The Colorado statesman., 1917-06-02

new army WHICH Is 10 be IuiSth, thV
president probably will be guided by
what may be called "selective conscrip-
tion," or In other words he probably
will pick his men for the higher grades
on the advice of the ranking officers of
the army who have studied the careers
of the officers subordinate to them dur
ing the years past.
Generals for the War Only.
So 1t is that there Is a chance that
some young captains in the regular
army today may find themselves for
the period of the war, at least, in COM
mand of brigades of the new army.
When the war is over, the understand
ing Is, these officers temporarily filling
high positions will go back into the
regular service to take the positions to
which they would be entitled by time
and promotion If they had continued
to serve In the regulars. A captain
who is made brigadier general of the
new army would at the end of the war
probably go back into the regulars as
major or, If promotion has been fair
ly rapid, as lieutenant colonel.
There are colonies in the army who
never have seen service in Washington
who are better fitted for promotion In
the regulars probably than some colo
nels who have seen long service in the
capital. The question is whether or
not tie presidents high army advisers
will be moved in their recommenda-
tions for advancement by mere propin-
guilty.
Is the colonel who is known in Wash
ington socially, and perhaps because OF
his good staff work, to be made brig
adler general In advance of the colonel
who never sat at desk in Washington
and who never has viewed the golf
links from the veranda of the Chevy
Chase club?
Personal Element Enters
1t should be said, however, that the
mere fact that colonel has served In
Washington long time and has played
golf at Chevy Chase or has sat on its
veranda drinking the ambrosial tea at
sharp four in the afternoon, does not
prevent his being a better soldier than
the man who has been at Fort Woolly
Woolly in the wild West most of his
career. Desk wor.;, planning work and
advisory work are just as necessary in
the army as field work and this fact
is well recognized by army men and
civilians.
There is, however, another side to
the matter. 1t was not so long ago
that a good many army officers owed
their details to Washington to what
tta;o
1t was hard to dislodge some of these
gentlemen. Things are much better
now because the so-called Manchu law
and a few other things have tended to
bring rotation in duty.
1t is still true, however, that with
the four years detail at Washington
the men so detailed get into personal
touch with influential ones and the
personal element enters into army life
as 1t enters into everything else. So,
generally speaking, 1t is likely that the
soldier on duty in Washington will
have shade the better of the man
who has never seen Washington when
it comes to a question of promotion to
general rank.
Officers in Olive Drab.
The city is full of uniforms, the
army officers having put on their
olive garb some days ago, drop
ping their civilian attire until the
end of the war No army officer will
appear in full dress, except at White
House affair, in case there should be
one, from this time until hostilities
cease. Evening dress within few
months will be foregone by Washing
ton society, If the indications today
point Alright.
Olive drab is not dress uniform. 1t
is just between khaki and what Is
called social dress" 1t corresponds
in a way to the sack coat of the ci-
william. At dinners, teas and receptions
such of them as they can attend, Uncle
Sans soldiers appear in their olive
drab. Society in war time follows the
army. Already civilians are appearing
at dinner parties in afternoon and even
in so-called morning dress.
Washington women are discussing
this dress matter, and already sim
plicity and even plainness of attire is
in evidence at affairs where usually
the ultimate extreme" is in order.
Elaborate entertainments are being
foregone. Dinners In houses of social
note are now likely to be of three or
four courses instead of six or eight
as formerly was the case. The coming
seriousness of the war is in the minds
of Washingtonians
Had to Dig Out the Uniforms.
1t was not until the British army of
ficers arrived that the war department
issued its order to put all officers sta
toned in Washington in the service
uniform of their country. There are
some major and brigadier generals and
colonels in this town who have been
here for years and who have worn