The Washington herald., 1917-04-24
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column In City.

vice is seeking recruits. Fifty are needed
at once In New York City alone.
The Coast Guard service Is the best
PAID under the American nag. The
period OF service demanded Is only one
year and the men are eligible for re-
tirement the same as the onieers, re-
celVing three-fourths Of their servics
pay.
Dependents Of those who die in ser
vice receive full pay for two years. Up
70 Few days ago all applicants for
enlistment in the Coast Guard service,
with the exception Of occasional men
taken on as coal passers and some boys,
applicants viii be required to have had
sea service A special training class for
one years service now has beer.
authorized. This gives opportunity TO
well educated young Americans, from is
to 3 years, to enlist The recruits will
go to the Coast Guard Academy at Fort
Irumbull, New London, for two months
intensive training.
After leaving the academy the recruits
will be drafted TO the cutters on patrol
duty, where they will receive further
training in marlingspike seamanship as
well as in navigation and the handling OF
guns up TO six-inch rifles.
Prior to the declaration Of war with
Germany the United States Coast Guard
service numbered about 800 officers and
men, but since II has been taken over by
the navy the force has increased to
nearly 600
The recruiting officer in room No. 10 al
the United States Barge once, New
York City, has already had more than
| twenty-five applications from sons OF
! well-to-do families, including stock
brokers bankers and those socially
prominent. The recruits will be selected
for their intelligence. physique. char
I
sea. Cruising outside New York in the
cutters up and down the Atlantic coast
line will give them all the excitement
| they are looking for, a Coast Guard Of
fcer said yesterday, and II anything
ever happens in the way Of a brush with
| the enemy. the cutters will be the first
to engage in 1t.
Mai. Gen. Scott probably Will be kept
on duty as Chief of STAFF OF the army be
yong the date OF his retirement from act
i've service, September % by President
Wilson, who has decided to override pre-
cedent in order 10 obtain the services OF
competent officers while the country is
at war. Rear Admiral R. S. Griffin also
| probably will be retained as Engineer in
Chief Of the navy beyond May Is, when
| bis four years Of detail shall have been
completed.
Mai Gen. Scott will be g. this year
and It was expected that he would be
| relieved Of active duty by Mai. Gen. Tas-
! ker H. Bliss until the end Of the year
when he would be retired. In army cir
! cles il has been believed that Mai. Gen
| John ]. Pershing would be successor to
Mai. Gen. Bliss. The President is under
stood TO have made Il clear that It made
no difference to him whether his Chief
of Stan Of the army was 81 or 81. pro
Yided he rendered efficient service.
It is understood Rear Admiral Griffin
wants to go TO sea, hut the service which
/ he has rendered in his present detail is
so valuable that Secretary Daniels Is hes
/ itating about making a change, although
naval precedent goes counter to redetail-
ing this officer as bureau chief.
Protests which came from all sides
/ against the War Department order Of
| last week concerning the Officers Re
servo Corps has resulted in the rescind-
ing OF one unpopular feature Of that or
| der, and men who have taken the OK
sminations successfully and have quail
fed for their commissions will receiv
the commissions without having TO cake
| tho three months instruction without
| pay. The men who had spent months,
or even years, in training and studT1E
to be officers, would, under the orders
issued by Newton D. Baker, Secretary
of War, have been placed on the same
footing rs the rawest rookie" in the
instruction camps
| The protests came not alone from these
men. but from regular army officers in
so far as the latter were able TO make
protest It was declared that the three
months course without pay could only
be taken by wealthy candidates, creating
a money caste among the prospective
officers Now, It is said, means of pay
| ing the men according to their grade and
rank may be found.
That the student officers who cannot
afford to give the time necessary during
the instruction period may be placed after
all on an equal footing with those who
can afford to do so is indicated in the
! following order which has been sent 70
the department commanders OF the amy:
Make necessary preparations to order
all reserve officers Of infantry. cavalry,
field artillery. and coast artillery 10 duty
at training camps ordered April Il on
active service under section Sc Of the
national defense act. This will put them
on the same status as regular army Of
fcers with respect to pay and allow
ance. The above information will not be
disseminated until appropriation bill
I passes and you are Informed to issue the
order"
| The washington and Baltimore enEi-
neering districts of the army yesterday
were consolidated and placed under coIa-
mand Of Col. Walter Fisk. retired, ". \
is recalled to the service TO take The
| command Lieut. Col. William V. Juc-
son, formerly in command Of the Balu-
more district is to 60 on active field
duty. Col. c A ?. FlaEler, who com
manded the Washington district, was re
Gently appointed military attache to the
American Embassy at Rome.
ARMY ORDERS.
| Mai Edward NJ Shnkle. Ordnance Department
! ia relieved from duty at FrankfO-d Arsenal Pa.