The Washington herald., 1916-07-01

The present time seems to be the open
season for rulings on various tnterpreta-
tons of the national defense act. which
went into effect June last. and in this
'connection it is perhaps interesting to
note the request of First Lieut.. c. S.
Mcneil, OF the Eighth Cavalry, who ask
ed for q ruling as to whether his service
with a machine-gun platoon, from De-
cember 3. 1911 to November lS 1872,
counts as detached service.
1t is prescribed that duty with ma
chine-gun platoon shall be counted as
service with troops for the purposes OF
the detached service law-the act of April
"a, 1el+but the same act imposed the
condition that this duty shall be per-
formed after the passage of the act and
that the officer performing such duty
shall be assigned to a statutory unit
According to the ruling accorded Lieut.
Mcneil, II was held that the machine
gun platoon was not a statutory unit,
but rather a unit auxiliary to a statu-
tory unit. Furthermore. It seems that
the service performed by the ofticer was
prior to the passage of the detached serv-
ice law. The War Department likewise
ruled that the act OF June 3 last cannot
be construed as changing the status Of a
machine-gun platoon, as IL then existed.
Accordingly, it Is held that Lieut.. Nc
Neiu's service could not be construed as
service with troops, within the meaning
Of the law.
The Adjutant General Of the Army is
considering a number OF cases Of appli-
cations by enlisted men for discharge by
purchase. Additional consideration OF
these cases has been made necessary by
the reference of the army reorganization
act to this method of discharge
The act prescribes that in all cases
where an enlisted man makes such ar
application while in the actual service OF
the United States, his discharge must not
be absolute, unless so ordered by the
Secretary of War. Without the contrary
order Of the Secretary OF War, the mar
who purchases his discharge is furloushed
to the regular army reserve
The War Department has already ruled
that this provision OF the act must be
construed as applying to all discharges
by purchase, issued on and after the ap-
proval of the act, Irrespective OF the time
at which the soldier enlisted.
Three regiments OF army engineers, au.
thorized by the reorganization act, are
being rapidly formed and II is expected
that their complete formation will be
announced within a few days. Two OF
IleSe T6ElNl6nIS are ptllS HOOlnZeQ OF
the Mexican border, and a third in the
Of engineers as nucleus of the new
corps.
The regiments on the border, II is un.
derstood, will be commanded by Col Ma.
son NJ. Patrick and by Col. George A
Zinn Col. Patrick is in charge of the
Detroit engineering district at the pres.
ent time, while Col. zinn is on duty ir
Philadelphia. Patrick has been ordered
to report at Fort Sam Houston. Tex
while Zinn will go to Columbus, N. NJ.
The First Battalion of Engineers, for
merly stationed at Washington Barracks,
will become a part OF the new First
Regiment. The battalion formerly sta.
toned here under the command of Maj
w. P. Wooten, recently left for Texas
with full equipment Unless war breaks
out, Company D, OF the First Battalion
will be permitted to remain at the Platts,
burg training camp.
The overwhelming difficulties Of recruit,
ing for the army are being cited by Off.
GERS as a reason for the apparent delay
In filing the ranks 10 conform with the
authorizations Of the army reorganiza,
ton act, as well as for duty with the
National Guard along the border.
The excitement attending the call tc
the colors, 1t Is said, acted as stimuli.
to recruiting for a short time, but the
possibility Of weeks of inaction in g
training camp has a depressing effeo,
upon this same wave of enthusiasm
There are three great obstacles to sue
cessful recruiting at the present time
officers explain.
The first is the expense involved. A
limit is necessarily placed upon all ex.
penditures which the army may attempt
to make for filing the ranks, and thi.
was chiefly responsible for the failure
of the War Department to put into effect
an ingenious plan recently suggested by
an officer, whereby movie" show and
lectures could be given in small towns
The expense of this method. TO make 1,
thorough, would not have been less thar
7.ooo, 600 a year, and this was deemed toe
large.
Another reason is that there must be
no compulsion or misrepresentat tion OF
facts Every recruit, of course. is free
to enlist or not, ~ he sees At, and q
49, -~l~ - a.