The Washington herald., 1916-10-01
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column An civ,

A board Of army officers has been ap-
pointed TO meet here tomorrow 70 con-
slider the character and quantity of ma
chine rifles to be supplied for military
service
The board will be composed OF Col.
Francis II. French, general stan; Col
Joseph 7. Dickman, Second Cavalry: Col.
Tracy c. Dickson, U. S. A, retired; Lieut.
Col. Henry D. Todd, jr., Coast Artillery
Corps; Capt. Robert h Willis, tr., Signal
Corps; Bascom Little, Of Cleveland, Ohio,
and B. M. w. Hanson. of Hartford, Conn
Capt. Willis will be recorder OF the board
The board will consider and make rec
concentrations as to whether a single type
or more than one type of machine rife,
using smaIl-arms ammunition. Is needed
Tor the service, and the type or types
which should be procured. and IL more
than one type, the proportion Of the diff
ferent types.
In making its recommendations the
board will take into consideration the
present supply of machine rifles of the
various types. all reports of tests of ma
chine rifles which may be believed to be
serviceaole in reaching a conclusion. the
amount OF funds now available for the
procurement Of machine rifles, the ap-
preparations necessary to be made in or
Ger to complete the supply at an ap-
proprlate rate, and any records of the
war Department. or any branch of It
which 1t may desire TO consult
The average weight of men of the
North is from four to six pounds greater
than that of men from the South, accord
ing to United States Marine Corps re-
crulting Officers who have Just submitted
detailed report to Marine Corps head
quarters. The officers have asked that
the minimum weight for recruits In the
South be reduced from LA to lao pounds,
stripped.
The recruiting officers state that the
large, raw-boned southerner'' seldom
is seen, and that, while the men of the
south are as sound and At as the men
OF any other section. they are usually
small-boned and light in weight. II is
pointed out, however. that some Of the
b@st mixers" in the Marine Corps are
lean, wtry recruits from the South.
A board Of army officers has been
appointed to investigate the suitability of
acquiring land for aviation purposes, in
accordance with the provisions of the
army appropriation act. The board con-
sists of Lieut. Col. George O. Squire,
head Of the aviation section of the
army; Capt Richard c. Marshall. tr.,
Quartermaster Corps, and Capts Vir-
"
Milling, Signal Corps
The act provides that an investigation
first shall be made to ascertain the
suitability of existing military reserva-
tons, and that, II none of these reserva-
tons is found avilable, suitable land shall
be acquired The tract is desired par
ticularly as a site for an aviation e1-
perimental establishment, where aero
planes their accessories, and other
aviation equipment may be tested.
Second Lieuts Davenport johnson,
Nineteenth Infantry; Millard F Harmon,
Jr., Twenty-seventh Infantry; Clinton W.
Russell. Eighth Infantry; Howard c.
Davidson, Twenty-seventh Infantry, and
Maxwell Kirby, Third Cavalry, have sue
cessfully completed the course Of instruc-
ton at the Signal Corps aviation school
at San Diego. Cal. and have been ordered
TO duty with the First Aero Squadron at
! Columbus, y. Mex. They will be de-
tanned to the aviation section as Junior
military aviators.
Five or six qualified aviators are pro-
duced by the school overy month It is
the policy to put these officers. follow
ing their work at the school, through a
course Of service with the First Aero
Squadron before their assignment to other
duty.
First Lieut.. Byron Q. Jones, aviation
officer attached to the school at San
Diego, is on tour of inspection of aero
plane manufacturing plants on the Pacific
Coast including establishments at San
Francisco, Redwood City, and Sunnyville,
Cal. and Seattle, Wash.