Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-23

GUU itiSli w liShil-
er the total of
LOO air officers a.. c. pa.u;o,,
will be reached by ""''
June 80, 1928. depends partly upon
the number who apply for detail or
transfer to the Air Corps, upon the
number of those who succeed in pass
ing the flying training course and,
also, upon the number of flying ca.
diets or civilians who pass any exam
ination which may be made up or in
stituted by the War Department to
provide officers
The Air Corps allotment for com
missioned officers is 1,247 under the
present schedule, and it would be
raised in five years to 1850 There
have been fewer applications for
transfer from other branches than the
War Department anticipated, and not
all of them will finish their flying
course. 1t has been the experience
of the Air Corps authorities that of
the men who take the flying training
not more than so per cent can COM
plete 1t. With the authorized officer
strength at 1,247, the Air Corps has
never had more than about 900 Off
GERS who had received their training
While on this subject of shortage
of the commissioned personnel of his
branch, Gen. Patrick explained the
shortage of AIS enlisted men at the
end of the next fiscal year. The au-
thorized strength of the Air Corps
was $3.50 enlisted men, and when it
was found necessary to decrease the
total number of enlisted men in the
regular establishment on account of
the lack of funds with which to main
tain them. this was made proportion
ate, and the Air Corps was cut from
$500 down to S,342. AS no increase
is planned for the 1928 fiscal year. at
its end there still will be AIS men less
than we should have, even though
there are added the 1,248 of the first
increment.
Seven officers of the Quartermaster
Corps have been ordered by the
War Department to attend the next
course of instruction at the Quarter
master Corps Motor Transport School,
Camp Holabird, Nd, the instruction
in which will begin about September
10. They are Capts. Wilmer NJ
Finn, Samuel /. Zeidner, Lawrence
Slade, Otto HARDWOOD; and First
Lieuts. John F. Alcure, Carroll r
Hutchins, DuVall c. Watkins. Col
Dana T. Merrill, who has been in
command of the 10th Infantry,
Fort Thomas, KY, has been detailed
as member of the general staff and
is assigned to duty with the general
staff with troops, effective on June
80. Col. Merrill, who is we'll known
in military circles in this city, will
at that time proceed to Fort Hayes,
Ohio, and will be assigned as chief
of staff of the 5th Corps Area. Col.
Edward A. Sturges, assistant chief
ar imam .e. has been assigned, in adj
oitjcr 10 his other duties, as finance
officer of the District OF Washington,
relieving Maj. Frank E. Parker, F. D.
Effective January 81, Second Lieut.
Ernest Il. Hodgson, V. c., will be re-
Ieved from assignment at the Army
Veterinary School, Army Medical Cen
ter, this city, and will proceed to Fort
Bliss, Tex, for duty. Mai William B.
Borden, NJ. c., who has been on duty
at the General Dispensary in Balti-
more, Nd, has recently reported for
duty in the office of the surgeon
general of the Army, this city.
The Secretary of War is not in favor
of the proposal which would appoint
William V. Pruett to the position and
rank of major in the Medical Corps of
the Regular Establishment. The pro-
visions of law governing original ap.
pointments in the Medical Corps pre-
scribe that they shall be made in the
grade of first lieutenant between the
ages of % and 80 years. The entire
commissioned service of DIR. Pruett
War Department records reveal
amounts to years, 2 months and "a
days. To entitle them to promotion
to the grade of major. officers now in
the Medical Corps are required to
serve II years, and the appointment
of former emergency officer with
less than 3 years and months serv-
ice to the grade of major would place
him in a position of precedence and
seniority over $50 officers of the Medi-
cal Corps with longer commissioned
service. The Secretary of War has
consistently opposed any proposal
which would single out an individual
of class for preferential treatment
to the prejudice of others of that class
NAVY.
Capt Grin c.. Murfin, who has
been on duty as head of the materiel
division in the operations office, Navy
Department, but who will shortly as
sumo his new duties as Assistant
Chief of the Bureau of Navigation,
will be relieved by Capt. Walton R.
Sexton, who was detached from COM
nland of the Utah on January 90
Capt Murfin succeeds Rear Admiral
49, DAe~hCA9f VIM AAdS bCCII
designated to command Light Cruiser
Divisions of the scouting fleet The
Navy Department announced last
week the names of additional officers,
now on duty in the battle fleet, that
are to be assigned to shore or other
duty on the east coast after the
feet arrives on the Atlantic seaboard.
They are, together with their new as
signments, as follows: Comdrs. George
ALL
Comdr. Ralph S. Wentworth to the
next class at Naval War College;
Comdr. Charles S. Joyce. now on duty
as executive officer of the California,
to New York Navy Yard, and Lieut.
Comdrs. Rush S. Fay from command
of Mullany and Horace d. Clarke
from duty as executive officer of the
McCawley to the Naval Academy.
Lieut.. Comdr Howard D. Bode, who
has been on duty as first lieutenant of
the New Mexico, has been ordered
TO duty in the Bureau of Ordnance of
the Navy Department. The resigna-
ton of Lieut.. Comdr. George NJ.
Lowry, who has been on duty in the
Bureau of Navigation as officer in
charge of the recruiting division,
has been accepted by the Secretary of
the Navy, effective March 81, 1927.
A competitive examination to fill
seven vacancies IN the Naval Dental
Corps will be held at the Naval Medi-
cal School beginning tomorrow. 1t
will include both theoretical and clini-
cal subjects and will continue for
about 10 days. If seven of the candi-
dates from civil life are successful
in the examination, they will be rec
commended for appointment as as
sistant dental surgeons and the Dental
Corps will be filled to its allowed
strength for the current fiscal year.
Capt. James r. Haynes, who has
- L.. Nvnr III nr.r,