Evening star., 1924-03-30
Army andNavyNews

which are being planned for the air
circus will include parachute jump
ing. free balloon flight, Z comic
flight In a 5,000-cubic-feet meteor
logical balloon and a demonstration
of airpIane maneuvers, in which the
Army Will be invited to participate.
According to the present plans, the
air station will the thrown open to
visitors on this occasion, and they
spect the various features at the sta
tion, such as the helium storage
tanks and publication plant, the
large hangar and the mooring mast.
1t is also anticipated that the ZR-3
will be an interesting exhibit.
Lieut.. Leonard p. Vessel, u. S. N,
has been ordered to report to the
Naval Academy, where he will relieve
Lieut. Benjamin r. Perry, U. S. N, as
officer.
ARMY.
authorized to restrict enlistments in
the Regular Army to a period of three
years is the opinion OF the Attorney
General, which was given out this
week. Since January, 1922, it has been
the policy OF the War Department to
restrict original enlistments in the
Regular Army to three years, which
is based on an opinion by the acting
judge advocate general, approved Oc-
tober 26, 1921.
The act of 1915 provided that en-
listments in the regular establish
ment must be of seven years dura-
tion, three years of which shall be in
active service and four years in the
n Y~yr,v
is also attached to this which pro-
vides that a soldier could continue in
active service by re-enlistment on the
compilation of his three-year period
OF active service. But section 81 of
the act Of 1916, supra, was amended
by section 81 of the act of June 4,
1920. C. 227, Al Stat. IT'S, as follows:
Section q, Enlistments-Hereaf
original enliStments In the Regular
Army shall be for a period of one or
three years. at the option of the SOL
dier, and re-enlistments shall be for
a period Of three years"
That it was not the intent Of Con-
gress to pass legislation restricting
enlistments in the Regular Army to
three years is shown by an extract
OF Report $50 of the House committee
on military affairs, Sixty sixth Con-
gress, second session, accompanying
II. r. 1915. which a little later be-
came the. act of June 4. 1920. 1t fol-
lows:
Section 26-A short enlistment Pc
Rod for men not yet familiar with
Army life will tend TO stimulate en-
listments. 1t is proposed to allow
recruits to choose between a one
year and a three-year period. re-en-
listments to be for three years only"
In commenting In his opinion on
the subject. the Attorney General
said, in part:
"If there existed any doubt OF the
;v,ta nF 20 hn n l.
dier TO choose between a one-year
and a three-year period at the time
of his original enlistment, that doubt
would be Immediately removed by
reference to the reports of the COM
mittee having the bill in charge.
''In view of the evident intent of
Congress to permit a soldier. upon
his original enlistment, the option OF
enlistment for a period of one year
instead Of three years. IL Is my opin-
ion that the Secretary of War is not
authorized to restrict such enlist
ments to period of three years"
The opinion OF the Attorney Cen
eral is being considered by the Secre-
tary of War, and plans will be pre-
pared in the department providing for
one-year enlistment of men who will
be enlisted in organizations and who
will serve therein in the locality in
which they reside. The cost of trans
porting men from station to station,
short term enlistments, is prohibitive,
and it is admitted that men only en-
listing for one year will not be sent
to our foreign posse ssions or to dis
tant points in the United States.
Fifty pairs of aluminium spurs have
been made up and ordered to be tested
by the War Department. These tests
will be conducted by the cavalry
in the list Cavalry Division. Fort
Blis1, Tex. The spurs which are
now issued to the service weigh
nine ounces, while those Of the alumi-
mum type only weigh six ounces. Due
to the demands of the service for re-
ducing the weight of packs and
equipment, it is believed that if the
results of the test show that alumni
mum spurs are at all servieeable they
will in all probability be adopted.
Between now and December 81
1924, six master sergeants of the Ali
Service, the highest non-commis-
stoned grade attainable in the Ali
| Service. will become eligible for re-
| tirement after thirty years of active
! service. Some of these may remain
! on active duty. while others will ap-
! ply for retirement. They are Harry
J " MacKnight, Chanute Field; Thomas
: J. Zimmerman, Hawaiian Department
| Fred Parkins, Hawaiian Department
| Thomas II. Dix and Birdie f. Saue rs
! Kelly Field, and Samuel s. v. Scher-
F: merhorn, Ross Field California Ii
! addition to the above six men, foul
! others who have recently been re-
! tired are John Volkman, Boiling
| Field; Frederick Jansen, Kelly Field
Evert Moore, Langley Field, ant
| Alexander Schmidt Fort Mcdowell
Calf.
( AS of March 90, a lineal list OF
| technical sergeants. ordnance de
! partment, was prepared in the Wal
| Department, exclusive of first SER
| geants. OF the 209 technical ser.
| geants on this list there are fourteen
who will become eligible for retire.
ment between now and December 81
| 1924 Some of these will doubles.
remain on the active list, while other:
| will retire on the completion of theil
| thirty years of service. Those who
will become eligible to retire between
| now and the end of the current veal
are Albert c. Wilbur, September
| William W. Gardner, April; Samue
| Wilson, August; Frank Z. Bacon
| July: Herbert NJ. Bennett, October
| Thomas Tedford, December; Edward