New Britain herald., 1917-12-17
l |PERSHING'S ORDERS ! HELP THE PRIVATES New System Providing for Promo
 tion from Ranks lnaugurated
 lNsTRucrlNG CANDIDATES
Non- Commissioned Officers Will Be
 Sent to the Training School on Recommendation of Their Supcriors

Recommendation of Their Supcriors
 Food Administrators Guests.
 With the American Army in France, Dec. 17-(By The Associated Press). just issued by Gen. Pershing providing for system of promotion from the ranks under which any pri-. vate who demonstrates his ability may win commission, makes all non- commissioned officers. even corporals, eligible for a school which is being established at large training center for the instruction of candidates for commissions. Privates who desire to become officers must first demonstrate their efficiency by earning appoint ment as non-commissioned officers.
 The non-commissioned officers will be sent to the training school on rec ommendation of their superiors which will be forwarded by the commanders of divisions or other separate units and by the chiefs of departmental staffs to the commander-in-chie Be- fore submitting such recommenda- tions, the officers charged with this duty are instructed by Gen. Pershing's orders to give the most careful con- sideration to the record of those rec commended, having in view in the case of non-commissioned officers of the line, only the fighting efficiency of his unit and in. all other cases only the ability to perform duties efficiently. When candidates attending the train ing school have been found to be pro- f1cient they will be assigned to vacan- cies as second lieutenants of replace ment divisions. Thence they will go to fill vacancies occasioned by casual ties and other causes in combat divi- sions There will be no limit to the number of seond lieutenants in the re- placement divisions. On the contrary, 1t is recommended that there be at least three times as many in a given organization in corresponding combat division.
 Within the combat units vacancies to the extent of one-third of the total will he filled in this manner and two- thirds by promotion within the com bat unit itself.
 Tn the replacement divisions vacan- cieS from the grade of first lieutenant to colonel will be HT1ed by officers re- covering from wounds and officers who have received no assignments. Those fully recovering from wounds will be assigned to the combat units. Arriving depot battalions hereafter will be considered part of the replace ment divisions. , Representatives of the United States Food Administration now know just how the American soldiers in France live. Last night the party split up and joined different units. Several ,>I the visitors had the experience of standing in the rain at the mess line and eating from the mess tins with out shelter They were billeted for the night with the soldiers who were sleeping in lofts and rooms of farm houses.
 Yesterday morning one of the wis., itors wanted to wash and as the ser geants had been instructed to show them no favors he was directed to the nearest muddy stream, where hardy artillerymen were standing in mud and ice busy with soap, brushes and frigid water. It appeared to be too much for one member of the party so the captain allowed him to share his billet which had stove.
 The visitors spent part of the time with former National guardsmen from their respective home states.
 German and Austrian cigarettes are being smoked by the American forces. There are two varieties being sold in the army commissaries and they are known by the soldiers as "boche smokes" One variety bears the name of Berlin firm while the other was made by concern in Sarajevo.
 The appearance of the cigarettes caused considerable speculation until 1t was learned they had been turned over by the French when they dis covered the American cigarette sup- ply was running short. The French captured the cigarettes in the early days of the war and since they have lain in q warehouse