The Washington herald., 1916-04-23
By E. b. JOHNS.

Following the recommendations of
its military commission the State of
Massachusetts, has enacted law
which authorizes the militia of the
State to come into the Federal serv-
ice under the volunteer provision of
the Chamberlain bill. A similar bill
has passed both houses of the Mary
land legislature and Hesitation along
this line is pending in other States.
Under the Massachusetts, bill a
company of infantry, a troop of cav
airy, a battery of artillery, or any
other organization of the militia may
volunteer for Federal service and will
be relieved of duty with the State.
The governor is authorized to lease
the State property used by the militia
to the Federal government and either
a part or a whole of the State militia
can be turned over to the Federal
government
In forwarding the bill to Chairman
Chamberlain, of the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs, r. L. Raymond,
chairman of the Massachusetts, mill
tary commission, says: I'VE feel very
strongly here that the entire citizen
lighting force of the country should
be wholly a Federal force and that
NA'S oeNsS 5hpNAu hOL MAINTAIN q
tia. The so-called liberalization of
the militia provided for in the bills
pending before Congress is a mere
makeshift. What we need is a ma
tional force which should be entirely
under the control of the Federal gov
ernment."
Personnel legislation has been agreed
to by the subcommittee of the House
Committee on Naval Affairs which will
go a long way toward an equitable dis
trtbutiOn OF naval officers among the
different grades. This plan. It is stated,
will be attached to the naval appropria-
ton bill and will be passed without regard
TO any general personnel law that is en-
acted at this session.
1t is understood that the number Of
rear admirals is to be based on the total
number of line officers. Approximately
there will be under the new plan one rear
admiral for every hundred officers For
every rear admiral there is to be four
captains, eight commanders, sixteen
lieutenant commanders and seventy-one
lieutenants. Heutenants Junior grade and
ensigns With the graduation of the next
lass from the Naval Academy there will
be approximately twenty-one hundred line
officers. This number will be distributed
among the different grades as follows:
Twenty-one rear admirals, eighty-four
captains. 1853 commanders. 1876 Lieutenant
commanders, and the remainder among
the lower grades The addition to the
navy under the operations of the bill next
year will be three rear admirals fourteen
captains, fifty-siX commanders and lSS
ieutenant-commander
This plan will create a better flow
Of promotion and make a more equitable
distribution of the officers between the
different grades. 1t will also establish a
permanent basis for the distribution OF
officers which will work automatically
as officers are graduated from Annapolis.
In the opinion of the Judge Advocate
General, Capt. Preston Brown, Eighth
Infantry, is not entitled to be credited
with duty with troops while participant
ing in a staff ride on January 1873 1915
Gen. CrOwder explains that star rides
are exercises recently introduced into the
service for instruction of officers, and the
presence OF troops is not essential.
Capt. Brown argues that the officers
participating therein were accompanied
by a troop OF cavalry, Company L, Sig
nal Corps, and a detachment from the
Hospital and Quartermaster's corps. He
further claims that the entire period was
one Of field service, the command being
under canvas. on a march Of 80 miles.
After investigating the claim under the
act of April q, 1914 CSS stat 1SjO which