The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-07-23
Army and Navy News
Rest serYIre CoIumn In c,@x

Another sketch Of prominent
army officer:
Lieut.. Col. George s. Gibbs, Signal
Corps. Born in Iowa, December Il,
1875, and appointed to the army from
the volunteer forces February 2, 1901.
| He graduated from the Army Signal
School in 1912, and is a graduate from
the University of Iowa.
Arrangements have been completed
which will permit the paying OF Amer
| lean soldiers in France. conveniently
| and with all promptness and, at the
same time, will remove any danger Of
| German submarines or raiders cap
| turing the gold intended for this pur-
| pose. Each discussing officer with
the overseas forces will simply draw
against an ample credit established in
! France for the .Quartermaster Corps.
Just what sum has been set aside,
/ the War Department declines to state,
| but 10 n more than ample for all
present needs, and will be increa sed
as new forces arrive in France. Each
! individual soldier will have the choice
of being paid in French currency or by
check on the Treasurer of the United
/ states. Those who send their pay
home will naturally choose the check
as the far safer medium. Periodical
| ly. probably once a month, announce
ment will be made of the rate of ex-
change which will govern payment in
/ French currency. This will be fixed
| by the aid of the Treasury Depart
ment and will apply until the next
announcement. The soldier is not
compelled to accept this rate. how
! ever. but is free to cash his pay check
at any bank If he desires to take ad-
! vantage Of such banks offer of
! higher rate of exchange.
| Board of officers to examine candi-
| dates at training camps to determine
their fitness for provisional appoint
ment as second lieutenants in the
army were ordered to meet at the
various camps on July %. More than
5000 men asked for the 5000 places
in the second Officers Reserve Corps
| training camp. the War Department
announced. The work of selecting the
best fitted men begins at once, In or
der that the camps may open August
q. as scheduled. Medical examina-
| tiOns are to be completed and the
men notified to be ready to report by
August 10. Successful applicants will
he commissioned for five years in the
| Reserve Corps, as follows: Ages q
| to %, second lieutenants; 30 to s. first
| lieutenants: IS to 40 captains: 10 to
49, majors. They will be called into
action with the second increment of
| 500. 900 men drafted for the national
! army although II needed. some may
/ be shifted to the first increment. Six
| taaD baua haaD Of
! cities, as follows: Fort Myer, two
camps: Fort Mcpherson. two; Fort
| Oglethorpe, two; Fort Benjamin Har-
rison. three: Fort Logan H. Root,
two; Leon Springs, Texas. two; Fort
Riley, two; the Preside. San Francis
co, one. Each camp will care for ap-
proximately 1000 men.
1t is expected to have the temporary
| accommodations for 1000 marines in
the Marine Barracks, Quantico Va,
ready for occupancy by August l.
There are already about 5000 ma
rines at the camp Each barracks
| building is a one-story structure and
affords accommodations for 50 men,
and for every set OF company bar
| racks there is a building that houses
the kitchen and mess hall Arrange
ments have been about completed for
the purchase Of land adjoining the
Marine Corps depot of supplies at
Phila delphia for additional accommo-
dations for the depot The present
structures on the land will be cleared
for the first addition, and for the
second addition some Of the present
buildings will be torn down and others
will be used for the present. Plans
for the new Marine Corps post at
San Diego, Call have been completed,
and a set of them have been sent
for suggestions to Brig. Gen. Joseph
H. Pendleton, who formerly command
ed the post, and who is on sick leave
there