Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-06
NeWs of the Army and Navy

duty not later than the date mentioned
in the telegram.
The order provides that in the case
of an officer appointed in the National
Army the Geographic order should as.
acceptance; but the time of entering
upon active duty may be deferred in
the case OF an appointment in the Of
ficers Reserve Corps.
Commission by Telegraph.
Col. W. T. Johnston of the appoint
lment section of officers in the adjutant
graphic order commissioned the applf-
cant without the formal document
signed by the Secretary of War. which
might not be ready for mailing for
several weeks. owing to the congestion
in the office which prepares them
Thus the new state of things avoids
possible delay of that many weeks. The
provision which informs the officer in
the first instance Of his duty and his
destination. and allows him to accept it
by wire instead of by correspondence.
makes further saving of time in the
transaction. If the government does
not require the iservice of the officer to
be appointed, the adjutant general does
not send out the notice; if it does want
the man to become an officer at once
the process OF getting him has been
simpIified and shortened.
In the case of those appointed in the
Officers Reserve Corps the orders to
active duty may be deferred because 1t
IL thought fair to acquaint the appli-
cant with the fact of his appointment
even though his service be not in i'm
mediate demand.
Staff Promotions.
Promotions, that in the time of peace
would not have come for years. are now
open to ambitious and capable officers
because they are needed in the service.
The former law required that first
lieutenant in the Medical Corps was not
eligible to promotion until he had
served in that grade five years. The
act OF October 6. 1917, amended this, and
under its provisions the Secretary of
War has issued order that during
the present emergency first 1ieutenants
in the Regular Army and National
Guard shall be eligible to promotion
nation after one years continuous
service in the Regular Army or in the
federal service in the Medical Corps of
the National Guard since May IL, 1916.
The medical officers in the medical
officers reserve have never been
placed under the regulation of serving
any definite period before. being eligible
to promotion to higher rank. The rea-
son for this distinction is found in the
fact that so many physicians of ability
and experience received commissions of
comparatively low rank upon entering
the service that it was manifestly UNI
fair to them and harmful to- the service
to hold them in that rank If they were
found qualified to be called up one or
! two or more grades
The medical and sanitary divisions
had to be expanded until there was
little resemblance in it to the highly
pa 4 a q nf
to the recognition of state of war
with Germany had done so much to
make that expansion possible.
The Dental Corps.
The surgeon general has submitted
recommendations for promotion in the
Regular Dental Corps, which will. IL
they become effective, give promotion
to twelve members of the corps to the
grade of colonel, twenty to the grade
of lieutenant colonel and eighty-seven
to that of major. This action will re-
suit In the promotion of every officer
OF the corps before the war to at least
the grade of major. Before that time a
captaincy was the highest rank given
to an officer In the corps.
Army Ordnance.
Perhaps the greatest incpease in the
commissioned force of any branch of
the staff departments in the Army is
found in ordnance: for the Secretary of
War has approved the recommendations
of the chief of that bureau. When eff
fective it will raise that body to 3,74S
officers. When all the appointments
are made the corps will contain major
general. brigadier generals. 4S col
onels, 1855 lieutenant colonies, 2S6
majors. besides proportionate number
of officers in the lower grades. This
reorganization means an increase Of
8 brigadier generals, 10 colonies, So
lieutenant colopels with a correspond
ing increase in the lower grades
The Acting Quartermaster.
/. Following the statements before the
1Senate Investigating committee, changes
have been made in the Quartermaster
Generals Corps. They have not been
numerous but they are effective.
With the assumption of the office of
acting quartermaster general of the
Army. Gen. Goethals began to do
things. and it may be expected that he
will initiate more radical changes, not
so much in the administration of his Of
| flee as in some of the principles that he
| will insist upon.
| One of the most serious questions of
supplying the armies of the allies; iIA
GLIDING the forces of the United States,
| is how to provide sufficient terminal ia
| cilities for the great mass of transat-
lantic freight piled up and awaiting
transport. One of the first things done
| under Gen. Cocktails authority was to
| commander for the governments use
| the Bush terminals in New York harbor.
This gives the department control of
the most essential part of the terminals
of that port, and that control means
the government will decide all matters
| of preference and will facilitate the
loading and clearing of vessels
Should Lose No Time.
| 1t is manifestly quite as important
| that steamship should lose no time in
harbor loading or discharging cargo as
| 1t is to have a large number of ships.
One ship that discharges. loads and be-
gins another voyage will carry almost
| as much cargo In a given time as two
| ships which. for lack of facilities, must
delay in harbor days or weeks, Don
BILE the terminal facilities and you have
doubled the carrying capacity of the
merchant marine. IL poor facilities de-
| lay the shipping.
| With the precedent of government
control of the railroads 1t is not a far
| step to the control OF all the terminals
| of the Atlantic seaports, and, in view
lof the military need of keeping up the