Evening star., 1925-11-29

James D. Glennan
RJv Ga, CI.,,.n assistant to the
Surgeon General
and commanding the Army Medical
Center at Walter Reed, on March .,
1926. and that of Brig. Gen. Walter
ID. McCaw, assistant to the Surgeon
General, who will reach the statutory
age limit Of Ga years on February 10,
1927.
Although the term Of office of Gen.
Ireland is less than IL months away
widespread interest is being taken in
Army medical circles as to who Will
be appointed the next chief of this
branch of the service. In connection
with this vacancy it must be remem-
bered that Gen. Ireland is serving his
second term as Surgeon General of the
Army. his administration of which ha &
brought the medical arm of the mill
tary establishment TO its present high
state of efficiency. Health conditions
have never been better in the entire
history of the Regular Army than
they are at the present time. Rumor
is rife at the present time that Gen
ireland Will be reappointed to succeed
himself. Should he be appointed
Surgeon General of the Army upon
the expiration of his present term of
office on October 4. 1926, it is stated
that 1t viii be the first time in the
history of the medical department
that any one officer has served three
terms as the chief of the medical arm
The appointment of Gen. ireland to
third term would be a most popular
one, not only in the Medical Corps.
but throughout the military establish.
ment as we'll. He will not reach the
statutory age limit until May 81, 1891.
great deal of interest is being
eElnrad nlJce n IA ed nv
Brig. Gen. James ID. Glennan, com
mandant of the Army Medical Center,
who will retire on March ., 1926. A
number of ma mes have been mention
ed in connection with this approach
ing vacancy. but from reliable sources
il is understood that Col. James NJ.
Kennedy, NJ c., now in command OF
Letterman General Hospital. Preside
Of San Francisco, Calf, Will assume
the control of Army Medical Center
affairs upon the retirement of Gen.
Glennan.
The third general officer vacancy in
the Medical Department is that of
Brig. Gen. Walter D. McCaw, assist
ant to the surgeon general. who Will
be retired for age on February 1C,
1921. Though the retirement of Gen.
Mciaw is about Il months away, d
great deal of interest is being taken
in this approaching vacancy. Among
the officers, all colonies, who have been
mentioned in connection with these
two brigadier general vacancies are
Frank T.. keefer, James NJ. Kennedy,
Henry c. Fisher, Carl r. Darnall. Ed.
ward l.. Munsen and Thomas 5. Brat
ton.
Widespread interest is being taken
by Cavalry officers in the detailed
study now being made by the War
! Department for the elimination of un-
necessary equipment relative TO a re-
duction in transportation. fuel, forage
in the Cavalry division. Reducing
this excess weight to a minimum will
not only increase the mobility of the
division, but II will be in conformity
with the economy program of the
President in that the maintenance eX-
pense will be considerably curtailed.
The study proposes an approximate
reduction of 10000 pounds in the
amount of equipment and supplies car
ried by the Cavalry division, thereby
| increasing the mobility and tieXibility
Of organization. The study places a
maximum dependence on automatic
supply, and by the proposed changes
| in divisional transportation increases
the radius of supply under normal
conditions to the maximum radius of
the combat elements of the division.
This, the study points out, will assure
the Cavalry division a maximum indie
pendenCe in the execution of its mis-
sions. These proposed reductions and
changes are considered by the War
Department as preparatory step
only. and the study is to be continued
until there remain only the absolute
essentials for the maintenance of COM
bat efficiency.
Continuation will be made of the
efforts TO secure legislation which will
place chaplains on par with other
commissioned officers Of the non-Com-
batant branches of the Regular Army
and with the chaplains of the Navy
with respect to grade, pay and allow
ances. 1t was a distinct disappoint-
ment to the representatives of the
many church federationS that s. 1888
H. r. 703S, which was passed by the
Senate in the Sixty-eighth Congress.
| failed of passage in the House.
A number of prominent churchmen,
| together with authorized War Depart
ment representatives, appeared at a
| joint hearing before the subcommittee
| of the military affairs committees of
the Senate and House at the last ses-
sion and urged that favorable consid-
| Grafton be given to this proposed
1
that this bill will be presented to the
next Congress. The church leaders of
| the country are whole-heartedly in
favor of this proposed act, and they
have indicated a determination to
press the measure for action.
| A call Of warning was sounded this
week by Maj. Gen. Charles Nick.
| Saltzman. chief signal officer of the
Army, relative to an existing critical
| situation in the proper functioning of
the Signal Corps due to the lack of
trained enlisted men in sufficient
! numbers to operate and maintain
| Government radio and telephone sys-
| TENS and for operating other Army
| Signal Corps activities. Trained men.
Gen. Saltzman points out. do not en-
| list or re-enlist in the Signal Corps,
as the remuneration for such special
lists in civil life are considerably more
attractive. In fact, so financially at
tractive are the offers in civilian life
! that many of the newly trained men
are purchasing their discharges to en-
ter the employ Of commercial organi-
cations at higher salaries.
This accounts for the large enlisted
turnover in the Signal Corps. Work.
| ing under the best of conditions, it
takes at least six months of training
| to train the best type OF recruit De-
fore he is of any value to the signal
activity Of the Army. To overcome
| this serious shortage in the communi-
cation branch of the Regular Army,
| Gen. SaltZman has suggested two
remedies. They are: a. Increase the
| number Of enlisted men allotted the
| Signal Corps, or (2) increase the num-
ber Of n-commissioned officers and
| Specialist ratings.
| Within the past week Can't