The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-09-10
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column In City.

question has arisen as to how the
Increased rank shall be conferred in the
case of army officers making applica-
ton Tor promotion under the national
defense act authorizing the advancement
of retired officers under certain specified
conditions A collateral question is
whether these retired officers should be
commissioned by and with the advice and
consent OF the Senate. The questions
were formally placed before the War
Department upon the filing by Capt
Lewis D. Greene, U. s. A., retired, Of ap-
plication for promotion to the grade Of
ma or.
The provision in the act Of June 3 does
not create Offices, and no exercise of the
power to appoint TO ONCE is involved, II
is pointed out All that the statue ac-
complishes is an increase in the rank,
pay. and allowances. and no provision is
made therein for participation by the
senate, such as has been required in some
instances, as in the provision for the
advancement In rank of certain general
officers on the retired list (act OF March
q, 1879
II is held sufficient that the retired Of
hccrs who are 10 be promoted shall be
granted commissions, issued by the Presi-
dent, evincing their increased rank
So far only three officers have been
found qualified for promotion on the re-
tired list. They are Capt Quincy ON
gilmore who becomes a major: First
Lieut.. Franklin r. Kenney, who becomes
a captain. and Capt. Louis D. Greene. who
becomes a major.
Naval officers were not surprised that
Congress failed to appropriate the 80
100000 authorized by Senator Phelan's
bill for a new naval academy to be stu
ated on the Pacific Coast within 100 miles
Of San Francisco. The well-known OBJ
tections to having two institutions of this
type impressed Congress with the unwis-
dom OF maintaining a naval academy at
Annapolis and another one on the west
coast with the separate overhead charges
OF two corps Of instructors and the proba-
bility OF two conflicting systems Of train
ing and two standards OF fitness.
1t is said there will be no difficulty in
accommodating all the midshipmen at
Annapolis, notwithstanding the increase
which is now provided for. The class to
be admitted this year. estimated at about
500 in number. will give the corps a total
numerical strength Of about l,25O This
will be increased to some extent during
the years 1917, 1918 and 1919 but there
will be decrease from the maximum in
1870. with the graduation OF the midship-
men who enter this year so that the
number OF midshipmen thereafter will be
III lilS ntlBHDOTnOOO OF l,oVu. In the three
years in which this strength is increased
1t will be possible to improvise effectively
and economically accommodations for the
surplus. naval officers declare. This, II is
pointed out disposes OF any arguments
that the institution at Annapolie will not
accommodate all the midshipmen who
are authorized.
A letter has been received by the War
Department from a resident Of Wilkes
barre, Pa, complaining that one Of the
Polish Falcons" of that city, who had
been drilling weekly was arrested and
fined SIS and costs for taking his gun
home to clean it. The letter read:
There is a law in this State which
prohibits an unnaturalized citizen from
having any firearms. But can it be en-
forced to such an extent. especially on
one who is willing to fight and die for
his country"
The War Department holds that the
general power to maintain civil order is
OoNTINU ED on PAGE EIGHT.