Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22

officers of the military establishment
with respect to ages in various ranks.
The table, which concluSively indicates
the great need now existing for some
promotion legislation for Regular Army
officers, includes all general officers
of July /, 1881. For example, the
table shows that there are 116 officers
who are 81 years of age and that they
are divided among the various ranks
as follows: Five officers with the rank
of major general, brigadier generals,
so colonies, IL lieutenant colonies, IL
majors, 16 captains and 5 first lieu
tenantS-offcers OF the same age in
| the seven grades. The table also dis
closes the fact that officers in the
rank of major range in ages from 81
to "a years, captains from 81 to 80
years and first lieutenants from 81 to
% years Of age.
Advocates of the Macarthur plan
contend that, while it will not entirely
relieve the situation, it will furnish
much-needed relief to g. large number
Of officers and at a moderate cost when
compared with the total appropriation
for pay, ETC., of the officer personnel.
There appears to be among officers of
the Army general understanding
that the Macarthur plan is not the
best promotion plan that could be
devised for the oficer personnel, yet
at the same time 1t will materially
benefit large number Of officers and
will occasion injury to no officer. The
contention has been made that the
reason for failure of enactment of pro-
motion bills to correct the promotion
situation in the Army during the past
few years was largely due to the fact
that enactment of such bills would
result in injury to one group Of officers.
Maj. Gen. John L. De Witt, quar-
termaster general of the Army, will
recrganize his office, effective Novem-
Der 20. Under the change there will
be provided a five-division organiZa-
ton instead of one of four divisions,
the remodeled divisions being desig-
mated as Administrative, Procurement,
Storage and Distribution, Transporta-
ton and Construction. The principal
changes have been brought about
through the new organization, so as to
segregate under the Procurement Di-
vision Standardization, which includes
specifications, catalogue and patents;
contracts, including claims rising out
] Of procurement; supervision of pro-
| cllreLnent policies for all divisions CT
the Office under the current procure
ment, and war procurement branch
which includes all plans for procure
1
effect of this change is to place the
control of procurement policies under
single division, which serves all other
divisions Of the office. instead of hav-
ing a similar activity in several di-
visions.
The division Of the ofIice, formerly
known as the Supply Division, will
hereafter function under the title of
| Storage and Distribution Division"
/ vxritt VnI
its chief. Brig. Gen. H. c. Whitehead
will be designated as chief of the Pro-
curement Division. Brig. Gen. Louis
H. Bash and Brig. Gen. A. E. Williams
will remain as chiefs of the Construc-
ton and Transportation Divisions, re-
Spectively.
The Chief of Army Air Corps has
recommended that the number of flight
surgeons detailed for duty with the
Air Corps and assigned to Air Corps
stations be increased to 70 to meet the
existing requirements and that addi-
tional assignment be made on a
strength basis of six per thousand of
off1cer and enlisted strength of the Air
Corps. It has been proposed to in
crease the length of the course at the
Aviation School of Medicine to four
months and to require completion of
|
National Guard officers as a prelim-
mary step to active-duty training at
the school.
Navy.
Interest is being taken in the session
Of the Naval Selection Board that will
be convened at the Navy Department
during the first week in December for
the purpose of recommending six cap
tai1s for promotion to the grade of rear
admiral and % commanders for promo
ton to the grade of captain. More or
! less curiosity has been aroused to see
whether the President will approve the
recommendations made by this board.
The solitary example of presidential re-
lection of boards findings took place,
it will be recalled, not long ago, but this
example Of exercise of privilege possessed
by the Chief Executive, is not consid-
cred as establishing a precedent likely
TO produce repetition. The criticism
OF this earlier occurrence has not
abated, however, and there is an I'M
verified rumor that there will be some
question raised by members of the SEN
ate Naval Committee respecting this
unusual preferment, when the nominal
tons of the officers comes up for conSid-
Grafton at the Capitol.
The present arrangement Of combining
the task of the December board to the
selection of officers for the rangs of rear
admiral and captain, and of assigning
to another board, which will meet al
some date as yet undetermined early
in the coming year, the selection OF
officers for the rank of commander, has
been adopted, presumably, as a means
OF aftording the members of the first
Selection Board the opportunity of per-
forming their responsible and difficult
service without increasing unduly the
burden OF their task. Although the
board Will be instructed to recommend
six captains for promotion to rear ad-
miral and 70 commanders for promotion
70 captain, instructions will be issued tc
the board that If any of the captains
who viii complete IS years commits
stoned service on June 80, 1892. are
not selected the number of comma nders
to be selected will be increased by the
NUMBER OF such captains not selected
and who will be retired and therefore
tne number OF commanders to be Sc
lected may be possibly 81 instead of %
Inc board will be composed of the fol-
lowing Officers: Admiral Richard H
Leigh, president, and Rear Admirals
Inomas J. Sem, George C. Day, John
X. Z. Blakely, Henry ". Butler, William
n. STANDBY, Wat T. Cluverius, Arthur
: J. Hepburn, and william D. Leahy, with
Lieut., Comdr. William I. Causey, jr., al
recorder.
Medical Director (Rear AdmiraD J. F.
Legs, on duty at the New York Navy
: Yard, will be the FIRST naval medica
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