Evening Star Newspaper, December 19, 1926, Page 60

Army and NavyNews A study of the coplous report sub- mitted last week by the special board appointed by Secretary of War Davis to study the single promotion list of the Regular Army reveals the fact that no change is recommended in the present pro. motion list, but that an investiga- tion is recom- mended of the present and pros- ective promotion situation in the Army, with a view to the application of such measures as will eradicate or prevent the oc- currence of condi- tons inimical to the efficiency of SECRETARY DAVIS. the regular estab- lishment. The main difficulty emanates, the report brings out, from the- large and critical block of the promotion list, comprising about 5,800 officers, who ent the service in the short 2 The extremes of varying but two in the length of service, will ars in reaching the grade of the limited number of vacancies in higher grades can accom- modate but a small part of them, near- them face the prospect of d in grades below colonel. Any rearranzement of the list will not remove th and will not, there- of the situation appears virtually impossible, because of the fact that this critical section of the promotion list comprises 5,375 officers, all but 38 of whom entered: the service during the short period of 19 months, from April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918 y arrangement by age would ult in a material difference in posi- tion, due to slight difference in age, and a loud wail of protest would be raised over this proposal, due to the fact that the difference of a few files in p ion means a difference of menths or vears in future promotions, and frequently means the termination o: careers in the various grades along the line. OMost of the allegations ap- pear to be inspired not so much by the manner in which position was deter- mined as hy the effect upon the pro- motion that results, the underlying cause of most complaints being the promotion situation that is in pros- pect. The block of 5,800 officers, the main cause of the Army’s promotion unrest, all entered the service within the short space of two years, which in tile normal course of events should have been spread out in length of service and in age by about 20 vears. Vacan- cies in the higher grades are occur- ying and will continue to occur so slowly that officers of this group will be advanced very slowly into those grades. When those at’ the head. of the group become majors those occu- pying positions at the bottom of this group will still be first lieutenants, with a prospect of continuing in that grade another 10 years and of reach- ing the grade of major 13 years later. Thus the head and the foot of the while differing only by two length of service, will differ ars_ in attaining their ma- The situation is further com- plicated by the fact that when those at the head of the group become lieu- tenant colonels those at the foot will be junior captains, with a prospect of remaining eight years longer in that grade. When those heading the group become colonels those at the foot will still be captains. The most favorable estimate that can be arrived at in the War Depart- ment s that at least 49 per cent of this group of 5,800 officers will be due for retirement for age before reaching the grade of colonel. Any change made in_the promotion Hst for the benefit of any one group will merely transfer that dissatisfaction to_ an- other group, but the belief has been expressed that the only workable formula will be through & process of elimination. NAVY. Secretary of the Navy Wilbur has submitted a proposal relating to the assignment to duty of certain Navy officers as fleet and squadron en- gineers. The existing law governing the assignment of certain officers as fleet and squadron engineers pre- scribes that “officers of the line of the not below the grade of lieuten- ant may, upon application, and- with pproval of the Secretary of the | be assigned to engineerinz duty | and that when so assignad and until they reach the grade of com- mander, they shall perform duty as prescribed in section 4 of the per- sonnel act approved March 3, 1899 * * ® " Under this law officers for “engineering duty only” of the rank of commander may be assigned to sea duty as fleet or squadron engineers and no other sea duty, and of the rank of captain to shore duty only. In order to meet the growing de- mand for an increase in rank of en- gineering officers on the staffs of the commanders in chief of our fleets, is the reason why the Navy Department strongly favors this proposal. This is due to the increased demand for ex- perienced supervision of the material conditions afloat. The services of such officers der, it out by Secretary Wilbur, who have acquired a vast ex- Yerience in the design, construction, operation and repair of ships, should » to the commanders in Furthermore, the number of officers in commander rank available for this duty is limited. .In the next few years, the Secretary explained, more than half of the officers on the “engineering duty only” list will be, captains. The change proposed by | Secretary Wilbur will allow a greater | selection in the detailof experienced engineer officers to this important duty on the f the commanders | in chief, a nean the utiliza- | tion of the of experienced | engineers in special cases, Such as | new ships and ships with oxperimen. | tal or C] whigh re- | quire ind_exper- | ence of e while buflding and | for a ce iod of operation after | commissi i 11 be some time, it is expected, the Marine Corps board, head- r Gen. Ben H. Fuller, w h waged in preparing a rem- tagnation of promotion will submit {ts findings. | «d,"it I8 not intended to have it | luced during the present session | ©f Congress, except, perhaps, for the | purpose of having it printed. . On the | contr: it ] ned to have the board's” proposuls placed before the | service and considered for a year, so that officers may be afforded an op- portunity to suggest alterations. In| brief, ugreement has been 1year periods in the rroduce the best re ., the ze total of service of «®cers bein years—that is, from 22 to ‘64—to be divided imto six Perivds of seven years each, the sec- @nd and first lleutenants being placed 2 the first period. In the event that t plan is feasi. Ble it appears that officers would be retired 1r 1v of the grades below thut of 1 officer because there ers in each lower ade eded to flll the next higher promotions are made by placing on eligible lists prior to com- pletion of the designated perfods and that transfers from the active list that follow are made solely on ac- count of not being placed on the eligi- ble Mst; that every officer, regardless of age or number of cotem ie It before: approximately the same stage in his career, have the same opportunity for promotion, or, at any rate, the same opportunity for actual and effective consideration, not only as his co temporaries may have, but also as any other officer may have under nor- mal functioning of the personnel scheme. ‘The board is to prepare lists of Decorated Upholstered Rocker (Similar to o These handsome decorated in gree panel backs and ta covered spring seats. On Easy Oil Cook Stoves As Low As Liberal Liberal As Low As cn entry into the service, should, at » As Low THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. those consldered eligible for promo- tion to the several grades, those lists containing a sufficient number of names to insure an even flow of pro- motion froth year to year. Officers are to be placed on the eligible lists and promoted in accordance with the pre- viously existing order of seniority, and all officers not placed on such lists in any year that are senior to the junior appearing on a lst will be transferred from the active list as of June 1. Qfficers holding the grade of major and above, and those of the lower grades having 20 years or more service (enlisted, warrant and commis- sioned) not considered eligible for pro- motion going to the retired list, and those of the grades of captain and leutenant, will go to the reserve as a bonus. Thus, an officer failing to be placed on an eligible list at a time one junior to him is so listed is trans. ferred from the active list and is af- forded no further opportunity to be dered for promotion. This will in that the original seniority of the active list will be preserved, and no officer will find himself in a higher grade junior to those that previously were his juniors. ————— Meat of fat cattle keeps better than meat from thin animals. 16 LONDON ENVISIONS BIG TRAFFIC BODY MERGER Experts Recommend Pooling to Finance New Extensions in Subway Facilities. By the Associated Press. LONDON, December 18.—Pooling the receipts of all London's traffic un- dertakings Is proposed as a means of building subway extensions to ease the transportation problem. The plans ._DECEMBER _1926—PART 1. —_— - call for a combine with a capital of more than $1,000,000,000. A report on the subject has been made by the London traffic advisory committee to the ministry of trans- port. The plan includes all the tubes, busses, tram lines and underground and suburban railway systems. The proposal arose from the demands for an extension of the Great Northern and Piccadilly tube from Finsbury Park to Wood Green in the suburbs. The committee takes the view that a case has been made in favor of thi extension, but owing to financial ci cumstances there is but scant pro: ristmas Bar; Tomeorr Give Furniture for Christmas—nothing pect of the work being done unless a pooling system for all the larger pay- ing traffic services is devised. It is suggested that after payment of oper- ating costs, the profits of the pool would be dividled among the under- takings, and in this way the “lame” lines would be assisted, and numerous new extensions made possible from time to time, e A Burmese spider is phosphor- escent and- turns on {its light when frightened as a means of defense. is quite so - welcome—you’ll find Bargains Galore at Phillip Levy Co.—Merchandise upon which you may save at least - One-Half Guieid) Credit terms so liberal that you'll marvel at the easy payments! ' As Quantities Are Limited, We Suggest an Early Selection !mm-mwwmmmm Picture) 95 new rockers are n or red, with pestry or velour copy. A G 00 R 0 23 L GO 0 G 0 G2 (280 0 (380 GO G G 0 GO 23 | Terms! 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