Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
BY nj. III. MCINTYRE
Army.


High officers of the general staff,
including Maj Gen. John L. Hines.
deputy chief of staff made the pill
grimage to Camp Bennings. Ga, this
week to witness the maneuvers at
the infantry school there in connee-
ton with the graduation of the present
officer class after year of intensive
study and training in the manifold
specialties that now make up the
job of a modern doughboy.
Among officers who made the trip
were Maj. Gen. William Lassiter, as
sstant chief of staff, in charge OF
the training section; Maj Gen. Hart,
quartermaster general of the Army;
Maj Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth,
chief of infantry. and many Of lesser
rank.
The Benning school is the place
where they try it on the dog"
whenever new bit of equipment or
a new method of opera ton for infan-
try is evolved as a result of the con-
slant study being made throughout the
Army to improve American military
knowledge and practice. New wea-
pons are sent first to the school for
actual field tests before they are con-
sidered for possible issue to the
service
Recently The officer classes and the
regular attachments assigned to the
school were called upon for a COM
parative test of various types of in
fantry carts and infantry packs in
order to show, as a matter OF faet.
not OF theory. whether cart or pack
carriage of certain infantry equip
ment was preferable. and which least
exhausted the troops. The degree of
exhaustion was determined by med
zeal examination at the end of each
day and threw new light on the prob
lem of transporting the doughboys
load in battle.
Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries. chief of
the chemical warfare service. has
suggested that the name of that or
SANITATION be changed to the chem
zeal peace service. His reasons APP
rear plausible since the gasmakerS
End protectors today are expending
much time and effort on peace work.
Means already have been devised
for turning the lethal weapon on
such pests as the cotton bollweevil.
the determination of which will go
far toward restoring peace in the
southland. Another pest. worm
known as the teredo. which destroys
wooden piers, bores holes in the bot
toms of ships and does heavy damage
to all subsurface properties, is being
given unwholesome doses of gases.
bSSlSHS dSdIlSl tie lllt Oh the utdu-
iy mosquito also are in the making
and soon are to be put into effect.
Even barnacles on ships bottoms are
rot to be overlooked by the chemical
experts of the Army.
Still another valuable contribution
o. the chemists is the perfection of
the all-purpose gas mask. intended
both for war and peace time use.
II is to be used by firemen for pro-
lection against carbon monoxide
nRril often encountered in
city lie and often resulting from
explosions in mines and Industrial
works. making more difficult the
work of rescuers and increasing the
number of fatalities of those caught
within tine mine or plant where the
explosion occurred
MANY infantry regiments have
adopted distinctive regimental in
sigma of the enameled color type,
which War Department officials be-
tieve add greatly to, the attractive
ness of the uniform. AS a result of
The experiments with the enameled
insignia the department has an
nounced d policy to the effect that in
the future bronze insignia will not be
authorized and that those regiments
ually replace them with the newer
sort. No limitations are authorized
for the collar ornaments, but the in
structions encourage the adoption by
propriate design.
Examination of the records of the
seven Regular Army divisions which
saw service overseas in the world
war shows that even in these ele-
mentS OF the Army the bulk Of the
officer duty with divisional organiza-
tons fell upon emergency officers,
great majority of whom were trained
for their work after the United States
entered the war The average proper
ton of Regular Army officers avail
able for duty with these divisions at
the time of their organization was
80 per cent of the total divisional
commissioned personnel. The average
proportion of regular officers remain
ing with the divisions on November
II, when hostilities ceased, was 3.5
per cent.
ular officers commissioned prior to
May 20. 1915. Even in the case of the
ist Division there were but 209 reg
ulars on its commissioned rolls in
June, 1917. when it was organized
and but 80 on the rolls on November
IL, 1918. Among the other divisions
the 5th, organized in December, 1917,
began with 50 regular officers, that
June, 1918. to 112 and reduced by
November II to 81. None of the other
divisions had as great a proportion
of regulars as these two. The total
number of regulars with the seven
divisions on organization was 656
and on November II was 1872
In explanation of the reduction in
regular commissioned personnel made
after organiza ton of these regular
divisions had been effected it should
be said that the great shortage of
regular officers to fill key positions In
the whole structure of any army OF
1000, 600 men required that they%be
Withdrawn from the divisional units
as rapidly as the emergency officers
mao demonstrated their capacity to
handle these units in action.
Last reports received by the adj
1utant general show that on April 90
me Army had reached an actual en-
despite the fact that it had at that
nme 800 men on duty canvassing for
recruits.
Army officers find what thew believe
to be a definite indication of the effect
or adequate military training in the
cssuaity statistics of the great war
1t is disclosed by these figures that
casualties inflicted upon their on
ponents by the troops Of the central
powers reached the surprising total
81 s66 per thousand of the troops
moblllzed by the central powers The
corresponding figure with reference
to casualties in the armies of the CEN
tral powers. IS compared to the total
force modified by the allies and as
sand
The total mobilization of the CEN
trai powers is placed in these official
figures at 22.s50.0o0. and the total
casualties of the allied and associated
powers at 22,090.000. The total mobiIi-
cation of the allied and associated
power is placed at 42,1S9 900, and the
total casualties of the central pow