Evening star., 1942-05-17
Specialists for the Army
Civilian Corps Will Fill Gap in Military Service
By Brandt
Nm the shoulders of Dwight r. Davis,

IN the shoulders Of Dwight r. Davis,
~ one-time Secretary Of War, has
fallen the Job Of organizing the Army's
new and unprecedented semi-military
outfit, the Specialist Corps The corps
is designed to fill an obvious gap and at
the same time give needed flexibility to
war personnel. 1t is being built up from
civilian ranks Of professional, industrial
and scientific men. who need no previous
military experience.
Mr.. Davis, who was head Of the War
Department In President Coolidge's
Cabinet and Governor General Of the
Philippine Islands under President
Hoover, is director Of the new branch.
He has no military title. but will report
directly to Secretary Of War Stimson.
The officers and enlisted men Of his
corps, however, will have military rank
and uniforms approximating those Of the
Army, and will be paid according to
Army and civil service schedules. AL
though commissions and enlistments
usually will be "for the duration" service
for special tasks may be as short as a
month or q few weeks Many OF the
specialists will serve with overseas forces,
some even in the front lines.
Have Military Status.
These men, having military status,
would be protected by the Geneva in
ternational agreement regarding soldiers
should they be captured. Civilians, even
those working with troops. are often
treated as spies. Davis has approved
designs for the specialists uniforms
The nearest counterparts of the Spe-
cialist Corps are the Civilian Technical
Corps Of Great Britain and Marshal
Rommel's tank and airplane specialists
in Libya. The American group will gen.
orally take in men over the draft age
and others within the Army age limits
who cannot pass the Armys physical
examinations
"A one-legged or one-eyed man, If he
has the special talents required, will be
enlisted or commissioned just as quickly
as any other person." Mr.. Davis said.
Brains. not physiques, will be our test.
Steinmetz couldn't have passed Army
physical requirements. We would COM
mission such an expert almost immedi-
ately"
Director Davis emphasized that VOL
unteers will be commissioned or enlisted
only as the Army calls for them. Other
wise, he said. the corps would have thou
sands Of men enrolled and on Govern
ment pay with no jobs available for
them. Applications have been coming
In at the rate of about 1000 day and
a file of more than so, 900 has been built
up.
Two Rules Corrected.
The Specialist Corps will correct two
bureaucratic rules of the Army. The
Navy. for which no specialists group has
been planned has the same restricting
regulations. They are: First, that COM
missions may not be issued, except in
most extraordinary circumstances, to any
one who cannot pass the rigid physical
examinations, and, second, that rank
shall be based primarily on age instead
Of merit and experience in private life.
Although an applicant for a commits
sion may be willing to waive compensa-
ton claims for disability, the Army and
Navy BRASS hats insist on retaining the
first rule, arguing that the Government,
despite the waiver, would be liable for
retirement or disability payments.
The new corps meets this problem by
the simple rule that men serving as
specialists shall not be entitled to war
pensions, disability or retirement pay.
If they are injured in line of duty, how
ever, some form Of compensation will be
arranged
Rank and pay in the new organization
will be determined by the applicants ex-
perience and standing in his civilian ca
pacity, the demands of military protocol
and by civil service compensation for
comparable governmental work.