We have heretofore considered those communications which aid combat. We now take up those which have no direct bearing upon the outcome of an engagement. We have seen how the field message makes possible by its fresh information the plan for battle, how the field and operation orders frame that plan for battle, how the order maneuvers the trains in connection with battle, and how letters of instruction issue general directions for a campaign of many battles. We now come to the place where the maneuver, enterprise, or undertaking is over. For a variety of future benefits we must have a record of those occurrences. The War Diary and The Report are the communications which perform that office.
Just as certain individuals keep journals of their lives, so the higher military units keep diaries of their existences. “The War Diary is a record of events kept in campaign by each battalion and higher organization and by each ammunition, supply, engineer, and sanitary train. Entries are made daily and should form a concise history of the military operations. A day comprises 24 hours covered
Each day’s record will commence with a march table, or statement of the operations or location of the organization, including an account of weather, roads, camp, health of troops, etc., and a statement of the supply of ammunition, rations, and forage. This will be followed by a chronological record of events, including time and place of issue and receipt of orders and messages, with a copy or a synopsis of contents.
It is of especial importance that the exact hour and place at which movements are begun and ended, and orders or important messages sent or received be noted. After an engagement, the war diary will contain a report of losses and captures and will be accompanied by a sketch showing the positions of the command at the most important phases.
Each day’s record will be attested by the commander or by the adjutant; and, with attached copies of orders and messages sent and received, will be forwarded daily to the next higher commander, who as soon as practicable, after the receipt thereof, will forward the war diary direct to the War Department.
Commanders of armies, or of units not components of a higher command, will forward their war diaries direct to the War Department.”[18] Thus these documents become the authentic material for our military history.
To go into the War Diary more specifically, let us tabulate what we might actually state therein. We should start with the heading:
War Diary,
3d Battalion, 72d Infantry,
3 May, 1920.
The date in this case would cover the whole period from midnight May 2/3 to midnight May 3/4.
Since a march would most likely be the first happening of any note after midnight May 2/3, the diary would start with a march table.
Went into defensive position on SILERS RIDGE at 9-15 a. m. Right of I Company at SILERS FARM—Left of M Company at rail fence corner. Began building standing trench at 9-25 a. m. Dinner, cooked ration, 11 a. m. Finished trenches, saps, and entanglements 4 p. m. Supper, 4-30 p. m. Bivouacked 800 yds. in rear of trenches at 8 p. m. Enemy’s harassing patrol wakened command at 11 p. m.; otherwise no activity.
Weather: clear and cool. Slight rain between second and third halts.
Roads: good metal roads entire march.
Camp: Bivouac grassy gentle slope—dry ground.
Water: Spring 200 yds. rear of center of position—capacity for regiment.
Health: Command generally exhausted after march with full packs and with 60 rounds per man, and especially after digging. On sick report—16; absent sick—8.
Ammunition: On hand, including amount on persons of men—118,200 rounds. 1 ammunition wagon returned to LIBERTY at 12, noon, for refilling.
Rations: 4 days’ supply on hand.
Forage: 1 day’s forage on hand. 1 wagon returned to LIBERTY at 2 p. m. to refill.
Losses: 1 private, K Company, killed by enemy’s harassing patrol.
Captures: none.
Road and Position sketches covering day’s operations enclosed.
Copies of battalion commander’s march and defense orders, also copies of one message from regimental commander, enclosed.
By order of Major Jenkins:
H. E. BOTTOMLY,
1st Lieut., Bn, Adj. 3d Bn.
The original of the above is sent to the regimental commander and a copy is retained by the battalion.
The above data, supplemented with the sketches, messages, and orders enclosed, furnish a complete history of the battalion’s doings for the day.
Blanks are furnished from the War Department from time to time to enable Adjutants (whose duty it is to keep the War Diary) to fill in the data more quickly.
Reports cover a wide range of subjects. When a leader is in doubt as to whether an event is important enough to report, he had better take the wise course and send in his description of what has happened. Very few occurrences in the military service are so unessential as to be rightfully ignored.
They may take either one of two forms: either they may be dated, headed “Report on so-and-so” (see example on following), and inclosed with a letter of transmittal; or they may themselves be in the form of letters addressed directly to the person or office for whom they are destined.
Reports may consist of expository description on the one hand or of a narration on the other, but they usually consist of a combination of the two.
Here is an example of highly expository description. It is the report upon the German raid which was given us under Operation Orders.
In the field, 12th April, 1916.
Captain Wagener’s Report on the Raid on the Evening
of 11th
April, 1916
At 4 p. m. the raiding party marched from Martinpuich through Pozières, then by the Lattorf Graben—Regimentstrichter—Krebs Graben to the Appointed dug-outs on the left of Sap No. 3, where the evening meal was found ready prepared.
At 8 p. m. the artillery preparation commenced as prearranged. Shortly after fire was opened, the whole of the enemy’s position from Windmühle to Besenhecke was wrapped in greyish-white smoke, which the wind drove back over Sap No. 3 into our lines.
By 8.10 p. m. it was impossible to remain in our trench east of Sap No. 3 without wearing a gas mask. This was still the case at 8.20 p. m., when the patrols moved forward from their dug-outs to the Hohlweg, in the order Stradtmann, Dumas, Böhlefeld, and Freund. Lieutenant Boenig followed close behind Lieutenant Stradtmann.
By 8.25 p. m. the party was posted ready in the Hohlweg. The clouds of gas and smoke, however, still hung so thick over the enemy’s trenches that it was impossible to distinguish whether our own shells were still falling on the point of entry or whether our artillery had already lengthened their range.
At 8.27 p. m. Lieutenant Stradtmann received the order to advance to the attack with his patrol. Lieutenant Boenig, with the six stretcher bearers, left the Hohlweg simultaneously and in rear of Stradtmann’s patrol, and posted connecting files, whose positions were marked by red signal lamps shaded to the front and to the sides.
At 8.28 p. m. Dumas’ and Böhlefeld’s patrols advanced. Following the line of connecting files, they reached the point of entry, to find that Stradtmann’s patrol was already in possession of 16 yards of trench, and had captured three prisoners. The latter had come out of their dug-outs just as Lieutenant Stradtmann appeared in front of the enemy’s trench. They carried hand grenades and rifles with bayonets fixed, but were immediately disarmed by Lieutenants Boenig and Stradtmann.
Dumas’ patrol immediately turned to the left down the trench, and, in a few steps, came upon a half-destroyed machine gun emplacement. Reservist Nadolny, of Stradtmann’s patrol, was already occupied in digging out the buried machine gun. Lieutenant Dumas penetrated further along the enemy’s trench, and soon reached the communication trench which runs, roughly along the dividing line between Target Sectors 79 and 80, towards the Weisse Steinmauer. At this point a large dug-out had been wrecked, apparently by a direct hit. Lieutenant Dumas had previously sent three men of his patrol along behind the enemy’s trench; they reached the communication trench about 11 yards behind the front line trench. A few Englishmen, who came out of this communication trench, endeavored to reach the parados of the front line trench, whence they evidently intended to defend it. They were, however, surprised by our three men and bayoneted.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Dumas, with the rest of his men, forced his way further along the trench, and just north of Besenhecke reached the communication trench which leads to the brown prolongation of the Weisse Steinmauer (white stone wall). They passed another wrecked dug-out, in which dead bodies were seen. Adjoining the above-mentioned communication trench, another large dug-out was found, which the patrol intended to clear. As, however, a number of Englishmen advanced upon Dumas’ patrol from the communication trench and alongside it, a mêlée ensued with grenades, rifles and pistols, in the course of which the enemy, after suffering evident loss, either retreated or surrendered, while none of Dumas’ patrol received wounds of any account.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Böhlefeld advanced along the enemy’s trench to the right of the point of entry, and, in a few yards, came to three large dug-outs, of which one was wrecked and full of dead and wounded. At his summons, the enemy came out of the others and surrendered without more ado. Lieutenant Böhlefeld sent back the prisoners and asked for reinforcements in order to clear the dug-outs, undertaking, meanwhile, to hold the enemy’s trench with two men.
At 8.30 p. m., as no noise came from the point of entry, or from the right of the same, while from a point some 65 yards to the left shots and reports of grenades could be heard, I ordered Vice-Sergeant Major Elb to advance with five men and reinforce Dumas’ patrol. Lieutenant Erb, the regimental adjutant, attached himself to this party. He was wearing an oxygen-breathing apparatus and had been waiting in the Hohlweg. Shortly after, the sounds of fighting ceased on the left, and the first batch of prisoners was brought back from the enemy’s trench. I had come to the conclusion that we had the upper hand everywhere, especially on the right, and with a view to exploiting fully our success, I ordered Lieutenant Freund to cross the enemy’s trench at the point of entry with 15 men of the supports, and to attack the Spion from the rear. At the same time, I sent forward Vice-Sergeant Major Wölfle with 4 men to reinforce Lieutenant Böhlefeld.
In order to have a reserve in hand for meeting all eventualities, I ordered up the commanders of the two groups on the flank of the 12th Company, which was stationed immediately to the right of Sap No. 3. The groups had been warned in the afternoon and given the necessary instructions. Whilst Vice-Sergeant Majors Elb and Wölfle, with their men, went in search of Dumas’ and Böhlefeld’s patrols, Lieutenant Freund dashed across the enemy’s trench at the point of entry and followed it along to the right as far as the communication trench which leads into the front line trench near the Spion. Freund’s patrol leapt into the enemy’s front line trench on both sides of the communication trench, captured 10 men almost without a struggle, and secured several rifles and articles of equipment. A few Englishmen who offered resistance were bayoneted; Volunteer Herrmann, of the 7th Company, and Lance Corporal Haufler, of the 4th Company, particularly distinguished themselves. A few Englishmen attempted to get away, but were shot dead.
Volunteer Herrmann further discovered an extemporized trench mortar. The latter could not be carried off, however, as it was securely built in. Vice-Sergeant Major Wölfle, who arrived on the scene shortly after, destroyed the trench mortar as well as he could with hand grenades and pistol shots.
Böhlefeld’s reinforced patrol had accompanied the advance of Freund’s patrol along the trench, and came across three or four more wrecked dug-outs, which were filled with dead. Individuals standing about in the trench were killed by the patrol or made prisoner. During this affair, Under Officer Nössler, of the 11th Company, repeatedly distinguished himself.
Whilst our party was breaking into the enemy’s trenches or perhaps even before, a party of the enemy, approximately 25 to 30 strong, succeeded in getting away from the front line trench and making their way back to the Weisse Steinmauer, but were again driven back by our artillery fire, and now came running towards Stradtmann’s patrol. The latter, apprehending a counter-attack, opened fire. Ersatz Reservist Walzer, of the 11th Company, followed by Under Officer Staiger, of the 10th Company and others, raised a cheer and charged the Englishmen, bayoneting two of them. Those who did not put up their hands and surrender, were killed.
Lieutenant Erb had soon caught up Dumas’ patrol and took part in the subsequent fighting, which was practically continuous, for almost every one of the enemy offered resistance. With hand grenade and pistol, Dumas’ patrol killed more than 20 of the enemy, besides wounding a large number. In this fighting Volunteer Hees, of the 6th Company, particularly distinguished himself. Always to the fore, he alone accounted for several Englishmen. On our side only one man was slightly wounded.
In consequence of the events described above, Dumas’ patrol remained in the enemy’s trench considerably longer than intended. When all the other patrols had returned to the Hohlweg, the Dumas-Erb patrol was still missing.
Hereupon, Lieutenants Boenig and Stradtmann, with several non-commissioned officers and men, went back to the enemy’s lines and searched the trench to the left until they met the Dumas-Erb patrol on its way back. Here again Under Officer Nössler, of the 11th Company, 110th Reserve Infantry Regiment, distinguished himself.
At 8.50 p. m., the last men of the entire party had returned to the Hohlweg and went back to their dug-outs.
At 8.51 p. m., the first shell fell on the front line trenches east of Sap No. 3.
At 8.57 p. m., the artillery commander was informed that the artillery fire could be gradually broken off.
At 9 p. m., a heavy battery near Albert dropped a few shells near Sap No. 3.
At 9.05 p. m., the conclusion of the operation was reported.
The following were captured: 24 unwounded and 5 wounded prisoners, 1 Lewis gun, 1 rifle with telescopic sights, 20 ordinary rifles, and a large number of steel helmets, belts with ammunition pouches, packs, haversacks, and gas helmets.
Our casualties consisted of one man slightly wounded in the forehead by a splinter from a hand grenade. He was bandaged in the advanced dressing-station and immediately returned to the patrol.
(Signed) WAGENER,
Captain and Company Commander.
40 copies, as appendices to the Report of the 110th Reserve Infantry Regiment on the raid of the 11th April, 1916.
A more narrative form of report is represented by the following extract from Gen. Bragg’s report during the Civil War:
“To meet our successful advance and retrieve his losses in the front of his left, the enemy early transferred a portion of his reserve from his left to that flank, and by 2 o’clock had succeeded in concentrating such a force on Lieutenant General Hardee’s front as to check his further progress. Our two lines had, by this time, become almost blended, so weak were they by losses, exhaustion, and extension to cover the enemy’s whole front. As early as 10 a. m. Major General Breckinridge was called on for one brigade, and soon after for a second, to reinforce or act as a reserve to General Hardee. His reply to the first call represented the enemy as crossing Stone’s River in heavy force in his immediate front; and on receiving the second order he informed me they had already crossed in heavy force and were advancing on him in two lines. He was immediately ordered not to wait attack but to advance and meet them. About this same time a report reached me that a heavy force of the enemy’s infantry was advancing on the Lebanon Road about five miles in Breckinridge’s front. Brigadier General Pegram, who had been sent to that road to cover the flank of the infantry with the cavalry brigade (save two regiments, detached with Wheeler and Wharton), was ordered forward immediately to develop such movement. The orders for the two brigades from Breckinridge were countermanded, whilst dispositions were made at his request to reinforce him. Before they could be carried out, the movements ordered disclosed the facts that no force had crossed Stone’s River; that the only enemy in our immediate front there was a small body of sharpshooters, and that there was no advance on the Lebanon Road.
“These unfortunate misapprehensions on that part of the field (which, with proper precaution, could not have existed) withheld from active operation three fine brigades until the enemy had succeeded in checking our progress, had reëstablished his lines, and had collected many of his broken battalions.”
The above example, in addition to its value as a narrative report, illustrates the dependence of a commander upon proper information.
Routine Orders preserve their normal tenor in peace or war. They have to do with the administration of the military service, so that a state of campaign has very little influence upon their character.
| { General Orders. | |
| { Special Orders. | |
| They consist of | { Circulars. |
| { Bulletins. | |
| { Memoranda. |
General Orders “include generally, (1) all detailed instructions necessary in carrying out certain general regulations or orders issued from superior headquarters; (2) all standing instructions, to the end that frequent repetitions may be avoided; and (3) proceedings of general and special courts-martial.”
General Orders are issued by commanders of armies, field armies, corps, divisions, brigades, regiments, separate battalions, posts, departments, and districts.
“When necessary, orders are used by commanders of battalions forming parts of regiments, and for smaller units and detachments, for the same class of instructions as are promulgated by higher commanders in general orders.” In other words orders is a term used to designate those instructions issued by commanders of divisions and of separate brigades in regard to trains, and also a term used by battalions and smaller units to designate those instructions corresponding to general orders for higher units.
Here is an example of a General Order from the War Department.
GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 2 Washington, January 4, 1917.
1. An examination of majors, captains, and first lieutenants of the Regular Army, with a view to their selection for appointment to fill vacancies in the grade of major in the Judge Advocate General’s Department, will be held at the headquarters of the Eastern, Central, Western, Southern, Hawaiian Departments, the headquarters of the United States troops in the Panama Canal Zone, the headquarters of the Philippine Department, and the headquarters of the 15th infantry, Tientsin, China, beginning at 8 a. m., on May 10, 1917, or as soon thereafter as practicable. No officer who has not served as a commissioned officer of the Regular Army for at least eight years will be regarded as eligible to take the examination.
2. Eligible officers who desire to take the examination will make application to the commanding officer of that one of the commands mentioned in the preceding paragraph in which they are stationed, and each of such commanding officers is authorized to issue the necessary orders to assemble applicants at his headquarters on the date set for the examination. * * * *
3. The examination will be supervised at each headquarters by the judge advocate or the officer acting as such. If the acting judge advocate shall apply to take the examination and is the only judge advocate present at such headquarters, the commanding officer of the command will detail some other suitable officer to supervise the examination.
4. On the day and hour set for the beginning of the examination, each candidate will deliver to the officer supervising the examination a signed statement including:
(a) A brief statement concerning the candidate’s education and experience both legal and general;
(b) A list of persons who are familiar with the candidate’s qualifications along legal lines, with the address of each person;
(c) One or more briefs or other law memoranda, not exceeding ten, prepared by the candidate and made use of by him in the solution of legal questions, whether moot or practical;
(d) A specific list, as complete as practicable, of general court-martial or civil court trials in which the candidate has participated either as prosecutor or counsel;
(e) Copies of or specific references to the applicant’s published writings, whether of legal or other character, which he may desire to have considered;
(f) Outline of service of candidate since his entry into the military establishment;
(g) Any other matter the candidate may desire to present for consideration.
(2507125, A. G. O.)
By order of The Secretary of War:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.
Official:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
Here is an example of a General Order publishing the result of a General Court-Martial.
GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 3 Washington, January 5, 1917.
Before a general court-martial which convened at Nogales, Ariz., October 25, 1916, pursuant to Special Orders, No. 268, October 14, 1916, as amended in Special Orders, No. 273, October 19, 1916, Southern Department, and of which Lieut. Col. George A. Skinner, Medical Corps, was president, and Capt. Sherman A. White, 12th Infantry, judge advocate, was arraigned and tried—
Capt. John Smith, U. S. Infantry.
Charge I.—“Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in violation of the 62d Article of War.”
One specification.
Charge II.—“Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman in violation of the 61st Article of War.”
Two specifications.
To which charges and specifications the accused pleaded “Not Guilty.”
FINDINGS
Of the Specification, 1st Charge, and of the 1st Charge, “Not Guilty.”
Of the Specifications, 2d Charge, and of the 2d Charge, “Guilty.”
SENTENCE
“To be dismissed the service of the United States.”
The sentence having been approved by the convening authority and the record of trial forwarded for the action of the President under the 106th Article of War, the following are his orders thereon:
The sentence of dismissal imposed by the general court-martial in the foregoing case of Captain John Smith, U. S. Infantry, is hereby confirmed and will be carried into execution.
Woodrow Wilson.
The White House,
3 January, 1917.
Capt. John Smith, U. S. Infantry, ceases to be an officer of the Army from January 6, 1917.
(2495592, A. G. O.)
By Order of The Secretary of War:
H. L. SCOTT.
Major General, Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
Here is an example of a General Order of a Territorial Department.
GENERAL ORDERS, }HEADQUARTERS EASTERN
No. 1. } DEPARTMENT,
Governors Island, N. Y., January 1, 1916.
This order supersedes General Orders, No. 1, Headquarters Eastern Department, dated January 1, 1915, and all amendatory orders thereto, together with all bulletins published heretofore.
BY COMMAND OF MAJOR GENERAL WOOD:
EDWIN F. GLENN,
Colonel, General Staff,
Chief of Staff.
Official:
W. A. SIMPSON,
Adjutant General,
Adjutant.
The above order is the first page of an alphabetical list of general orders in force in the Department. Some of them have been originated by the Department Commander and some have been made to comply with War Department instructions.
The general order of a Department covering court-martial cases is the same as that of the War Department, with the exception of the caption which is given below.
General Court-Martial }HEADQUARTERS EASTERN
Orders, No. 6. } DEPARTMENT.
Governors Island, N. Y., Jan. 22, 1916.
Here is an example of a Post General Order.
Headquarters United States Military Academy,
West Point, N. Y., February 27, 1917.
General Orders, }
No. 7. }
1. A vertical filing system (the War Department Correspondence File, a subjective decimal classification for arranging and filing War Department correspondence) will be used exclusively in recording and filing correspondence at these headquarters and also in the offices of the Quartermaster and of the Treasurer on and after March 1, 1917.
2. The operation of General Orders, No. 92, War Department, 1909, as modified by subsequent orders, prescribing the card record system now in use generally at administrative headquarters, has been suspended by the War Department as far as these headquarters is concerned.
3. The name of the writer signing an original paper will be inserted on carbon copies that are forwarded. One carbon copy of all typewritten reports, letters, and indorsements (except short, routine indorsements), will be made on standard letter size paper (not perforated) for use in the records at these headquarters. Such copy will be distinctly marked “For Headquarters Records,” and will not be withdrawn at subordinate offices.
4. Copies of the publication entitled “War Department Correspondence File” and Circular No. 1, War Department, March 24, 1914, explaining and giving instructions as to the operation of this system, will be supplied by The Adjutant General of the Army upon application direct.
By order of Colonel Biddle:
C. C. CARTER,
Major, C. A. C.,
Adjutant.
If a Post General Order covers a court-martial case tried by a general court, the order number will appear thus:
General Court-Martial }
Orders, No. 4. }
If it covers one tried by a special court, it will appear thus:
Special Court-Martial }
Orders, No. 4. }
The separate battalion or company would issue orders on the same general plan as post general orders. The order number would appear thus:
Orders: }
No. 6. }
SPECIAL ORDERS differ from General Orders in that the former refer to individuals.
Here is an example of a War Department Special Order.
SPECIAL ORDERS }WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 289. } Washington, December 11, 1916.
1. The leave of absence on account of sickness granted John J. Nobbo, First Lieutenant, 13th Cavalry, in Special Orders, No. 196, War Department, August 22, 1916, is extended three months on surgeon’s certificate of disability, and upon the expiration of this leave Lieut. Nobbo will report to the commanding officer, Fort Riley, Kan., for examination as to his physical condition by the surgeon at the post.
These Special Orders then take up twenty different individuals in twenty paragraphs and end with,—
22. Capt. Alfred W. Perkins, Infantry, Detached Officers’ List, will repair to this city and report in person to the Chief of Staff for duty in connection with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and upon completion of this duty will return to his proper station. The travel directed is necessary in the military service.
(2503282, A. G. O.)
By Order of The Secretary of War:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
The separate paragraphs are also made up into extract copies as follows:
SPECIAL ORDERS, }
No. 289. }
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, December 11, 1916.
Extract
3. Private Clifford H. Worthington, Military Academy Detachment of Field Artillery, West Point, N. Y., is transferred as private second class to the Ordnance Department and is assigned to duty at that post.
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Acting Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
Departments, Posts, Regiments, Brigades, Divisions, Corps, Field Armies, and Armies follow the same scheme as above for their Special Orders.
CIRCULARS are issued seldom but have great force. They are signed directly by the heads of the War Department, Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Department or of whatever bureau prints the circular.
Here is an example of a Circular issued by the War Department.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, January 24, 1917.
CIRCULAR:
The following resolution was adopted by the Senate on January 16, 1908, and is now one of its standing rules:
Resolved, That no communications from heads of departments, commissioners, chiefs of bureaus, or other executive officers, except when authorized or required by law, or when made in response to a resolution of the Senate, will be received by the Senate unless such communications shall be transmitted to the Senate by the President.
Chiefs of bureaus and others, in preparing communications for the signature of the Secretary of War, will please conform to the foregoing rules and instructions.
NEWTON D. BAKER,
Secretary of War.
Here is a Circular issued by the Quartermaster Corps.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Office of the Quartermaster General, U. S. Army,
Washington, D. C., August 27, 1917.
Circular, }
No. 9. }
Purchases of Supplies
1. During the continuance of the present emergency the following regulations are prescribed under the authority contained in the act of March 4, 1915:
HENRY G. SHARPE,
Quartermaster General, U. S. Army.
10916—17
BULLETINS are issued by the War Department and territorial Departments. Their purpose is the publication of information. They are more numerous than Circulars.
Here is the first page of a Bulletin of the War Department.
BULLETIN }WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 18. } Washington, April 6, 1917.
The following digest of opinions of the Judge Advocate General of the Army, for the month of March, 1917, and of certain decisions of the Comptroller of the Treasury and of courts, together with notes on military justice prepared under the direction of the Judge Advocate General, and a compilation of Federal and State laws prohibiting discrimination against the uniform, is published for the information of the service in general.
(2526413 B-A. G. O.)
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
89793-17—1
Then follow twenty-three pages of the opinions of the Judge Advocate General.
Here is another first page of a War Department Bulletin.
BULLETIN } WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 14. } Washington, March 12, 1917.
The accompanying tabulated statement shows the standing of organizations of the Coast Artillery Corps based on figures of merit attained at target practice during the year 1916, and the hits by calibers at various ranges in 1916.
Slight errors in the figures of merit have been corrected without returning the reports to the organizations concerned.
(2537101, A. G. O.)
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
83601-17—1
What follows for nine pages is a table of statistics on Coast Artillery firing records.
Territorial Departments issue Bulletins seldom. The pamphlets when they do appear, follow the same plan as those of the War Department.
MEMORANDA, are issued by posts, regiments, and separate battalions—by the smaller units. Memoranda deal with subjects which are not so important in a military way as the foregoing orders. They may be numbered, as in the following case, when they are of a permanent nature.
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY,
West Point, N. Y., October 8, 1917.
Memorandum, }
No. 34. }
To prevent damage and danger from fires, parents and others will exercise great care in allowing children under age of discretion to have access to, or to handle matches, or in allowing them to burn leaves or other combustibles in any part of the Post.
(680.23)
By order of Colonel Tillman:
D. H. TORREY,
Captain of Infantry,
Adjutant.
They may be unnumbered, as in the following case, when they are of a temporary nature.
West Point, N. Y., February 27, 1917.
Residents of the Post are informed that a case of chicken pox exists at the Hotel.
The usual precautions against spreading the disease are enjoined.
(Tel. memo. Surgeon.)
By order of Colonel Biddle:
C. C. CARTER,
Major, C. A. C.,
Adjutant.
NOTE.—The War Department issues also certain Special Regulations for particular General Orders to which it wishes to call attention, and puts out in pamphlet form Changes to Regulations. Both Special Regulations and Changes belong to the class of the General Order, and, therefore, are not taken up separately here.