Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
Army andNavyNews

to this grade in the Air Corps and the
same III the other grades.
1t is pointed out that every branch
of the Army should have its minimum
number of officers in senior grades;
that great care should be exercised to
make certain that it is only the mini
mum requirements of the branch that
should be met with these minimum
percentages, and that such minimum
percentages should not be used for the
sole purpose of accelerating promotion
of officers who do not have the neceS-
sary years of service required for Of
ficers of the Army as whole. In
other words, the limit of per cent
for colonies, per cent for lieutenant
colonies. etc.. for the Air Corps is a
letting down of the bars which permits
officers to be promoted before they
have completed the service required for
the rest of the officers on the promo
ton list of the Army. while the
per cent for colonies, per cent for
lieutenant colonies. etc, operates as a
limit on the number of officers in those
ranks in the Army who may be pro-
noted and is a prohibition against adj
vancing any officer when those per-
centages are reached IN the grade
specified.
Tests are still being continued by the
Regular Army of service hats for the
purpose of finding satisfactory mead
gear that will replace the present serv-
ice hat made of Australian rabbit hair.
Tests of this nature are constantly
being made in order that there may be
found satisfactory substitutes of cloth
ing and equipment made of materials
that must be imported. A number OF
hats will be made up in the near future
of domestic fur not tried before In
which there is believed to be great pos
sibilities, but nothing can be assured In
these tests, which have extended now
for over a year, until the actual results
are known. Two outstanding objections
have been made against the hats mace
of domestic fur in the tests conducted
so far. They are, first. they are not
smart or military in appearance, and,
second. they were comfortable to the
wear in cold, dry weather, but I'M
comfortable in warm, hot or rainy
weather. The experiments Will con-
tinue until a satisfactory SUBSTITUTE Tor
the service hat is found.
Of especial interest to the military
personnel on duty in the tropics or at
posts located in warm or tropical cn-
mates is a detachable cotton olive drab
cap that will be placed in production
some time in the future. In the past
the troops of the Regular Army sta
toned in the tropics have worn the
cotton o. D. uniform, with the wool
service can, which certainly did not
add any comfort to the Army person
nel After a series of extensive tests,
the Army has designed a cotton olive
drab fabric which possesses the finest
| textile strength and retains the dye
coloring. The cap covering is made to
be detachable, due to the fact that
when soiled it can easily be removed
and Numbered. 1t has been thoroughly
| tested as to it's shrinkage possibilities
and was found to be most satisfactory
The new cotton cap will no doubt be
authorized to be worn by all military
personnel on duty in the tropics and
also by those on t,ty at stations Sltu-
ated where the heat is excessive. II
will be a great relief to the Army per-
sonnet and will add greatly to their
military appearance.
Two experimental models of wire
laying car are being given an extern
sive test by the Signal Corps Board
and the other by the Field Artillery
Boart. In place of the two rear seats
the wire-laying equipment and single
| bucket seat is mounted on the chassis
There has also been designed a new
type of horse-drawn reel cart, but
greater interest is being evinced in the
tests of the wire-laying motor vehicle
in view of the rapid development Of
motor vehicles for military operations
One of the chief requirements govern
ing the development of this wire-layinG