Evening star., 1917-03-26
.2,0O0N0WREADY
T00FF|CER ARMY
Have Passed Examinations
and Been Commissioned in
Reserve Corps.
5000 WITHIN ONE YEAR

approximately 1000 men throughout
the country already have qualified fol-
commissions in the Officers Reserve
Corps of the army. created by Congress
That corps will be the reservoir from
which. in time Of war. will be drawn
the necessary additional officers for the
regular army and those for all volun-
teer regiments that may be authorized
Army officials are well pleased with
the progress made in this vital ster
toward adequate national defense. II
is expected that within another yea,
nearly $4,000 officers will have been
accepted and commissioned. ready for
immediate active duty should the need
arise.
The commissions for the reserve Of
ficers correspond closely to those is
sued to officers of the regular army and
bear the signature Of the Secretary of
War in every case. Shortage of sheep
skin, due to the European war, has
compelled the department. however, to
accept parchment paper for the COM
missions.
Men of Tested Ability.
The officers Reserve Corps, as dis
tinct from the Reserve Officers Training
Corps, also newly created, was designed
by Congress to furnish within the short.
est possible space Of time a great body
of men whose ability to lead troops in
the field had been tested and who have
assumed obligations to respond instant.
ly to a call to the colors. Every mar
commissioned In the reserve must first
pass an examination before a board OF
army officers in which his knowledge OF
military theory and practice Is tested
When he has been commissioned the re.
serve officer keeps the commander of the
military department in which he lives
informed of his movements and holds
himself ready to report Immediately al
department headquarters for orders i;
a mobilization is directed.
Reserve officers are named in grades
up to major and are selected for the
general department.. Medical Corps, En-.
gineer Corps, Signal Corps, Quarter
masters Corps or Ordnance Corps, as
their special qualifications direct. In.
cluded among those who have already
been appointed are many engineers. tele
graph and telephone specialists, railroad
engineers, contractors and the like
while he medical department has beer
almost swamped by the applications OF
doctors and dentists desiring to enroll
Regulations for Enrolment.
The War Department has issued regu.
lations governing the enrolment and
training of the Officers Reserve Corps
the Reserve Officers Training Corps
and for the minor schools which will
f1,~
ing corps, as the latter will be the main
source from which the reserve corps
itself will be filled up. It has taken ar
enormous amount of study to prepare
the regulations in each case, SO that
every available source of supply foI
officers will be provided with a means
of furnishing its quota. AS a result
only the machinery for the reserve
corps itself is IN operation, the othe,
branches of the work being still in 8
preparatory stage.
Proposals as to regulations to govern
the enlisted reserves, also newly Gre
ated and including provisions for the
enrolment of skilled workers in all
trades and professions that would be
valuable to the army in time of war
are now being circulated. series OF
general orders will soon be issued
after which the enrolment of the men
will begin.
The regulations for the reserve corps
provide that any American citizen with
in the prescribed age limits and physi-
cally fit for military duty may apply
for a commission. The general heads
of the subjects in which he will be re-
quired to pass oral or practical tests
are given and a full list of reference
books, army regulations and the like
with which he may prepare is pub
lished. The particular requirements for
each branch of the service are also set
forth for each available grade in rank
Divided Into Twelve Sections.
The corps has been divided into
twelve sections, one for each distinct
branch of the military service. These
are the infantry. cavalry, field artillery
coast artillery, medical Gncluding
dental and Veterinary, adjutant gen.
erals, judge advocate generals. In
spector generals. quartermaster gen.
erals, engineers. ordnance and signal
Commissions are issued for five years
but may be renewed until the officer
has reached the prescribed maximum
age limit for his rank. He will then
be discharged unless he shows on ex-
animation his fitness for promotion to
higher rank.
Each officer will be liable for fifteen
days in each calendar year for service
with troops or under instruction with
in the military department in which
he lives The periods of training can
be extended only with the officers con-
sent and he will receive the pay and
allowances of his grade in the regular
army while on training duty.
The regulations provide that no Off
Ger on the active lists of the Regular
A rr,,r NafiOpa1 Guard NAV he corp