Evening star., 1917-10-28


Corps of Military Interpreters" au-
thorised by the War Department July
II. 1917, are eagerly awaiting the an
nouncement of the resul. of the exam
nations for commissions to the organ
ixat;on. Col. Ralph II. Van Dieman,
who has the organization of tho new
subdivision. is now compiling the re-
suits of the examination. which will be
announced at an early, day.
Commissions will go to seventeen cap
tains for<y-one first lieutenants and forty
i've second lieutenants. and seventy
two sergeants will be appointed. AS
nearly all of them will be sent abroad,
there has been great eagerness shown
to obtain these commissions.
Enlisted men of the Navy to the num-
Der of $50 have been selected for tenn
porary promotion to the grade of war
rant officers. The promotions date in
part from September "a and the remain
der from October 10. There were lIo
boatswains. IT, mschinists, 14l gun
ners Ordinance, ~ (electricaD, 64
tradio). 81 carpenters. l5i acting pay
clerks and SS pharmacists.
A new grade. aviation boatsWain, ap-
pears i'll the list.
In the reorganization Of the National
Guard units to meet the requirements
of the new tables of organization, the
major general commanding the division
has almost unlimited authority to act
for what he considers the best good OF
the service. \ tentative scheme was
handed to him with full power to de-
part from it In whatever way he
thought necessary to accomplish that
end.
In general way he takes the oldest
regiment as the nucleus to gather the
ing the men from the same state to-
gether as far as possible. but not un-
less he thinks il the best thing to do.
The same principle governs him in
the selection of the officers to command
the reoreaa:zed regimental unit, which
is as large the brigade under the
old system. and while in many III
stances he retains the senior colonel
or the colonel of the older organiza-
1ion 10 command the regiment, there. is
no fixed rule in this respect and he dis
tributes the officers as he thinks best.
He puts in command the one in his
judgment best qualified to handle the
, regiment and places on detached duty
those whom he thinks the fittest for
the specific work to be done.
The Army ordnance bureau has been
under severe criticism for many things
among them for adopting the modified
Enfield rifle, when the United States
Springfield is generally considered the
best military rifle made. but the reasons
for its course seem, when understood,
to be convincing.
There were not enough Springhelds on
hand to meet the emergency, nor facili-
ties to produce them in sufficiently large
numbers. The Enfield was under manu-
facture by three great concerns In the
United States and could be turned out
in great numbers, but unless it was
rechambered could not take the stand
ard small arm ammunition OF the
springfield, of which there was q large
amount available, and which many
plants can turn ont in enormous guam
titles. Besides using different am
munftfon there was this other objection
to the Enfield without further changes:
Small differences in details OF the prod
uct OF the three concerns manufacturing
the Enfield made these weapons not
standardized and their parts non-inter-
changeable. The changes of tools and
machinery to eliminate these differences
were easily made and could be COM
pieted while the alterations were being
made to rechamber the rifles to the
United States standard
So for the sake of getting for the
Army great supply OF rifles at the
earliest day of a type that would take
0pe American cartridge. and would itself
ce so standardized that all its parts
would be interchangeable. the chief OF
ordnance reached the logical conclusion
TO accept the modified Enfield, even
though 1t added to the initial delay>f
..o s4uipiHeHt ol the men OF tne Ma
tonal Army.
The surgeons of the U. S. transport
service will have duties to perform
that will turn their hairs gray On
the way across the Atlantic they will
have the oversight of the hygienic con-
dttion OF the ship; and where from q
600 to 10000 men are confined within
the space of a single steamship this
Is no small undertaking.; and only
men who have made a life study Of
sanitation can undertake such a re-
sponsibility
On the return voyage. after the cas-
ualties begin. they will have the care
OF the wounded sent back to their ma
tive country in the hope that they
may recuperate. The surgeons will
have to undertake all emergency op-
erations under the difficulties of a roll
ing ship without regard to the
weather or the presence of hostile
bmarfnes. for It is not for moment
thought that the Hun will. spare the
wounded who are on a transport that
may on the return voyage bring enc
II Is reported that the naval su--
xeon who a short time ago was called
Washington. D. c.. VIII be chief sur
geon OF the U. g. transport Levtafhan
formerly the German liner yater-
Iandl. which will carry perhaps as
many as 10000 men at q single vow
age. or some other of the big trans
portz.
n9s-breasted Jacket for the oficers Of
the Navy. as against the very natty
blouse with its hirh-afandy,~ ava ~,