Evening star., 1926-09-05

Bagley, who is now on that duty, will
probably be assigned as senior officer
on the staff of Rear Admiral Burrage
1t would not come as a distinct sur
prise to the personnel Of theV naval
service if the orders assigning Capt.
| George W. Steele. jr.. who has been
in command OF the naval air station
! at Lakehurst. y. j.. TO command the
| Pittsburgh on her tour of duty with
the Asiatic fleet would be revoked.
| For some little time Capt. Steele has
not been in the best of health. and un-
| less he feels that he is fit to take the
Pittsburgh to Asiatic waters. the Navy
Department, ii is understood, will In
all probability assign another officer
for this command. The Pittsburgh,
| which is scheduled to sail from New
York OH October l for the West Coast
via the Canal, has been in command
of Capt. Frank T. Evans. On her way
to the Asiatic station she will make
stops at Honolulu and the Philippines.
Army.
To make plans for the organiZa
ton and development of riding
team to represent the United States
Army in the 1928 olympiad at Am
! sterdam, a committee of four Regular
Army and one Reserve officer has
been appointed. to be known as the
War Department olympic riding team
committee the senior military mem
Der of which will be the chairman.
The committee will consist OF the fol
lowing: Maj Gems. William J. Snow,
chief of Field Artillery; b. Frank
Cheatham. quartermaster general OF
the Army; Herbert b. Crosby. chief
a ~ s,l,o ox.I
IT, quartermaster reserve, president
Of the American Remount Association,
and Maj. Allan c. Mcbride, Field Ar
tillery. In addition to the organiza-
ton and development of the 1928
Army olympic riding team, the com
mittee will also develop policy Tor
continued representation in future
olympiads.
1t has been observed that of the 10
officers just recently designated Tor
general staff duty on the 1926 list,
some IL of them are returned to this
duty after a separation of two years
since previous similar assignment
Some comment has been invoked by
the selection for this duty this year
of SO few officers who have not had
previous duty with the general staff
but this, of course. is in strict observ
ance of the provision of existing law
regulating the return of officers to the
general staff. and it is to be remarked
that almost without exception the
officers who are again designated for
this duty made excellent records for
usefulness in the former tour of duty.
as they have since at the stations
where they have been located during
the period of interruption. At the
same time, however, the question IL
being asked by some military authori-
ties whether this arrangement really
achieves what was intended by those
responsible for the legislation con-
trolling the tours of duty with the
general staff. There is an impression,
evidently. that more rotation and
greater distribution of the duties, So
as to permit more officers to acquire
practical knowledge of. through init.
mate contact with. the functions and
operations of the general staff would
be of correspondingly increased ad
vantage from many points Of view.
AS a result of a reduction in mile
age funds. only rs Infantry officers
of the Regular Army will attend the
1926-27 course at the command and
general staff school, Fort Leaven-
worth, Kans.. which is Is less than
the number attending this course last
year. A reading of the list of officers
who have been ordered to undergo
this instruction will indicate that a
corresponding reduction has been
made in all services. 1t is interesting |
to note in this connection that upon |
the graduation of the command and |
general staff school class next June, |
there will be put 176 lieutenant colo.
nels and majors of Infantry who have |
not graduated from the general serv-
ice schools, of which 80 are over As
years of age. In view of the fact that |
officers over As years old are rarely |
detailed to this course. under the pres |
ent policy, and as the normal flow of |
promotion to the grade of major is |
about "a per cent the indications are
that a great number of captains will |
be detailed to the course next year.
The shortage in funds will enable |