If they are entitled to count time of service as veterinary surgeons and as veterinarians, they would appear to be entitled to the same percentage of increased pay.

Veterinary surgeons and veterinarians are a part of the Army of the United States, made so by the various acts providing for their appointment.

(See sec. 1102, R. S.; sec. 2, act of March 2, 1899; 30 Stat., 977; and act of February 2, 1901, 31 Stat., 748.) Their service is therefore actual service in the Army, although not as an officer or enlisted man, and if they are entitled to longevity pay such service may be counted in computing it. United States v.

Morton (112 U. S., 1, 7).

In the case of Gerald E. Griffin, a veterinarian who was entitled under the act of March 2, 1899 (30 Stat., 977, 978), to "the pay and allowances of a second lieutenant of cavalry," it was held that "he" (was) "entitled to take credit for prior service as an enlisted man in the Army in computing his pay." (7 Comp. Dec., 201.) The only question considered in this decision was the right to count service as an enlisted man, as that was the only prior service shown, but upon the principle of the decision in the case of United States v. Morton, supra, he is entitled to count service as a veterinary surgeon or as a veterinarian also.

The act of February 2, 1901, supra, abolished the grade of veterinarians of the second class, and gave each of the veterinarians provided for the pay and allowances of a second lieutenant, mounted. Both of the veterinarians, on the facts stated, are serving in their third five years' service, and unless they have had prior service that should also be counted, they are entitled to the same percentage of increased pay, viz, the pay of a second lieutenant, mounted, in the third five years of his service. The act of March 2, 1899 (30 Stat., 977), is the first act that provides that a veterinarian of the first class shall have the pay and allowances of a second lieutenant of cavalry, and as Gerald E. Griffin was a veterinarian of the first class from the date of the passage of this act, his increased pay begins at that date.

The act of February 2, 1901 (31 Stat., 753), changed the pay and allowances of Veterinarian Daniel Le May to that of a second lieutenant, mounted, and he is entitled to the increased pay from this date. The inclosures are herewith returned.

Respectfully,

(Art. XXVI, A. R.)

R. J. TRACEWELL,

Comptroller.

[Cir. 30, Aug. 29, 1801.]

The following decision of the Secretary of War is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

Veterinarians are not competent to sit as members of courts-martial or perform any of the duties which are expressly required by law to be performed by commissioned officers. As their status is assimilated to that of commissioned officers, however, they are eligible for detail as members of boards of survey, or councils of administration, and may when no commissioned officer is available serve as exchange officers or post treasurers, and may witness payments to enlisted men.

(Art. XXVI, A. R., Pars. 319 and 791, A. R.)

[G. O. 89, June 25, 1901.]

The following order from the War Department is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 17, 1901.

By sections 195 and 196 of the Revised Statutes the heads of the Executive Departments are required to submit to Congress at the commencement of each regular session a report which shall embrace the transactions of the preceding year, and with the exception of the Department of Justice to furnish to the Congressional Printer copies of the documents usually accompanying their annual report on or before the 1st of November in each year, and a copy of their annual report on or before the third Monday of November in each year.

To enable the Secretary of War to comply with the law it is essential that all reports of subordinate bureaus and military commands be in his hands at such timely date as will permit their harmonious arrangement as a basis for his review of the operations of the year and recommendations for the future. To this end the following rules will be carefully observed:

All reports will cover the fiscal year ending June 30, and, as a rule, will terminate with that date. Should military conditions after June 30 require later information supplemental reports will be promptly forwarded to the Secretary of War.

17619-03-20

Division and department commanders will have their annual reports in the hands of the AdjutantGeneral not later than September 1. These reports will be in printed form of the same measure as the general orders from the Headquarters of the Army, and will embrace a report of military operations during the year, fully setting forth the conditions generally in their commands and be accompanied by the reports of their various staff officers and reports of important military operations of subordinate commanders. These reports to be as brief and succinct as possible, avoiding duplications and prolixity of statement. The reports of division commanders, while reviewing the operations of departments under their command, will not include a reprint of the reports of such department commanders. Twenty printed copies will be sent to the Adjutant-General of the Army.

The reports of the military governors of the Philippines and Cuba will be in printed form of the same size as above prescribed for the reports of division and department commanders, and must be in the hands of the Secretary of War not later than October 1.

The reports of the Commanding General of the Army, of the heads of bureaus, of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, of the Commissioners of the National Military Parks, of the inspection of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers required by act of August 18, 1894, of the Board of Commissioners of the Soldiers' Home of the District of Columbia and of the inspection of the Soldiers' Home of the District of Columbia required by act of March 3, 1883, and of the Superintendent of the Military Academy will be rendered in manuscript, and must be in the hands of the Secretary of War not later than October 1.

Illustrations to accompany reports should be limited in number and confined to those that are directly related to the text and necessary to its clear understanding. To enable the Public Printer to produce the best results they will be sent in their original form. Maps, plans, and drawings intended to be lithographed to be on tracing linen or drawing paper, photographs to be the best possible prints from the negatives, and no photo-engraving or lithographic work will be ordered without special authority of the Secretary of War. ELIHU ROOT, Secretary of War.

(Par. 211, A. R.)

II. The following order from the War Department is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, May 29, 1902.

The attention of officers in command of military departments and commands in the field, and of chiefs of bureaus of the War Department, is called to the inexpediency of the practice which has recently grown up of printing in full the reports of subordinate commanders, staff officers, and others, as appendices to annual reports. The mass of documents thus collected and printed has become so great that the mere bulk of the reports prevents their being read or consulted and involves very great expense for practically useless printing.

Commanding officers of military departments and commands in the field, and chiefs of bureaus, will be expected hereafter to give in their own reports such résumé of the reports of their subordinates and such expressions on the important features of those reports as they deem wise, and they alone will henceforth be printed, the manuscript reports of subordinate commanders, staff officers, and others, unless of special professional value, being simply filed in the office of the officer making the report for reference and action.

The instructions published in General Orders, No. 89, June 25, 1901, Adjutant-General's Office, for the preparation of annual reports are modified accordingly.

(Par. 211, A. R.)

[Cir. 35, Oct. 7, 1901.]

ELIHU ROOT, Secretary of War.

The following decision has been made and is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF A DEPARTMENT-TITLE OF DETAILED LINE OFFICER.An officer of the line detailed as assistant adjutant-general under the act of Congress approved February 2, 1901, and assigned to duty as adjutant-general of a geographical department, should in signing orders and communications use the title "Major of Cavalry (Artillery or Infantry), Adjutant-General," the title of the office to which he is assigned under paragraph 214 of the Regulations being adjutant-general and not assistant adjutant-general.

[G. O. 118, Sept. 4, 1901.]

By direction of the Secretary of War, the following is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned, in connection with the provisions of General Orders, No. 81, June 13, 1901, from this office, creating artillery districts:

The station of the district commander will be the headquarters of the district; his staff will consist of two officers of not higher rank than captain (usually one captain and one lieutenant) selected from the available artillery officers on duty in his district.

The records of an artillery district will consist of an order book; a letters-received book and index for letters received; a letters-sent book and index for letters sent; all orders, circulars, and instructions from higher authority; extract copies of the monthly returns of posts in the district; muster rolls of the field, staff, and band; all correspondence, returns, and reports relating to fire control and artillery efficiency. Commanding officers of posts serving in artillery districts will furnish an extract copy of so much of the post returns as includes the artillery part of their commands direct to the district commander.

Commanding officers of batteries and companies of artillery not serving in artillery districts will forward all reports and returns to the Adjutant-General of the Army through military channels, with the exception of the monthly returns, which will be sent direct, in compliance with General Orders, No. 15, Adjutant-General's Office, February 13, 1901.

(Pars. 227, 367, and 408, A. R.)

[G. O. 137, Oct. 22, 1901.]

By direction of the Acting Secretary of War, the following is published for the information and guidance of all concerned:

The commanding officer of each battery of guns or mortars at a seacoast fortification will keep an emplacement book, in which will be entered the following information: Full range tables adapted to height of guns, data required at the range finder, and other desirable information.

The tactical numbers of the guns or mortars, followed by the factory and carriage number.

All letters sent or received which pertain solely to the armament or the emplacement; all orders in force relating to care and service of same.

All defects noted in guns or equipment, with statement of action taken, and when and what repairs or alterations were effected.

The foregoing record will be kept in blank books furnished by the Quartermaster's Department.

By direction of the Secretary of War, the attention of all officers is called to the excessive requests made upon the War Department for record books, books of instruction, and blank forms, which in many cases indicate not alone a lack of care in the preparation of such requisitions, but also in the use and preservation of the books and blanks furnished. Only such quantities of these supplies will hereafter be called for as the actual needs of the public service require, and officers must give their personal attention to the proper care and use of books and blanks furnished them.

In making requisitions the quantity on hand will be deducted from the quantity required, as in the case of other public property, and the period for which supplies are desired will be stated, which should not exceed six months and for recruiting purposes not for more than three months.

(Pars. 227, 294, and 1761, A. R.)

[Cir. 37, Oct. 18, 1901.]

By direction of the Acting Secretary of War, the colors of the former regiments of artillery will be forwarded to the Adjutant-General of the Army for preservation. The guidons of the former light batteries, when replaced by new regulation guidons, will be disposed of as provided in paragraph 249 of the Regulations of 1901. (Pars. 247 and 249, A. R.)

[Cir. 7, Feb. 27, 1902.]

The following decision has been made and is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

There is no reason for a departure from the invariable rule that there should be but one commanding officer at a post, who should be held responsible for the complete instruction and efficiency of his command, no matter of how many branches of the service the garrison is composed.

The duties of subordinate commanders are well defined, and it is the express duty of the commanding officer to see that they are carried out, even if he may not have the technical knowledge of all the details pertaining to each particular branch, as the Medical Department, the Signal Corps, the Engineer Corps, or the Artillery Corps.

Long-established practice has shown the wisdom of the rule, and it requires no argument to show that to exempt the artillery from its application would be at the risk of harmony-would divide responsibility and impair efficiency. Even under the latitude of paragraph 436 of the Regulations, which exempts the artillery from certain post duties, well-founded complaints have sometimes been engendered, and to extend it so as to practically make a quasi-independent command in a post would tend to weaken, not strengthen, the hand of the post commander.

When two or more field batteries are serving at a post of different arms of the service there can be no objection to a provisional battalion of artillery "for maneuvers and instruction," the same as prescribed for infantry and cavalry, without separate headquarters or distinctive records, and all under the immediate control of the post commander, and to the detail for these purposes of an adjutant and sergeantmajor by the battalion commander.

(Pars. 254 and 436, A. R.)

[Cir. 8, Mar. 7, 1902.]

The following decision published for the information of all concerned: OFFICERS' SCHOOLS AT POSTS.-The "officers' schools at posts," prescribed in paragraph 5, General Orders, No. 155, November 27, 1901, from this office, replace and supersede the lyceums referred to in paragraph 257 of the Regulations, which are discontinued as separate institutions. The requirement in said order that “all captains of the line of less than ten years' service," with certain exceptions, shall participate in the work of the schools applies to captains having less than ten years' service as commissioned officers in the Regular Army.

The books required for use in the officers' schools other than those published by the Government and distributed by the War Department must be provided by the individual officers concerned.

By direction of the Secretary of War, vinegar cruets are added to the list of mess furniture to be supplied to troops under the provisions of General Orders, No. 7, January 29, 1895, from this office, and the allowance is fixed in the proportion of eight cruets to each one hundred men.

The following decision has been made and is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

COMPANY FUND.-In the organization of the new companies of Coast Artillery, specified in General Orders, No. 25, February 28, 1901, from this office, a pro rata share of the fund of each old company will be transferred to the new one with which its enlisted personnel divided.

The following decision of the Secretary of War is published to the Army for the information and guidance or all concerned:

COMMUTATION OF FRESH VEGETABLES.-A primary duty of the Subsistence Department is to supply to troops the articles of the ration in kind wherever it is practicable to do so. Chief commissaries are not authorized, in the absence of post gardens (A. R. 354 of 1901), to produce a dearth of fresh vegetables at a post by not contracting for a supply of the same and thus give rise to claims by troops for commutation under paragraph 1384, Army Regulations of 1901. The preference of the post for commutation should not waive the duty of the Subsistence Department in the premises. (Pars. 354 and 1384, A. R.)

By direction of the Secretary of War, the following is published to the Army for the information and guidance of all concerned:

Post exchanges, as now constituted, having been recognized as Government agencies by the Treasury Department and by the Court of Claims to the extent of exempting them from the payment of internal-revenue taxes (Dugan v. United States, 34 Court of Claims, 458), the prohibition heretofore imposed by Circular No. 12, November 21,