Evening star., 1917-11-03
HARD Jolt TO men
IN OFFICER CAMPS
Less Than Half of Those Now
in Training to Get
Commissions.
THINK THEY WERE MlsLED

j Uu1bt1 VuSs.s
Tho War Department has given jolt
to the thousands Of successful business
and professional men who, for nearly
three months, have been undergoing in
tensive training with the expectation
that they would get commissions as re-
servo officers or with the National Army.
At Fort Myer and the other officers
training camps today the candidates for
commissions have been informed that
less than half Of them. no matter how
well qualified they may be for officers,
will be commissioned.
These thousands Of men-there are
1927 Of them at Fort Myer-have given
up important business positions, lucra-
tive professional practice and homo life
during the Last three months with the
assurance that all Of those who showed
physical and mental qualifications would
be commissioned.
Wanted Plenty Of Officers.
Now the department comes along
with an inspired report that in its
hurry to get enough mon to start the
training at the sixteen National Army
cantonments and the sixteen National
Guard training camps It overstocked
with officers SO as not to make the mis-
take that England made and have too
few.
At the same time letters from per-
sonal friends who arc officers in tho
officers. that In order to whip the Ma
tional Army into proper shape to send
it against Germany there must be hum
dreds of new officers sent to the camps
This has led the men at Fort Myer and
the other officers training camps to ex-
poet that practically every At man
would be commissioned.
Many Unfit Commissioned.
It is a known fact that IN q hurry to
commission certain men tho War De-
partment has given commissions to
many who have since been asked to
known in Army circles that hundreds Of
to- be Transferred to tho inactive list,
because they were found unit to take
charge of q military organization in the
deld. These facts are being confirmed
IN authoritative reports from the va
rfous cantonments, where It Is an open
secret that the War Department must
soon remove some of those favored ones
who were given commissions without
proper qualification.
Chance for Good Officers.
Those who, go back home without
commissioner in many instances be
better qualified men than those who
were commissioned in the first train
ing camp. They are mature men and
been in charge of the training at Fort
Myer have frequently remarked that
the War Department had a chance to
get q fine lot Of officers from the pres
ent student body.
It is q bitter disappointment at Fort
Myer to those who have. been led to
believe that nearly everv man now in
the training school would get com
mission. The men are earnestly anx-
were denied commissions on account Of
disqualification they say they would
not murmur. for that was part OF the
game. They entered Fort Myer to
prove their ability II they could. and
the instructor officers say:
I'VE have had q fine lot Of men here.
There is material here for excellent
officers. The material now in camp Is
very much superior to that in the first
camp"
Think It an Injustice.
finder these circumstances the men at
Fort Myer feel that it was unfair for
the War Department to accept them.
and keep them at the training school If
there was no intention of giving COM
missions.
Those in close touch with military af-
fairs feel that this summary action by
the War Department, after the men had
been given every reason to expect COM
will have a very bad effect
the country, and that it will
many ambitious and able
young men. who would like to enter the
service, but will hesitate to
submit themselves to injustice, such as
the men at Fort Myer and the other
them.
1887 Now In Training.
According to Official figures obtained
at the War Department today, there
arc now 1.237 students at Fort Myer
OF these soldier-students will be
as majors Of infantry.
2 majors Of field artillery: Is cap
tains Of infantry, II captains OF field
artillery. $50 first lieutenants Of in
fantry and II first lieutenants Of field
artillery.
In addition there will be sixty-eight
mon from the Fort Myer camp COM
missioned second lieutenants in the
Reserve Corps and placed on an e1igi-
BILE list for appointment as provisional
second lieutenants in the Regular
Army as vacancies occur.
When the training camp closes No
yember 81 all of the above will be
granted two weeks leave of absence,
and then assume a status Of active |
iuty.
In addition to the above there will be |
4 number of the men now at Fort |
Myer commissioned in the Signal Corps, |
FOR which a campaign for volunteers |
IS now being conducted at the camp.
Few to Get Captaincies.
Tho biggest disappointment has come
in the number of captains to be COM
nissfoned. There are but fifteen to be |
named from all Of the eight companies,
n each OF which there are 100 candi-
iates. At the first training camp at |
Fort Myer the average was nearer ten |
captains to each company. and it was
expected even by the in
,tructing officers that there would be
bout ten mon. Many Of the men in |
.amp say they were given to UNDER
,tand when they enlisted for the three