Evening star., 1918-07-21


clean and unattached, and 1t may be
possible for them to remain in that
condition as long as they are not In
actual trench work.
For all troops returning the process
At the various ports 10 repeated. SO
try in good condition, At least as far
as the presence Of annoying insects
are concerned. The treatment in
these disfnfecting stations fs not at
all unpleasant for the men. On enter
ing the station the men and their
garments are separated. to come to-
gether again before they leave. after
each has been thoroughly cleansed
and the garments freshened and
pressed.
MAI. GEN. WILLIAM L KENLY.
As1 U. s. A.. chief Of Army aeronaut-
les, it is reliably stated. has recon-
mended to the Secretary of War that
all aviation officers Of a grade above
that of lieutenants be required to un-
dergo thorough grounding in aero
nautics and that they shall not be
eligible for promotion until they shall
have passed q satisfactory examina-
tion to show their qualifications in
this respect.
II this Recommendation is followed
and II foreign practice IL regarded.
1t undoubtedly will be followed-all
aviation officers who have not al
ready taken aviation training. with
the exception Of some Heutenants, will
be obliged to take thorough course
aviation ground school. They will
have to study construction and con-
troll OF motors. construction and ad-
tustment of all parts Of the airplane.
the theory OF fight as well as actual
practice in the simpler processes of
flying. Whether failure to pass the
necessary tests will result in the loss
OF commission or transfer to some
: other branch of the service Is a Ques-
tion which thus far does not appear
to have been discussed. So many men.
first rate physically and Of high edu-
aviators that II has been reported
that hereafter only those who have
earned their wings after complete
course OF training to qualify them to
receive commissions as lieutenants
in the Aviation Corps will receive
commissions to any rank whatever in
military aeron2utics.
As a result Of inspections initiated
by him soon after he was placed in
charge of the division of military
areonautics Gen. Kenly learned that
on some Of the fields the cadets were
hy aus QAVSE luc OIuSrS Oh q ,uOH~uy
officer, with results which were not sat
isfactory.
THE domination Of Brig. Gen. Harry
L Rogers. Quartermaster Corps.
to be quartermaster general of the
Army for a period of four years from
the date of appoiment, was a sur
n vp<14t [<AfT3 fv. w. nN~S -<~
nearly all of whom had assumed that
Acting @. N. Gen. r. L. Wood, who
had been recalled from Europe to
NIL the position, would, in view OF
his successful administration, re-
ceive the permanent appointment,
There have been many surmises
among officers concerning the reason
for the change. and these were not
confined to members of the military
establishment. Many senators, who
confirmed the nominations of Gems.
Sharpe and Crozier to be major gen.
Williams to be chief of ordnance,
without the formaiity, even. of re-
ferring them to the committee on
military affair. hesitated over the
confirmation Of Gen. Rogers nominal
tion and did not act upon it along
secetary Of War Baker last Tues
day said that he wished he could
make II clear that there was a
statute Of the United States that
made II impossible to give the nomi-
nation to Gen. Wood. and that there
could be no reflection whatever upon
Gen. Wood by reason Of his not being
made Quartermaster general of the
Army. but 1t does not appear that
the Secretary made any statement as
to whether he had given considera-
tion to the effect OF the Overman
act as applied to this case. or to the
further fact that Gen. Wood might
have been continued in once as at
present. acting Quartermaster gen.
eral. Just as GEN. Bfddle was con-
tinued in 0f1ice as acting chief OF
staff. 1t Is = fact that In case
somewhat similar to this, where the
Senate proposed leEislaton to permit
q change IN the law, the Secretary
informed them that the provisions OF
the Overman act were broad enough
to cover the case, and that under It
the President could make the changes
which he deemed for the interest Of
the service, and such q construction
of his powers seems to have been
intended by the Congress that passed
the bill
The law that the Secretary res
fered to Is that under which the
Offices of the commissary general. the
Quartermaster general and the pay
division were consolidated. Section
3. act OF August a, 1912, thereof pro-
vides that promotions in the new
corps created under the act should
Of the constituent corps, with pro-
viso that after January 1. 1917. any
vacancies above the rank of colonel
occurring In the corps might at the
discretion Of the President be fil1ed
by selection from among officers