The Washington herald., 1917-04-14
Army and Navy News
Best serviee Column b olty.

A new ruling Of the Nsvx Depart
ment makes 1t possible for men who
enter now as apprentice seamen to ad-
vance 10 petty ofiicership at once II they
have special qualifications. The pay OF
an apprentice seaman is S17.6o. but the
rank OF seaman will be given without
delay to any man who catches on
quickly to the instructions Next come
third-class petty officers at sSs a month,
then second-cIass at $3.50, and first-class
at $44. Chief petty officers get from s55
to 81 a month.
For all classes there are allowances
for clothes, food and other necessities,
making the pay almost net profit above
all expenses for most of the men. A
system has been worked out for the
sending home of parts Of this pay
promptly every month. The navy has
its insurance feature, which provides for
six months pay for the relative or friend
of any man who dies in the service from
wounds or illness.
The new ruling is expected to bring
1 back to the recruiting ONCE some ap-
! plicants who have been inquiring about
prospects for advahcement Some felt
that they were qualified by education to
be higher than a seaman and were un-
willing to spend a year at each rating,
i as was the previous custom. The new
plan will make it possible for a man TO
be advanced at once Of he has special
qualifications.
The need for petty officers is urgent
and the places are waiting for the men
to fill them. Many of the men who have
Joined recently are Of a type almost GER
tain to go up with little delay under
the new plan.
Methods taken to determine whether
holders of the Congressional medal OF
honor are entitled to retain that emblem
may be the subject of Congressional in
vestigation at this session
The board of army officers, of which
Lieut.. Gen. Nelson A. Miles was presi-
dent, convened in accordance with pro-
vision in the act Of June 3, 1916, has made
a report giving the names Of those who
| must either return the medal as in the
case Of those still connected with the
army, or have their names taken from
the medal of honor list, as in the case
OF those who are no longer in the mill
| tary service.
The only one in the former class Is
| Col. Asa Bird Gardiner, u. s. A, re-
| tired, who has been informed by the War
| Department officially that he must return
| his medal of honor.
Col Gardiner, who is determined
| fighter, proposes to resist this order on
| the ground that the board has no legal
right to reach any decision adverse TO
him. He regards It as a reflection upon
his reputation and equivalent to an ON
cial announcement that he is in posses
sion of a medal OF honor which he did
not earn.
The War Department has refused for
| mally to make public any Of the names
of those most directly concerned, and
the list is understood to include others
| who are of Col Gardeners state OF mind.
Some OF them are contending. indeed,
that the board was mot impartial and
that the medal is retained in some in
stances where there is quite as much
reason for its recall as in the cases where
such action was recommended. This
may lead to some further Congressional
action. at least to the extent Of ascer-
tanning, for the information Of Congress,
the methods pursued by the medal Of
honor board and the information upon
which the board based its conclusions.
Mai Charles de F. Chandler. of the
Signal Corps. who organized and until
recently was in command OF the Army
School at Fort Omaha. Neb.. now is in
Washington in charge of the balloon di-
vision of the office OF the Chief Signal
Officer Of the Army.
Ultimately he will be succeeded in
charge of the school by Henry B. Her
sey, Of the Weather Bureau. who served
as an officer of volunteers during the
Spanish-AmerIcan war, and who is,
meteorological and balloon expert 'of
note It is the intention to commission
him as a major in the Signal Officers
Reserve Corps as soon as enough officers
are commissioned in that corps in the
lower grades to give the proportion that
will permit this procedure.
Capt. Frank P. Lahm. of the aviation
section, now at the aviation school at
San Diego, Cal, who, with Mai. Chan
dler was one of the early balloonists of
the army. probably also will be detailed
for duty at the balloon school. Besides
number of enlisted men. about seven
officers of the regular army are under
instruction at the school