Evening star., 1921-08-14
Army and Navy News
By Capt. Arthur G. Duncan, o. R. C.

terest. ability and qualities of mill
tary> leadership of the citizen soldier.
the system Of promotion is designed
to afford any competent reserve officer
an opportunity to rise by successive
steps to any office in the Army which
Is to be filled, and for which he has
the ability to qualify. With this OBJ
ject in view, no fixed numbers are pre-
scribed for the various grades and
branches Of the Officers Reserve
In grade Is required to be eligible
for advancement in the next higher
grade. The minimum of one year re-
quired by law being Of limited appli-
cation has been fixed by regulation
at three years and also takes cogni-
sance of experience gained in active
service during the world war.
Decentralization requires that ex-
aminations for promotion be con-
Quoted by boards convened by the
conducted under War Department
regulations. which prescribe their
character and scope. At the same
time. to provide the necessary elias
ITCHY to meet widely varying condi-
tions. the examining boards prescribe
authorized to grant such exceptions,
and to make such additional investi-
cations as. in their judgment. may be
necessary or proper in any individual
case. When their services are OBJ
tainable, reserve officers are to be uti-
ilzed as members of examining boards
Air Service Notes.
In the development of a radio-con-
trolled automobile which was recently
demonstrated at McCook Field. home
OF the engineering division of the air
service. the possibilities of radio con-
troll and its application to wartime
problems are materially emphasized.
hn 1taI
mechanical apparatus that moves.
whether In the air. on the ground. on
the surface of the water. or beneath
the water. Huge land tanks may be
constructed and filled with T. N. T.
and driven to any desired point along
the enemy's lines where the explosive
can be fired by means of radio, or 1T
can be applied in a similar manner
to boat. submarine, torpedo, or even
an airplane. and the explosive can be
Is also an application in the CONNER
cial field. particularly in plants where
long hauls between various parts Of
the factory are necessary.
After an exhaustive study Of the
subject Of airplane accidents in Eng
land, it appears that the primary
cause of breakdown is due to faults
in the installation of engines and oil.
water and petrol systems. rather than
to failure Of the engine itself. Among
ments attention was drawn to the
need of eliminating leakage of oil,
!! which it appears is a serious matter,
owing to the currents of air which
are set up round the engine in fights
The development of pressure tanks
for petrol storage was further recon-
mended and attention called to the
Importance of the use of sound
petrol gauge. Rubber connections, it
was found. should be discarded in
petrol pipes and soft steel tubing be
substituted. Machines with a single
control engine were found preferable
over those with power units installed
In the wings. A twin-engined plane
was recommended, having two central
propellers. one in front of the other
Power installation testing with a
suggestions made in the study which
was carried on by the Royal Aero
nautical Society.