Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-11-21
TEMPORARY OFFICERS
WILL Be DISCHARGED
Will Be Divided Into Three
Glasses, And Some Retained
In Army Or Reserve
MANY GO IN TWO WEEKS

Officers Of the Army from Annapolis,
who were called into the service of the
United States for the emergency, and
their relatives and friends. will be
much interested in a circular OF the
War Department. which indicates
their future statas of these officers.
The temporary classification of all OFF,
GERS as officers of the United States
Army will cease, and only the 1000
officers of the Regular Army prior TO
the war will be unaffected by the
order.
1t effects. however, all of the 100000
officers whose appointments were
originally understood to be temporary,
and the large majority of these are.
likely to have their connection with
the service cut off within a very short
time OF course, except in special
cases, officers with troops will not be
discharged until those troops are mus
tered out of the servcie..
Officers in the temporary status will
be divided into three classes for pur-
pose of separation from the service.
These will be:
First-Officers desiring full and inn
mediate separation from the service
SecondOfficers desiring prompt sep
aration from the service and subse-
quent appointment or reappointment
in the officers reserve corps, and
whom commanding officers recon-
mend for appointment.
Third-Officers desiring appoint
ment if opportunity permits in the
regular army. and whom commanding
officers recommend for appointment
/ The circular says that these orders
are to be carried out as to all classes
named and individuals "as rapidly as
/ their services can be spared" 1t is
4 the understanding that a copy of the
circular has been cabled to Gen.
Pershing, and that he will make the
arrangements for his forces in con-
formity with the plan formulated by
the general staff.
The time when the order shall be
made effective is indicated in the fol-
lowing paragraph Orders received
directing the reduction of the enlisted
strength of a command will be con-
tsrued as requiring a corresponding
reduction of commissioned strength in
the manner provided by these instruc-
tions."
Inasmuch as Gen. March indicated
on Saturday that there would be a re-
duction of about 100000 of the enlisted
strength in about two weeks and there
are on the way home from England
about $4,000 troops it is likely that
within the two weeks there will be q
considerable number of the officers
separated from the service.
The circular was sent out yesterday
to all department commanders, COM
manders of camps not under the juris-
diction of department commanders or
of chiefs of bureaus of the War De-
partment, commanders of ports of en-
barkation, all chiefs of staff corps and
departments, including the chief OF
field artillery and the chief of coast ar
tillery. All these are directed ito dis
charge such officers of the line and
staff as are under their command as
rapidly as possible"
1t is made clear in the orders that
officers will be separated from the
service only in the way indicated and
that designations will not be accepted
but it is said that many designations
have been received and have been un-
der advisement up to yesterday.