Evening star., 1924-09-29
MOVE TO PROMOTE
FLYERS UNDER WAY
Weeks Also to Go Limit in
/ Seeing They Are Repaid
B. Own Money Spent.

Arrival of the world flyers today
at Seattle, officially completing the
Fl rst air circuit OF the earth. will be
Followed with the preparation of a
report by them out of which valuable
data will be extracted for the bene-
fit of all Government agencies hav-
ing to do with aeronautiCs.
In this way the experiences and
lessons learned by the world flyers
will be made available not only to
their brother officers of the Army
air service. but to the Navy. post
Office and other departments engaged
in phases of aerial navigation both
military and commercial.
Expect Valuable Data.
While a full measure of enthu-
siasm at the achievement of Lieut..
Smith and his colleagues of the flight
squadron was manifest today
throughout and rank and file of Off
clals here. those agencies interested
in the scientific results of the flight
said the real value of the feat would
be found. not in its historical reck
UninG, but in the scientific account
Of the aViatorS' experiences. Much
Importance WAS attached also to the
results expected by tn - scientists
and teCaniclans from tudies and
examinations OF the tn - machines
when they are dismantled al San
Diego for purposes of research.
Maj. Gen. Patrick, chief OF the Army
air service, declared the occasion
arising from the successful termina-
tion of the flight merited the highest
possible commendation of the await
orS personally. in recognition of the
courage and hard ships demanded of
and suffered by them during the pc
rod of the fight. and repeated that it
was the intention of the War Depart
ment to do everything in its power to
compensate them fully. Secretary
Weeks also is pledged to see that the
flyers are generously treated by the
Department. to the broadest reach of
the law and Army regulations regard
ing promotions in the service and
financial considerations.
Repayment Is Assured.
The War Secretary has declared his
intention to have the flyers repaid
from existing air service funds for
any personal financial loss incurred
during the flight. if provisions of the
appropriation bill permit, and, if not,
to ask Congress for special author
ization. should the law intervene
and Congress fail to comply with the
SeCretary'S request in this connection,
Mr. Weeks has said he would take
down into his own pockets if that
was necessary.
Gen. PerShing, in his last address to
student officers at the Army War Col
lege a few days before he retired
from active service. took occasion to
criticize the Armys promotion sys-
tenn for failure to provide a way for
eIevating officers in the lower grades
through a selection on merit plan.
The world flyers at that time had
Just returned to the American con-
tinent and still were several thousand
miles from their starting point. but
il is known that Gen. PerShing was
inspired to speak of the promotion
law with them foremost in mind, de-
serving of higher rank, but prevented
from receiving it under the existing
selection on merit plan which is
workable only in cases of colonels
and general officers drawn to fill va
cancies in the two highest grades in
Army peace-time service.
May Agitate New Plan.
While Gen. Pershing has not yet
let il he known whether he, acting
now as a civilian and not handicapped
by limitations which so with the
uniform in Army service, will lead d
movement to bring about promotion
by selection in the lower grades. il
is probab BILE that the ideas he has
expressed will be made known to
Congress. and once that is done he
will advocate such a law.
Meanwhile steps have been taken
to incorporate as part of the per
sonal service records OF the flyers
the letters and citations they have
received as a result Of the world