de-
partment of an automobile factory. In
the examination they will be rated ac-
cording to education, training and ex-
perience.
War Department officials are interested
in the announcement that the cadet
corps at the West Virginia University
this year will be the largest in the his
tory Of that institution, owing to the ex-
ceptionally large enrolment. It will con-
sist Of eight companies, in addition to
band Of sixteen pieces The total
strength will be close to 900. with an aver
age OF about seventy officers and men TO
each company. Last year there were
only six companies
The Navy Department has received Of
hcial dispatches telling of the almost total
destruction of the American naval sta
ton on the Island OF Culebra, near Porto
Rico. during the recent hurricane that
swept the West Indies. The island sta
ton was used as a marine drill ground
No loss of life occurred.
One man in every 1000 should be re-
cruited for the army to meet demands
for the present and immediate future,
according TO the views Of officials OF
the adJutant generals ONCE Of the War
Department. Instructions have been sent
TO all recruiting stations to attempt TO
realize this ideal.
This result can be obtained, II is point
ed out only by canvassing every acces-
sible locality in the United States and
establishing. through the aid Of the avail
able postmasters. a conveniently located
recruiting agency for each small area.
While the present organization Of the
recruiting service is considered satisfac-
tory, the time has come to establish
DEFINITE limits to each district, not only
10 facilitate the work through postmas-
ters, but also to give each recruiting on
Ger exact information as to the outlying
areas for which he is responsible. war
Department officials contend
Hereafter, without lessening the efforts
that have been aiken to procure recruits
in the cities and large towns. special
additional EFFORT will be made to comb
thoroughly all the rural districts In
hN!ng the limits OF present recruiting dis
ricts. it has been necessary to transfer
Il few auxiliary stations from one dis
trict to another. These transfers will
cause little inconvenience to the recruit
ing officers, however.
The appointment Of sixteen qualified
candidates 70 commissions in the army
8Sntal corps has been recommended by
'ha acting surgeon general Of the army.
In" question as to whether there shall
he appointed this year ten or sixteen off,
GERS has been referred to the Judge Ad-
Vocate General Of the Army for a de-
oison