Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-12
NO ONE WILL BE EXCEPTED
Strengthening Will Be Carried
to Highest Ranks; Decision
of Board Final.
FOREIGN SERVICE STRENUOUS
None But the Strongest Can
Stand Rigorous Demands
of Modern Fighting.

WASHINGTON, Dec. li.--All gem
eral officers OF the regular army and
national guard are being examined
by medical boards and efficiency
boards with n view to determining
the advisability OF sending them for
service abroad"
In announcing this step late today
Secretary Baker said IL was necessary
on account OF the unusually severe
conditions of service in this war.
Commanders for American troops
at the fighting front are to be selected
only after rigid investigation of their
physical and professional fitness for
their task. Early announcement Of
the retirement or discharge of some
of the general officers is to be eX-
pected, as medical boards already have
reported against men both In the reg
ular and national guard service,
Must Be Fit Every Way.
The secretary's statement follows:
The secretary of war announced
today that all general officers of the
regular army and the national guard
are being examined by medical boards
and efficiency boards. with the view
OF determining the advisability Of
sending them for service abroad.
THE conditions of foreign service
in this war are unusually severe, re-
quiring that general officers shall be
not only adequately grounded In mill
tary science and adequately alert ply
sically to acquire rapidly the lessons
which the new form of warfare re-
quires, but able to endure prolonged
hardships.
''The determinations OF these boards
are impersonal and in the interest of
the success OF our armies and the well
fare both OF leaders and mcu and Will
be affirmed by the department.
This policy will no doubt commend
itself to the people OF the south as
being In the public interest and even
where II Is necessary to deny the OPP
portunty for foreign service to SOL
diers OF long experience II Will be un.
derstood to imply nothing In any way
preJudicial to the officers involved.
Boards OF this kind have already
found some general officers OF both
the regular army and the national
guard physically disqualified. Such
finding does not in any way reflect
upon the past service of the officer
or upon his present zeal and willing
ness to make personal sacrifices I'm tho
further service of his country, but the
question to be determined is one of
capacity to perform a highly special
lied and arduous type OF service"
All tuucr oDsefNaiOn.
The general officers of the national
guard were taken into the federal
service with their state units without
examination as to their professional
qualifications Some of them had
service on the border during the guard
mobilization and all OF them have
been under observation since the
guard was called into federal service
for the war.
Most of the present regular army
officers are men Of lower rank who
have been given general officers com
missions for the duration OF the war
only. They were selected, so far as
the line officers are concerned by the
same process which Is followed with
the nomination of men to permanent
in general grades of the
army. BY this process II has been the
rule that seniority was followed unless
the records Of an officer forbade this
promotion.
The new order undoubtedly will
eliminate q very considerable number
of general officers, even of the grade
of major general. 1t is understood
that no step will be taken towards the
of lieutenant generals as
corps commanders will be taken until
the department Is satisfied with the
result OF its wedding out process
among the major and brigadier gem
erals.