Evening star., 1918-01-20
NeWs of the Army and Navy

I'LL N2LCS OF We n
! The Secretary of War has expressed
| in no uncertain tones his objections to
the proposed bill which
Should Serve would amend section
80 of the national de-
IN Line. tense act so all future
vacancies in the Quartermaster's Corps
should be filled by appointments from
| the quartermaster reserve
Mr. Baker, in a letter to the chairman
of the committee on military anairs,
expressed the opinion that the meas
ure will be detrimental to the military
service and should not be favoraoly
considered" The present method-that
of detailing officers for duty in the
Quartermaster Corps-has been in sue
cessful operation since 1901.
The Secretary is of the opinion all
officers of the corps should be returned
| to the line from time to time, SO they
! may keep in touch with the needs OF
the troops. Experience has shown Of
ficers permanently detailed to the
Quartermaster Corps have lost their
| intimate knowledge of the line so es-
sential to the full performance OF their
duty.
On the other hand, it is urged that.
while it would be well if all supply Of
| ficers had experience in the line be-
fore they were charged with providing
for troops fighting in the line, there
available; and that the best source to
draw upon to meet the demand for
quartermaster officers is the reserve.
1t, they say, must be remembered the
majority of the officers in the great
Army of the United States is made up
of men, civilians, without military
training or experience before the coun-
try became an active belligerent. For
the neglect that brought such a state
of affairs to pass the nation must now
pay the price-and that price is fearful
to contemplate.
One of the insignificant items in the
bill rendered is that quaTtermaster Of
fcers with line experience cannot be
found to fill the corps. To meet this
situation as far as possible the quar-
termaster general is keeping up an
enormous school at Camp Joseph john
son, at Jacksonville. Fla. where officers
and enlisted men are practiced in the
duties of the supply department. But
it is obvious that they cannot obtain
experience ''in the line" in camp any
more than the girl could learn to swim
who was not permitted to go near the
water.
~
A training school for ordnance supply
officers. opened January 2 at Camp Meade
| has been organized
Ordnance Supply for the purpose Of
providing the Army
ouceis. with ordnance sup
| ply officers selected from the enlisted men
of the Army. The students at this school
are designated by the commanding officer
! of the several camps and cantonments
upon notice by wire from the ordnance
department
| The school has a model ordnance depot
at Camp Meade, where the students re-
ceiye six weeks training in the most prac-
tical way. AS they must have served as
months before they are eligible to ap-
pointment to the school, the course really
serves as test of their fitness for a
! commission. Upon receiving their COM
missions the young officers are sent to
duty either in the production side of
! the department or with their commands
on this or the other side of the Atlantic.
The school opened with a class of
fifty; but an addition of hundred more
| candidates is on it's way to the in
! stitution.
! At the initiative of the ordnance de-
partment ten American colleges are Of
| fering six-week
| Sunn1v nfinare courses in fitting
| young men to per-
1or OIonance. form the technical
stores handling and accountability du-
ties of the ordnance field service. Men
from eighteen to forty years of age are
eligible but those who have been
drafted must make their application
for admission through the proper mill
tary channels. A registrant not drafted
should apply to the chief of ordnance
| for authorization to take the course.
| The curriculum includes study OF
the principles of scientific storehan-
Idlins and store control methods. The
students are taken to industrial plants
| for observation; they are instructed IN
the organization OF the ordnance de.
[partment. personnel duties and the
method Of operating the ordnance field
depot. They are drilled on ordnance
property accounting, military CORE
spondence and law and infantry drill
! After his college experience the stu
ident completes his course with five
weeks service at designated arsenal
i With all that effort the students are en-.
listed or inducted into the service as
priyates and the ordnance department,
cannot promise definitely any further
advance. But there is every reason tt
suppose with such preparation the new
private will soon be advanced to tht
grade of ordnance supply sergeant ant
will have a most favorable chance to b.
ordered to the Camp Meade training
school for ordnance supply officers
iwhere If he makes good a lieutenant:
commission is his reward.
The colleges approved by the ord
nance department are Columbia, Dart
!. mouth, State College of Pennsylvania
land the universities of Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Chicago, Ore
gon, California and Northwestern.
The statement of Secretary of Wal
Baker of facts. to quote the 1anguag.
of Senator Weeks. "that
; The Ray Of do not exist" contained
one little statement o.
nope. great promise and pos
: sibilities. He said in a parenthetica
sort of way that gave a sense Of reality
to the statement that Gen. Pershine
: had organized general staff of tn.
most approved scientific up-to-dat.
type.
Il This staff is so large and well bal
: anced that it has officers of the Unitet
States Army. assisted by experts from