Evening star., 1918-08-11

forfeited II the officer fails In the
ANAL examination at the end of his
training period. but meantime 1t af-
fords him means of supporting his
dependents and In the event of his
falling to secure the commission he
receives an honorable discharge from
the service instead of being retained
In 1t as a private. Men between the
ages OF thirty-two and thirty-six re-
ceive first lieutenantcies and those
above that age captaincies.
Examinations of candidates who have
filed their applications are about to be-
gin. The board Of examiners. of which
Maj. II. II. Williams is president. will
tween August ~ and September 13 at
Buffalo, Detroit Cincinnati. Louisville.
Indianapolis. st. Louis. Kansas City, ST.
Paul. Denver. Salt Lake City. Butte.
Seattle. Portland. San Francisco. Los
Angeles. Deming and Dallas. Four hun.
their papers In the office of the engt-
neers In Washington. They have been
ordered to appear before this board. and
the number may be increased by candi-
dates whose applications are received In
Washington before the board arrives at
their cities.
Camp Humphreys. the engineers
training camp. which was organized by
Col. Robert l.. Hart, Engineer Corps.
Will soon be increased to accommodate
10000 officers and enlisted men and will
be the greatest engineer camp In the
world,
THE chief of ordnance. Maj. Gene.
c. Williams. 1t Is understood. has
cabled Gen. Pershnig q request that
ha OaI1 hr NC nf1
from this country as he can place in
the expeditionary force. War efficiency
calls for a balance between line and
stan. but Gen. Williams is of the
opinion that to secure administrative
efficiency. departmental officers should
learn by actual observation at first
hand what the ordnance department
must do to meet the requirements of
the artillery. heavy and light. which
the Army Is using against the enemy.
Most OF the officers In the ordnance
department regard 1t as a hardship
to remain where they are. but since
best for the Army. Individual prefer
ences are not to be considered.
Whether Gen. Pershing will consent
to exchange any of his experienced
oficers for new men. and thus run
the risk Of breaking up his own or
oNhsAeAssouS y 4ucoliOu Hot yet ue~
termined. but 1t Is not improbable
that he may object to the arrange
ment. The conclusion will not alter
the fact that II the ordnance depart
ment Is to give the Army the great
est eiticiency both ends Of the question
must be considered and more officers
familiar with what the Army must
have on the other side be put into
this department. where so many of
the officers have not had experience
In present war conditions.
ONE Of the very few departmental
officers to receive high field COM
mand is Maj. Gen. Jesse Mel. Carter,
until recently chief of the militia
bureau. He is assigned to the COM
mand of the division under organiza.
tion at Camp Meade. Md. having
passed through the grades from lieu.
tenant colonel to that of major gen.
eral.
Gen. Carter. who was classmate
at West Point of Gen. Pershing, en-
tered. on graduation. the cavalry
branch Of the service, and his field
tion with the mounted troops. His
military duty has taken him to Porto
Rico, the Philippines the Mexican bor-
der and other parts of the United
States. He has had two tours Of duty on
the general stan and has always been
firm believer In giving to that office
the utmost power in the way OF
sufficient number of officers who have
proved in the field their ability and
f1rmness to constitute the brain Of
the Army" believing that 1t Is it's
function to advise the Secretary Of
War In military matters. and in that
way to regulate and coordinate the
bureaus of the War Department. AS
a member Of board to study mill
tary methods of foreign countries.
he spent several years In Europe
shortly before the outbreak of the
war. and in that time. although his
attention was directed to cavalry tac-
tics. had good opportunity to become
familiar with their army organiza-
tions. Incidentally, hs is one of the
best chess players in the Army. play
ing a game aggressive and scientific.
But 1t Is as chief OF the militia bu-
reau that he has done the greatest
work for the Army. With the retire.
ment Of the Army from the Mexican
border in 1916. the National Guard
was at it's lowest ebb. When the
guard was mobilized many of its off,
GERS. on one pretext or another, had
dropped from it's organization. On its
return from the border many of its