PROMOTION BY SELECTION.

Promotion by selection, in contradistinction to promotion by seniority, naturally suggests itself as proper for the navy or army, in order to advance the more deserving, and thus bring into these professions, as into others, the system of reward of merit.

Under the old established custom of promoting by seniority it often appears that the inefficient and indifferent are promoted as fast as the able and energetic, and ability counts for little or nothing in these two sister services.

Promotion by selection has therefore suggested itself as the natural remedy for this unsatisfactory state, and yet the question arises, has promotion by selection, as recently practiced, given any more satisfactory results (considering only the interests of the government for a moment) than the old method of

promotion by seniority? Moreover, has not the new system given rise to a feeling of discouragement among the officers who have faithfully and efficiently performed their duties, but who have been passed over by their juniors?

Promotion by selection has in it the elements of fairness, but unless the most worthy be selected it is anything but fair, and in this selection lies the entire difficulty. Personal, family and political influence must enter as factors, no matter how conscientious the appointing power may be. It cannot be otherwise, unless the selection be founded on some direct and accurate test of ability, to which all have free ac

cess.

To select for promotion an officer comparatively low in rank, who has shown himself deserving of promotion may be fair to him, considered alone, but what is the effect on others who feel themselves equally deserving, or know

themselves more deserving? It cannot be otherwise than discouraging and disheartening.

Promotion to brigadier general (or higher rank) has always been by selection, but by selection from the next lower rank only. If our army is so constituted that officers are allowed to reach the rank of colonel and yet the entire list of colonels cannot furnish the few brigadier generals required, then there is something radically wrong in our whole system of promotion below that grade, and our inspections are a farce.

None of the world's great armies have the system of promotion by selection as we practice it; that is, by the sudden advancement of an officer to a rank several grades above his present rank. The Continental armies, except Russia, have a system by which deserving officers obtain a slightly faster rate of promotion from grade to grade, than the average, but that is all, and only affects promotion up to the grade of major.

In Russia, however, promotion by selection, especially in the higher grades, is very common. And what has been the result? Personal, family and political

influence have placed many unworthy and inefficient officers in the higher commands.

In the interests of the government, one of the objects of promotion by selection has been to have a few young and energetic officers in the higher grades. This is undoubtedly to be desired if it will produce the results anticipated, and the latter have no deleterious effects on the service. But these effects are often very serious.

The world's great armies are no criterion for us, but they and their systems of promotion are the result of long experience, and they are therefore worthy of consideration and study. In the German army promotion is, in general, by seniority, but the General Staff has a faster rate of promotion than the rest of the army, and that is the source of their young and energetic regimental and higher commanders. Every officer who has the recommendation of his immediate superiors, can go up for the examination to the War College, and if he graduates with a rating of excellent, and serves practically in the General Staff for two years to prove his efficiency, he enters that corps and has the advantage of the

more rapid promotion, which is therefore entirely fair.

Our own General Staff, selected as it is with as little favoritism as is possible under any human system, would thus furnish a means of rewarding merit in a spirit of fairness not possible

by any other method yet devised. In any system that may be adopted the good of the whole should be duly considered, and not only the good of the individual. The object should be to improve the services and not merely to reward individuals.

Readers of the "United Service" are cordially invited to contribute to this department items of either fact or fancy, grave or gay, instructive or only entertaining; in short, any literary flotsam and jetsam likely to interest our subscribers.

Rear Admiral Albert S. Barker was retired from active duty in the Navy on March 31, under the operation of the law retiring naval officers at the age of sixty-two. On that date he hauled down his flag as commanderin-chief of the North Atlantic squadron, and took his place on the retired list. Admiral Barker closed his active career with the respect of all men connected with the service. He has been an admirable commander-inchief, requiring prompt and efficient service from his subordinates, and getting it because they felt that he was competent and fair. No officer in the United States Navy ever administered rebukes or ordered courtsmartial with greater reluctance, nor has any Admiral been more hearty in his commendation of good work performed. Every admirer of the American Navy can but feel proud of the career of this eminent officer, a career that is a splendid example for the younger officers in the service.

The new edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary is a noble volume, comprehensive, authentic and thoroughly satisfactory. This is an American book of reference, printed

by an American house and edited and revised by American scholars. Of course, the book is indispensable in editorial offices and should be within easy reach of every parent and teacher. It will certainly prove an everpresent help in the time of troublesome questions.

THE SONG OF THE RETREATING RUSSIAN ARMIES.

From the Boston Evening Transcript. We're marching on to freedom, in the dark before the dawning;

The shells are bursting round us, and the shrapnel shriek on high. We're marching on to freedom, thro' the black and bloody morning; A crimson thread is in the east and creeps across the sky.

We're hopelessly defeated; let the joyous news be shouted.

Our armies are in full retreat and soon we shall be free. Outfought and outmaneuvered, outflanked and raked and routed, Three hundred thousand beaten men are singing like the sea.

Our forces fill the valleys full; the plain is overflowing;

Our bayonets clothe the trampled

earth like fields of sloping corn. Above the distant mountain tops the light is slowly growing,

A scarlet cord is in the east and soon it will be morn.

O grave, where is thy victory? O

death, where is thy stinging?

We die that Russia may be free; we

lose that she may gain. There's blood upon the road we take;

but still we take it singing. Our triumph is in our defeat, our glory in our pain.

We're marching on to freedom thro'

the blood-red light of morning; The cannon roar behind us and the

dead are falling fast.

You can see our patient faces, in the crimson of the dawning; We've suffered thro' the weary night, but day has come at last.

For we're beaten-beaten- beaten ! Let the joyous news be shouted; We've lost the tyrant's battle now, and soon we shall be free. Wronged, robbed, oppressed, tormented, imprisoned, exiled, knouted, A hundred million Russian Slavs are rising like the sea.

-BERTRAND SHADWELL.

BOOK REVIEWS.

Syllabus of Davis' International Law. By C. A. Seaone, Third U. S. Cavalry, Kansas City, Mo. HudsonKimberly Publishing Co., 1904.

This little book of 127 pages is a compendium of the original, arranged for ready reference to the latter by chapters and pages.

The subject of Internationl Law is of such importance to our officers to-day, that every one of us should review it at least once a year. After such review, this little syllabus will be found to serve the purpose of an abridgment, and the entire subject. matter can be readily fixed in the mind by its use.

Its real purpose, of course, is to assist the officer preparing for exami

nation, either at the conclusion of the course of study at the post schools, or to determine an officer's fitness for promotion. In either case it will be found excellent as a means of testing one's knowledge of the subject, and to perfect one's knowledge therein.

The author's experience at the General Service and Staff College has also been of use in preparing this volume.

The little volume is well arranged, and should be found extremely useful by all company officers.

J. P. W.

Estimating Distance Tables. By Captain Edwin Bell, 8th U. S. Infantry, Kansas City, Mo. Franklin Hudson Publishing Co., 1904.

This convenient little volume is designed to relieve the company commander from the tedious work of calculating in each case the credit to be given to a soldier in the very useful exercise of estimating distances.

Under Paragraph 2, Part II., of General Orders No. 20, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, February 26, 1903, errors less than certain prescribed percentages must be made for proficiency as sharpshooter, marksman, first classmen or second classmen.

By means of this little book the percentage of error is quickly determined. The tables are so arranged that, knowing the actual distance and the estimated distance, the percentage of error is read off at a glance. Any non-commissioned officer or intelligent private can readily learn to use the tables, and the company commander can thus be relieved of the tedious work of calculating in each case, and can devote his attention more directly to the work in hand, which will enable him to carry