Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-10
Army and Navy News
By NJ. II. McIntyre.

Mcintyre.
chief Of the Bureau OF Engineering
have been promoted and their identity
established on the list OF rear admtrala
on dates subsequent to the June s,
1924, vacancy. In certain naval cir
cles the belief is held that Admira!
Robson will retire within the next
few months, In which event he would
be placed upon the retired list Of the
Navy with the rank of a rear admiral.
ARMY.
In addition to the regular target
Regular Army organizations. Maj.
Gen. Charles p. Summerall. u. S. A..
commander OF the I'd Corps Area, has
been directed by the Secretary of War
to hold q special training and prac-
tice. which will be participated in by
the Coast Artillery and Air Service.
According to the plans, this practice
will be held under the direction Of
Brig. Gen. johnson Hagood at Fort
has selected the 62d Coast Artillery
Regiment (anti-aircraft) to conduct
this special test, which will consist
of two gun batteries of four 3-inch
guns each, one battery of eight
searchlights. three listening units and
two machine gun batteries of eight
guns each. Approximately ITS spe-
cially selected enlisted men, most Of
whom are non-commissioned officers,
have been transferred temporarily
from Fort Monroe to Fort Totten.
Col. NJ. G. Spinks. Coast Artillery
Corps.
That the approaching special anti.
aircraft exercises are considered to be
a most important test Of the defense
against air attack is evidenced by the
off1cials who will witness the firings.
Observers from G-3 of the War De-
partment general staff, from the office
of the chief of Coast Artillery and
from the Office of the chief Of Air
Service will be present during the
interested officer belonging to some
other branch of the service other than
the Air Service or the Coast Artillery
Corps will be appointed by Gen. Sum-
neral as umpire. He will have two
assistants, one an Air Service officer
and the other from the Coast Artil-
lery, both to be appointed by Gen.
Summerall.
The firing program prepared by the
w al NCRdl AASlaoOo StA AhoJOA
exercises, as follows: ID Three-inch
gun firing at towed sleeve target; (2
machine gun firing at towed sleeve
target; 90 machine gun firing at tar.
get glider; "a simulated bombing at
tack; 81 three-inch gun firing at tow
ed sleeve targets, and (6) searchlight
battery exercises.
Officers on duty in the War De-
partment are evincing greater inter-
est in the simulated bombing attack
than in any Of the others. In this
exercise q simulated bomb will be
dropped from each Of the bombing
planes composing the attacking force
onto a designated target. The object
of the defending force will be to illu-
inmate the bombing planes and to
concentrate their fire on the hostile
aircraft before the bomb is released.
The armament of the defending
forces will consist of eight 60-inch
antiaircraft searchlights and two
batteries OF four 3-inch anti-aircraft
guns each.
OF vital interest to every officer and
certain members of the military es-
tablishment is the decision rendered
by the Controller General of the
United States on April %, in which 1t
was decided that commissioned on
GERS, warrant officers, contract sur
geons, expert accountants, Inspector
Generals department. Army field
clerks and field clerks Of the Quarter
master Corps, and officers and other
members of the military establish
ment. while performing travel on
Government-owned vessels for which
no transportation fare is charged
shall be entitled only to reimburse
ment OF actual and necessary ex-
penses incurred. The question was
raised by Capt. Carl Halla, F. D., who
requested decision as to whether he
was authorized to honor a voucher
covering mileage at the rate Of cents
per mile, with a deduction of cents
per t mile for transpSrtaAn Furnished
Ger Earl T. Halstead from San Fran
cisco. Calf, to Washington, d. c..
via Army transport by way of New
YORK City. travel performed March
1890, 1925.
In concluding his decision the con-
troller said: From the facts and cir
cumstances leading up to the enact
ment Of this provision in the several
appropriation acts as above stated,
which SO clearly mobiles the substan-
tive law relative to right Of officers Of
the several services concerning to
mileage; the fact that restrictions are
frequently placed on the use of annual
appropriations which are operative
only as to the particular appropriation
In which or with respect to which they
are used, while a change in substan-
tive law, although operating as a hmi-
tation on the use of appropriations, Is
not primarily addressed to the ap-
preparation or its use; and in view Of
rules OF construction applicable to pro-
visos OF this character, I am Of opin.
ion that the legislative intent was that
the provision should operate as a
change in the substantive law rela-
tive to mileage as provided in section
IL of the act of June 10, 1922, AZ Stat,
631. and that 1t Is permanent legisla-
ton. effective from date Of enactment.
Accordingly you are advised that
for the travel In question Warrant Of
ficer Halstead Is entitled to actual ex-
penses only"
The Infantry rifle and pistol teams
will be trained this year at Camp
Logan, 1t was announced by the War
Department this week. This is Ma
tional Guard camp located about As
miles from Fort Sheridan, Ill. Lieut..
Col. Kirwin T. Smith. Infantry, cap
tain of the Infantry rife team, is now
at Fort Benning selecting candidates
who are undergoing q course Of train!
ing.
Capt. F. G. Bonham, Infantry, who
has been designated captain Of the
Infantry pistol team, is now on tenn
porary duty in the ONCE of the chief
OF Infantry, making arrangements for
training the team at Camp Logan.
Army officers claims for refund for
the amounts which they have paid on
their income tax return from the
years 1921 to 1925. inclusive. 1t is