The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-04-24
RESERVE CORPS AVAILABLE
Il viii Provide More Than 10000, but
Many Others viii Be Necessary
Other Sources Whence Men Fit for
Commissions May BE Obtained.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK.


time. VIII the men selected prove to
be what they should be?
There are none too many officers of
regulars today TO perform the du-
ties to which they are assigned. There
are the National Guard officers in adj
dition, but they will have their duties
to perform with the federalized Guard.
There are the men who will get com
missions because they have passed or
will pass the examinations necessary
to receive commissions In the officers
reserve corps.
Take them all together, still it will
be necessary to find men fit to COM
mand the forces of the United States,
green men or men who have received
at best only primary instruction In
the art of war;
The understanding is today that
there are some 10000 or 1900 men
who have passed or who supposedly
can pass the somewhat rigid examina-
lions for commissions In the officers
reserve corps. The examinations for
the reserve corps are sufficiently
strict and comprehensive to make 1t
certain that no man who Is not exceed
ingly Intelligent and more than fair
ly well Informed can pass them.
Thousands Haxs offered.
There will not be efiough Of these re-
serve corps candidates to meet the
governments need. There Is u provi-
sion Of the law, section SO Of the act
approved June 8, 1916, which allows
the age limit to be waived and makes
provision for the appointment of COM
missioned officers who have seen serv.
Ice or who have received military in
struction In schools and who are past
the age ordinarily fixed for commits
slons In the various grades. How
many men over forty-five years of age
the government will find physically fit
for commissions II is hard to say, but
1t Is known definitely that thousands
Of men who have commanded troops
or who have served long enough either
In the regular army or In the National
Guard to enable them with slight ad-
ditional instruction to enter the COM
missloned ranks, already have offered
their services to the military authori-
ties.
The United States government can
get plenty Of men willing to be officers,
but the question Is whether they will
be able to meet quickly the require
ments of field duty. In other words,
while the soldiers are being trained in
foot movements, the manual of arms,
extended order drill and battle maneu-
vers, will the newly appointed officers
have time to acquire that knowledge Of
men and military affairs which is es-
sential not only to the drilling and the
Of men, but to the TAX
ing care Of them under all conditions
Of field work?
Officers Must Know 4 Lot.
Army officers must know some
thing besides drill and guard duty.
They must understand how to keep
their men well. They must understand
all the detail Of camp life, of proper
terrain, of sanitation, and of a hundred
and one other things which do not have
to do with the loading and firing, the
advance under cover or In the open,
or with the charge against the en-
envy.
1t Is believed In Washington that
there will be plenty Of young men WILL
ing to answer the call to the colors.
In sense these young men give them
selves into the hands Of their officers.
The officer has o responsibility which
the government believes he should ap-
perciate thoroughly before he under
takes the guidance, the drilling and the
directing Of meM It Is for this reason
that the United States government to-
day is trying Its best to secure proper
material with which to I'LL Its commits
stoned ranks.
Many Of the noncommisloned officers
Of the United States army will be
given commissions. Men who served
In the Spanish-American war or Philip
pine war In grade not below that Of
captain and who are not over fifty-fiye
years Of age, may be listed for appoint
ment as commissioned officers of the
army in time Of war or other emer.
gency In the grade Of major. There
are other grades which are to be filed
by men who have had certain degree
Of training. These appointments will
be made, It Is understood. after the
officers reserve corps material has
been exhausted, and It Is thought that
1t will not take long, II an army of
great size is raised, to lmpoverish the
reserve corps officers treasury.
1t Is said by army officers that the
work of making soldiers for the ranks
out OF raw material can be shortened
at least one-third II the hands OF the
leaders are trained. The United States
government wishes to escape as far as
Is possible the task of teaching men
to be officers while 1t is making other
men fit for the shoulder to shoulder
ranks.