Evening star., 1926-10-10

oi Aoui Seoi9 Aol- MAJ GEN. ALLEN.
graduation Approximately 10 Infan-
try officers, selected from the captains,
first lieutenants and a few of the Sec
Ond lieutenantS on duty at Fort Ben
ming, will compose the company oftl-
GERS course at the Infantry School.
Twenty Regular Infantry officers OF
all grades will be sent to the rank
School for a course OF instruction.
About a score of Regular Infantry Off
GERS will attend the course OF lnstruc-
ton at the Signal School. This group
will be selected from first and second
lieutenants, and in order to be eligible
to undergo this course they must
possess a technical education and
must indicate in writing that they
will not make application for trans
fer to any other branch of the Regu'
lar Army within four years after
their graduation from the signal
course.
The indications are that about
seven Infantry officers will be sent to
the various civil education institu-
tions-two to the Chemical Warfare
School, two to the French Tank
School and one 70 the Ecole de
Guerre, the French school of war.
One Infantry officer, according to the
present plans, will be sent to each
of the following service schools:
Field Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps,
Marine Corps School, Cavalry, Engi-
neer Corps and Air Corps Tactical.
In order to be eligible for service
school details student officers must
have had at least three years of COM
missioned service, be not over oO
years of age and have an efficiency
rating of average or better.
n;eoo,t;puot;or ic m ha made nv
the Regular Army of the semaphore
hand flag system of visual signal
communication The death knell of
this means of communication was
sounded during the World War, dur
ing which the rapid strides made in
the improvement in the field use OF
telegraph, telephone and radio result
ed in little recourse to visual sig
mailing.
Distribution has been made by the
War Department of training regula-
tions 1910. prepared by the chief
pf Engineers, which sets forth the
fundamentals of camouf1age for
every arm of the service. In the
first section is given the general the
bretical principles, while in the sub
Eequent sections there is taken up
in detail the elements and auxiliary
works Of a defensive position in prep
of artillery, which is quite an extern
Bive subject and requires different
treatment, Is covered in training
regulations 1856. The second sec
tion of this regulation embraces gen
eral camouflage practice; the third
section deals with artillery in post
lions, while the fourth section
touches on the scope and methods
ef instruction.
NAVY.
With the approach of the next ses-
sion of Congress there is the subject
of considerable conjecture in naval cir
cles as to just what will be evolved to
change the existing conditions of per-
sonnel promotion, discharge and re-
tirement. There is a certain group IN
the Navy who feel that any change of
@ radical nature could be postponed or
might be permanently abandoned as
project. On the other hand, there are
those who hold to the view that 1t is
a matter of service personnel efficiency
and that remedial measures should pc
taken. The indications are that the
Navy line personnel situation will be-
come the subject of considerable DIS
cussion at the next session OF Con
Eress.
A great deal of interest, it is be-
1ieved, will be centered on the status
of those officers who were appointed
from sources other than the Naval
Academy During the past two years
several bills have been prepared, ana
in some instances introduced, the
terms of which as applied to this class
of officers were anything but encouf-
aging to them. Confronted with the
Drosnect of some legislation and with
a desire to secure impartial consider
alton. number of these officers en-
deayored to coordinate the views OF
others similarly situated and at the
same time cooperate with the Navy
DEPARTMENT in reaching solution OF
the personnel problem. In NoVemner
Of last wear these officers did agree
,Inon a basis for promotion and eliml-
nation which later was presented 10
the departmental board. In effect, they
indicated their ecquiescence IN the re.
neal of that provision OF the act OF
June 4, 1920. which provided an as
sured period Of service in the upper
grades. They did. however. request
that they be assured (a) an equal op-
rortunitv with graduates of the Naval
Academy to continue in the service;
III a minimum Of IA years service pc
fore elimination as a lieutenant; tcl
credit for all service for the purpose
of computing retirement td) Tetleo
nav of 2l2 per cent base pay per year
of total service as now computed LOT
nav purposes: (e) for those ofhcefS
nithout service prior to the war an
ample provision in the form of cash
cratuitv. and ~ voluntary retirement
of lieutenants With 20 years OF more
of total service. provided they nave
reached the age of As years. Flgures
were submitted which concluslVelE es-
,ablished that a great saving OF money
ueuld be made If such u plan were,
adopted. -, .,
animated discussion is that OF lncfeaS-
tng the age of retirement IN the Navy
at least two years, or at 90 years vi
age Asked as TO how the preSeehi
adjustment of service in grade had
b,.en arrived at. and by what process
II had been decided that an oftlcer
should serve but so many years III d
grade. Rear Admiral W. r. Shoemak-
or, chief of the Bureau of Navigation,
has pointed out that officers were
eliminated on the theory that the
whole Navy should be live organlza-
ton of young, energetic ohcerS IN
the various grades. From other
sources the belief has been expressed
that the ages should be changed so
that the Navy and the Government
would get longer service from tne
officers in the different grades, and 1t
Is insisted that Congress does not look
with any great favor Oh retiring an
officer simply because he has reached
a certain age in grade. To lengthen
the service, it has been reminded:
would bring officers TO the grade OF
rear admiral with but four years to
serve before retirement. Those IN Ia
vor of lengtheRing the service OF ON.
GERS until they reached the age or DO
feel quite positive that the efficiency
and morale of the Navy would not be