The Washington herald., 1916-02-09
BY l.. Il. JOHNS.

Again Secretary of War Garrison has
denied that the Hay bill, which follows
the recommendation of the War Depart
ment. proposes to abolish the Army Med
icuI Reserve Corps Instead OF abolish
ing il, the corps is consolidated with the
proposed officers reserve corps. Under the
HAY bill it is hoped TO increase the num-
her Of Medical Reserve Corps from $50
to lO.UJ0. II also raises the rank OF Medl-
cal Reserve Corps officers.
From a careful reading OF the hay
bill" says the Secretary. lit will be seen
that the Army Medical Reserve Corps
masses out in name only, and reappeafs
under the name and as part OF the
Oficers' Reserve Corps. The new ON
GERS Reserve Corps extends the system
of reserve to all parts of the army ana
sbsorbs the Medical Reserve Corps. The
present law allows these men to be APP
pointed only In the grade Of first lieu
tenant The proposed bill allows them to
he appointed as first lieutenants, cap
tains and ma iors. and insures their being
used in time of wal.
The only provision Of the proposed
sections which might be construed as less
favorable to the individuals rights than
the existing law is that which requires
theNl to come to active service in time OF
war when called by the President
whereas under existing law, they have
the right to refuse to respond to the call
AT this vital moment If they SO desire.
Inasmuch as these reserve officers are
formed estensibly as a Federal asset in
time of war IL cannot be argued that
such a provision is unnecessary. II they
are not serious in their intentions When
they ioin the Medical Reserve Corps.
they are a broken staff upon which TO
lean and form no real reserve. III they
are serious and enter the service with the
idea of helping the government in time
of need. then they surely cannot object
to a provision by which the soNernm ent
is legally assured that they will respond
in time of war when called.
Howard NJ Hartley, of Syracuse, n.
y was commissioned in the Naval ray
Corps on Monday, thirty minutes before
he officially passed the age limit As
sstant Paymaster Hartley, who passed
the recent examination, was "
years of age on February s, and under
the law he would not have been eligible
n he had not been commissioned and &C
cepted the commission the day before he
completed his twentieth sixth year.
Tat 1t was necessary to commission
Mr.. Hartley before the close of business
on Monday was called to the attention of
the Secretary of the Navy at noon. His
I recommendation was sent over 70 tne
White House Immediately and by spe.
cial messenger to the Senate. The Sen
ate held a special executive session to
confirm his nomination and it was return
ed to the Navy department.. where his
commission was made out and forwarded
! to the White House for the signature OF
the President 1t was necessary to
return it gain to the Navy Department,
where Mr. Hartley was accepted and
: sworn in at about 4 O'Clock. Officially,
! the department is supposed to close at
4:S9, but the paymaster general declared
he would have held it open until 12 O'Clock
rather than have kept Mr.. Hartley out
! of the navy.
! The nomination of Arthur L. Maryland
I of Marlisofl. Wis, for the naval pay corps
was confirmed at the same time
A telegram received by the Adiutant
General yesterday from San Francisco
announces that the transport Thomas
sailed on February 5 with the following:
Kimbal, Quarteermaster Corps: Poore
| Fifteenth Infantry; Capts. Andrews
Dean, Morris, Cornell. Ileuts. Wilson.
Doak. I.utz. Thompson. Ninth Cavalry:
Capt. Paine. 'I.ieuts. Henry. winfree.
Chaplain sutherland. Fifteenth Cavalry;
Capt Grimes. Eighth Infantry; Capts.
Morrow. Ball. Hall, Lieut. Lonergan.
Thirteenth; Captains Peterson. Alley.