Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS

with the Navy in general and the COM
Blatant feet in particular. Recon-
mendations as to the training of junici
officers and as to reducing the turnover
on ships must be considered with the
intricate and varying problems of their
general distribution. The correct distri-
button of the Junior officers of the Navy
is indeed an intricate problem, ana II
is necessary to consider this distrinu-
ton of junior officers on different types
of duty before arriving at decisions as
to training and turnover.
The assignment to Is battleshipS IN
full commission, battleshipS in reduced
commission, 2 aircraft carriers and 10
light cruisers requires total OF $50
lieutenantS (junior grade) and 586 en-
signs out of a total of liza officers
available in both grades. The assign
ments to other ships of the Navy. IN
Guiding those in the Asiatic neet, Tor
the officers in these ranks are as fol-
lows: AS lieutenants Ounior grade)
and 1913 ensigns out of total of 1,548
officers remaining available in these two
ranks In addition there are 1876 lieu
tenants (junior grade) and 149 enSigns
assigned to special Scisool work, includ-
ing postgraduate, aviation, torpedo and
submarine schools. 1t is impossible to
determine the exact number Of officers
who may be assigned to the different
duties due to the variable number grad
uated from the Naval Academy. For
example, the graduates from the Naval
Academy for 1927 were $40; 1928, las,
and 1929, 2l0 total for three years OF
865. The total for the three years. 1928
to 1880, inclusive, will be but 7S0, due
to the graduating class of 1880 totaling
but s75 as compared with $40 for 1927.
Upon this important subject of assign
Inent of junior officers the views OF the
Bureau of Navigation are summarized
as follows: (a) Newly graduated en-
signs will be assigned to large combat
ant ships in United States waters up to
"a limited percentage of ensign allow
ance or total officer allowance OF these
. vessels. (b) When classes are larger
than can be properly provided for by
ca the excess will be assigned to de-
stroyers, tenders and auxiliaries IN
United States waters. (c) Officers on
their first seven years cruise will be on
large combatant ships about three years,
on small combatant ships two or three
years and on non-combatant ships one
to two years. Cd Officers undergoing
their third year on same ship since
graduation will have received training
both on deck and In engineering, and
(e) ensigns trained for specialized
duties will not be detached If avoidable.
The Secretary of the Navy has ap-
prove the designs for the first group OF
five of the Is recently authorized light
cruisers. They will have the maximum
treaty displacement of 10000 tons and
8-inch armament. The most striking
difference is that they will have nine
8-inch guns in three-gun turrets 1.-TWO
forward and one aft instead of eight
in fnIIr fI1rTpfG Another
difference is that the new cruisers will
be few feet longer to provide slightly
different shaped bows. The law pro-
vides that three of the first group of
cruisers shall be constructed in navy
yards and two under contract, and
bids from contractors and estimates
from navy yards will be opened on
June 5.
The joint Army and Navy Pay and
Allowance Board convened for the pur-
pose of drafting new legislation amend
ing the joint service pay act Of 1922,
has enlarged the composition OF this
board by an additional personnel of five
officers, as follows: Asst. Surg. Gen. G.
c. Pierce and Surg. Gen. L. H. Thomp-
sen from the Public Health Service,
Comdr. r. S. Patton and Lieut.. Condr
H. A. Seram from the Coast and Geo
detic Survey and Lieut.. ca w. Kiehl-
4 11OIIl 1IOlll l1lS NOdSG Sud1Qs i IlC bWO
main documents which form the occa-
sion of the boards delberations-the
McNamee board report, relating to Navy
and Marine Corps compensation, and
the draft of legislation and statistical
compilation presented by Col F. w.
Coleman of the Army Finance Depart
ment-have been accepted as means by
which the board may complete gen.
eral project, with its possibility Of such
minor changes as make it applicable to
the peculiar features Of the different
services or branches Of the same service
where such special adjustment is found
necessary.
Army.
The suggestion was made last week
that the Sam Browne belt authorized
to be worn by officers during the war as
distinguishing mark, be abandoned
Objection has been raised from time to
time to this belt, due to the fact that it
f is not the most comfortable article of /
equipment. 1t was suggested, however, |
( that the belt be authorized to be worn |
by officers on duty with an organization !
in the field and when under arms, but |
not by those officers performing adj |
miniStrative duties. 1t Is believed that |
the Army in general would welcome the |
requirement that the Sam Browne belt |
be worn by officers on field service serv- |
ing with an organization, but not other |
wise. An there is probably no other |
change in the regulations that would |
add more to an officers comfort.
The enlisted men have not been for |
gotten in this proposed change and the |
suggestion in this respect would remove |
that provision prescribing the enlisted |
personnel to wear the belt around the |
waist. With the special measurement |
uniforms, which are so well tailored, 1t |
is said the soldier requires no belt to |
give him a smart appearance.
The blue uniform regulations and |
specifications, now in course Of revision, |
do not contemplate including the Sam |
Browne belt for wear. For field service |
the belt is useful article of equipment,
but for officers on duty In administrative
capacities the abandonment of the Sam
Browne belt would add considerably to
their comfort.
Due to the lack of available vacancies
n arms and services other than the Air
Corps, it will not be possible to hold an
examination of applicants for appoint
nent as second lieutenants in such other
rms and services of the Regular Army
turing the 1929 calendar year. Exarni-
hationS of applicants for appointment as
econd lieutenants in the Air Corps of
he Regular establishment, in accord
ance with Army Regulations 605-5, will
be held during the periods including
June "a to 90, 1929; october 81 to 26,
929, and February II to %, $780, These
examinations are scheduled to be held
for the purpose of filling vacancies In
the Air Corps authorized by the Air
Corps act of July 2, 1926.
Eligibility to compete in the examine.
tons will be confined to candidates who
fulfill the necessary mental, moral and
physical qualifications for appointment
as second heutenants in the Regular
Army and who have graduated from