Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-18

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Dental Corps re-
main as now pro-
vided by law, but GEN. IRELAND.
tfat a system of procurement for tha
corps be provided parallel to that rec
commended for the Medical Corps, tha
the system of procurement and pro
motion in the Veterinary Corps re
main as now provided by law and thai
procurem mt and promotion in the
Army Nurse Corps considering the
present scheme of appointment Of
SuperintendentS, assistant superin
teldents, chief nurses, ETC., as promo
ton factors) be continued as now
operative, but that the base pay of al
nurses be increased, are the outstand
ing recommendations made by Mai
Gen. Merritte w. Ireland in his pro
motion report to the board of general
officers.
Dissatisfaction and discomfort in the
Army will not be entirely eliminated
in the opinion of the Medical Depart
ment Board, until an approximate
parity of opportunity is established
for all officers concerned. Line off,
GERS Of the combatant branches now
number about 5000 and from among
them are selected 81 general officers
OF the Ii e and Is of the staff. or a
total Of 80, or nearly per cent. If to
this number there is added the II
other staff details carrying general
in attaining such grade for single list
officers is above 1 per cen.
An unfortunate condition exists
relative to the Veterinary Corps, in
that IL majors and 81 captains now
occupy preferential positions on the
list Of officers Of this corps. These
of1cers. who had no service prior to
the war, were appointed in the Reg
ulAr Army in 1920, with an amount
or constructive credit sufficient Ito
gether with actual service) to en-
title them to a higher grade than
their actual service would have per-
mitted. Thus, those originally ap-
pointed captains were presented with
-FOUR years or more Of service, and
those appointed first lieutenants
were given a few months or weeks,
as the case may have been. This
system served to place these officers
ahead Of many who had elected to
cast their fortunes with the Regular
Army from the first, and who had
had more service Of all kinds than
words, the effect has been to pen
Alize certain officers because of their
Regular Army service.
Upon investigating conditions In
the Army Nurse Corps. the board
found several items which merit seri-
Gus consideration. It does not seem
to be generally known, however, that
while nurses have relative rank, they
do not draw the pay and allowances
OF such relative rank. Under the
1929 pay act they were placed in a
separate pay category, as in previous
legislative enactments in their case
OF raIc he 80
nurse, who has to attend a training
school for three years in order to
qualify for appointment to the Nurse
Corps, compares unfavorably with
that or master sergeants and warrant |
ofdcers. Furthermore, there is no |
longevity factor recognized after nine |
years Of service. The board believes
that the following pay scale for mem
bers Of the Nurse Corps lin which
the Navy would probably concur) be
adopted.
(The first figure indicates the pres
ent monthly rate. while the latter fig.
ure the proposed monthly rate):
Under 8 years. $40 to 500: over 3 |
years, $40 to $40: over years. Sis
to $40; over years. $3.50, proposed
scale the same. The present monthly |
rate Tor over 8 years service up to |
over "a years, is the same, namely, |
el30. while the proposed scale is as
follows: Over IL years, $135; over |
Is years, $140: over Is years, s145; |
over Fl years, $3.50; over "a years, |
s155. and over 81 years, $3.50. For |
the Army at it's present reduced |
strength and as now distributed. Gen. |
Ireland submitted a provision OF |
proposed bill which would provide for |
an Immediate increase, over the al. |
lowances now authorized, as follows: |
Three general officers, 33e medical |
ofiicers, 113 dental officers, 81 vet
Urinary officers. IS Medical Auxiliary |
Corps officers formerly Medical Ad-
Yninistrative Corps and 1880 enlist
Cd men.
More than likely Col. D. H. Hand.
Field Artillery, who has been on duty
in the Office Of the chief Of Field Artil-
lery for the past two years as in.
spector In that Office, will be the last
ofiicer performing these duties in the
Field Artillery office for some time.
At least 1t will be so during the in.
cumbency Of Maj. Gen. Charles p.
6ummerall. chief Of staff, who de-
sires to have each chief Of branch
make their own inspections Of the
troops and material Of their re-
spective branches. Col. Hand will
the Philippine Islands, where on ar
rival he will take command Of the
24th Field Artillery. relieving Col.
Henry w. Butner, who will 20 to
Fort Bragg, N. c., and assume duty
a. president of the Field Artillery
Board. The desire Of Gen. Sum.
neral in having each chief Of branch
make their inspections personally Of
their respective arms Of the service
was one Of the chief contributory rea-
sons why Maj. Gen w. J. Snow,
application for retirement from the
active lists of the military establish.
ment, as it has been matter of
common knowledge that Gen. Snow
has not been in the best Of health for
some time, and as the result of q
trip OF inspection that took him to
practically all Field Ar activi-
ties within the continental limits of
the United States during May and
June Of this year. he returned
to Washington considerably under
weight. The successor Of Gen. Snow
will make his own inspection of the
Field Artillery activities and there
will be no need for assigning an Of
ficer as inspector in the Field Artil-
lery ONCE to take the place Of Col.
Hand.
The class B board. headed by Mai.
Cen. Hanson E. Ely, convened for the
purpose Of making a classification of
officers under the provisions of section
24B. chapter ! Of the act approved
June 4, 1920, will hold it's first meet
Ing in the War Department one week
from tomorrow, Septembe: &c. 1927.
The other members of the board, all
ortsndier generals, are Albert j. Bow
ley, Robert f. Callan. Richmond p.
Davis, Edward L. King, Hugh A.
Drum and Edgar T. Collins. Lieut. ,
Col. Clark Lynn, A. G. D.. has been
detailed as recorder of the board,