Evening star., 1934-06-24
- HE proposal creating the tenn
1 porary rank of general for the
four officers commanding the
i new armies, under the four

four ofhcers commanding the
L new armies, under the four
army plan. appears to be
pigeonholed and action is not expected
soon.
The War Department is in favor
of this rank being conferred upon the
four Army commanders and has shown
how inappropriate is the rank of major
general to the responsibilities of COM
manders of the four armies. The
American Army is the only first-class
military power without permanent
rank above that of ma jor general
Great Britain has 10 marshals, l3
generals and 80 lieutenant generals
Japan has l3 generals and Sc lieu
tenant generals. while Italy has 4
marshals. 81 generals and 73 lieu
tenant generals. The four Army COM
manders include Maj. Gen. Dennis E.
Nolan. 1st Army, Governors Island
N. Y: Mai. Gen. Preston Brown
I'd Army, Chicago, ILL.,; Maj. Gen.
johnson Hagood, Sd Army. Fort
Sam Houston, Tex, and Maj. Gen.
Malon Craig, 4th Army, San Fran
cisco, Calf.
There Is considerable activity in
Army circles, due to the necessity of
reducing the active list of the Army
by some 800 officers in order to bring
the Army within the provisions of the
appropriation act for the 1885 fiscal
year, which limits the commissioned
personnel to $50 officers whose COM
missions are dated prior to June /
1894.
Approximately 260 officers have been
recommended by the class beard for
separation from the service. Many
officers who received notice that they
have been tentatively placed in class B
have requested permission to appear
before retiring boards for examina-
tion for retirement on account Of
physical disability There is a con-
siderable advantage in this procedure,
for they receive IS per cent OF their
active-duty pay if retired for physical
disability, whereas the maximum pay
If retired by operation Of a class B
board is so per cent of their active
duty pay. Other officers are being
retired on their own application, after
80 or more years service, and are
placed on a limited retired list. There
are only 80 vacancies on that list.
There will be a greater number of
officers assuming new duty in the
Office of the chief Signal officer Of the
Army this Summer than has been
the case for a number of years. Al
together, IL Signal officers are coming
to Washington for duty, three of
whom will pursue courses of instruc-
tion. The Signal Office will have a
new executive officer in the person
of Lieut.. Col. D. Olmstead. who will
assume the executive duties on June
80. He will relieve Maj. George L.
Van Deusen. OF the three officers
going to school, Maj. r. H. Coles and
Capt. ]. V. Matejka will report for
instruction at the Army War College
on August Is. Capt. C. A. Powell will
report at the Army Industrial College
on August Is. When Capt. R. w.
Minckler arrives in Washington on
August l, he will be assigned to COM
mand the 18th Service Company.
The other new Signal Corps ar
rivals in Washington will be assigned
to duty in the Signal Office as follows:
Maj. ]. H. Hinemon. Maj. George P.
Bush, Capt. G. l. Back. Capt. j. H.
Gardner, First Lieut.. W. P. Pence and
First Lieut.. H. G. Miller.
Navy.
Preparation of records of officers
eligible for consideration for selec-
ton for promotion to the grades of
lieutenant commander and lieutenant
in the line of the Navy continues in
the Navy Department.
The line situation directly affects
some of the promotions that have be-
come due, and all that are destined
to become due in the staff corps to
the ranks of lieutenant commander
and lieutenant. Prior to enactment
of the new law, the line running
mates of these officers were known,
but establishment of selection in the
line for lieutenant commander and
lieutenant alters the factors. Until
the lists of line selectees for the two
grades are prepared and approved,
and the position of running mates for
staff officers thereby made known,
promotions in the staff to the two
ranks will be suspended.
War and Navy Department officials
are concerned regarding the question
of counting service rendered between
July /, 1882, and June 80, 1884, for
the purpose of receiving the pay and
allowances of higher pay period
after July l, 1884. The conclusion
has been reached, it is understood,
that such service should be counted
and that all officers who. during the
period between July /, 1882, and June
l, 1884, completed the necessary serv-
ice to entitle them to the pay of
a higher grade will be paid the high
er rate of pay, Notwithstanding the
decision Of the controller general