Evening star., 1925-08-02
Army and Navy News
BIZ NJ. II. McIntwe.

sion OF Congress. They were: The air
program; and the Bacon bill which
provides for 900 additional Regular
officers
The Bacon bill, it will be recalled.
was introduced during the last session
of Congress by Representative Robert
L. Bacon, New York, but it was re-
ferred to the War Department for fur
ther study. Upon the convening of
Congress in December, Mr.. Bacon will
introduce the bill again, and in all
probability the military committee
will conduct hearings on the measure
before which Regular, National Guard,
and Reserve officers will appear. En-
actment of this bill at the approach
ing session of Congress would not ma
terially increase the expenses of the
military establishment. as this pro-
vides that the additional officers would
come into the regular establishment in
five incrementS.
The additional officers probably
would not be secured within the next
calendar year, 1t is pointed out, and
in the event it becomes law and is
not included in this years budget,
two years will pass by before the first
increment will become effective. The
additional officers are needed for the
training of the Junior companies of
the Army-that is, the National
oTBdHlZeu RESERVES, HeS6TN0
Officers Training Corps and the
Citizens Military Training Camps,
all of which at the present time are
laboring under great shortage in
Regular Army instructors. Not only
have a number of college presidents
asked the War Department to assign
additional military instructors at their
institutions, but the request of
many university presidents for the
o- -cir of ID of13o
at their schools so that Reserve Of
ficers' Training Corps units may be
organized, have been refused by the
Department, due to the lack of
sufficient number of officers to carry
out this part of the National Defense
act.
A comprehensive study has been
made of the Army and air problem
and when Congress convenes in De-
cember the War Department will be
prepared to submit an adequate Air
Service program. The Air Service
program is based in a general way
on the Lassiter board report.
NAVY.
There is no prospect for the Gre
alton of a separate corps for those
officers who serve as Judge Advocate
Generals for the Navy, 1T became
apparent this week with the announce
ment that Rear Admiral Edward H.
Campbell, Judge Advocate General of
the Navy, was inclined not to favor
the separation of these officers from
the line of the Navy. Other officers
| controlling the present administration
of the Navy Department hold similar
views, and any attempt to put through
| such legislation would be strenuously
| opposed.
Those opposed to the creation of a
separate corps point out that 1t was
not intended to develop constitutional
lawyers for duty as Judge Advocate
Generals of the Navy, and that all of
| the important legal questions affect
| ing the services are referred to the
| Attorney General of the United
| States. These legal matters, it is
| insisted, should be handled by the
| Department of Justice, which has
| been very prompt in the past in rem
! dering opinions.
| In the organization of the Army
| there is an inclination towards the
| establishment of separate corps and
| branches, and there. are frequent
| transfers among the various arms
In the naval establishment, there is
strong sentiment for keeping all
naval officers in the line, which pol
! icy is the means of making all off,
GERS familiar with the duties Of staff
| officers as well as line officers Sery-
| ing with the fleet.
The Navy Department announced
i names of officers recommended by the
| Medical Corps Selection Board for
promotion, which report was ap-
+, proved by the President on July 25.
| The following officers who were Sc
lected, will make their numbers for
promotion on the dates indicated.
They are:
| For promotion to the rank of cap
| tain-Richmond S. HoIcomb, June
80, 1925; George F. Freeman, jan
uary "a. 1926: and Charles ST. j.
Butler, undetermined.
For promotion to commander
Paul r. Stalnaker, Edward c. White,
Thurlow w. Reed and Edward U.
Reed, all on June 80. 1925; Edgar
L. Woods. September 1, 1925: John
B. Kaufman, January "a, 1925; and
Abraham Fl. Allen, undetermined.
In making the selections, the board
passed over six commanders and
nine lieutenant commanders. The
/ commanders passed over were: John
c. Thompson, Frederick L. Benton,
Ralph 7. Orvis, Benton L. Wright.
John L. Kennedy and Ralph w
Plummer, and the lieutenant com
manders: Allen E. Peck, Harry Shaw.
Harry L. Brown, H. W. Cole, Edwin
L.. Jones, Thomas G. Foster, c. K.
Winn, A. Fl. Robnett and James p.