Department, officers of the Army, and service schools, in addition to that published in the several pamphlets prepared in the division. Capt. Carl Reichmann, Seventeenth Infantry, and Capt. Stephen L'H. Slocum, Eighth Cavalry, who accompanied the Boer and British forces in South Africa, respectively, have submitted their final reports on the military operations in South Africa. Extracts from these reports have been published in Military Information Division Publication, No. XXXIII. Since the last annual report the military information division has prepared and issued the following-described publications: "Military Notes on the Philippines" (illustrated)—an additional supply of 500 copies. "List of military publications, books, pamphlets, etc., received in the AdjutantGeneral's Office, War Department, from August 1 to November 1, 1900." Same from November 1, 1900, to April 1, 1901. Same from April 1, 1901, to September 1, 1901. 66 No. 31. Explorations in Alaska, 1899, for an all-American overland route from Cook Inlet, Pacific Ocean, to the Yukon," by First Lieut. Joseph S. Herron, Eighth Cavalry. No. 32. "Notes of military interest for 1900." No. 33. "Reports on military operations in South Africa and China.” WORK OF THE MAP SECTION DURING THE YEAR. New edition (1901) of the "Carta General del Archipelago Filipino" (published). This work has all been of the most satisfactory character. Especially have the maps of China been of very great value to our troops operating in that country, and have been highly complimented by all interested in them. One hundred and seventy tracings have been made for the Annual Report of the Lieutenant-General Commanding the Army and the various publications of this Eight hundred and thirty-eight maps, both foreign and domestic, have been received and filed. office. WORK OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ROOMS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. There have been in the photographic rooms over 500 negatives on wet plates varying in size from 5 by 7 inches to 34 by 34 inches, and a somewhat greater number of negatives on dry plates varying in size from 4 by 5 inches to 17 by 20 inches. The wet-plate negatives have been principally copies and enlargements of line work, such as of maps and official documents. In the cases of the map work, much of it has been to photograph to the same scale sets of maps of the same region drawn on different scales, each map of a set containing some desirable information not found on the others of the set, and then supplying prints from the negatives for the use of the draftsmen in the military information division for them to use in compiling a new map containing all the information on all the separate maps of the set. Such was the method used in compiling the complete maps of Cuba, Porto Rico, the Philippine Islands, South Africa, and China. By this method a great saving is made in both time and money in the compilations of maps in the military information division, besides producing them on the new scale with all the accuracy of the originals, since by photography the work of enlarging and reducing is done in a very short space of time and with comparatively small expense, which if done by the most rapid and improved methods by the draftsmen, would, in some cases, require months of steady work, with all the chances of various errors creeping in. During the sessions of Congress, when the War Department was called upon to furnish copies of important and sometimes secret letters and documents, etc., to the committees and members, these papers were sent over to the gallery to be photographed and facsimile copies of them made, which were furnished, and they answered all the purposes for which they were required, and the necessity for taking the originals from the files and letting them pass out of the possession of the Department and running the risk of losing them was thus avoided. Most of the dry-plate work has consisted in copying photographs accompanying the various reports received from different officers during the year and preparing special prints of them for the use of the photo-engravers in making half-tone plates to reproduce the photographs in the published reports. Other dry plate work has been in the copying of pictures for the war album, and of illustrations for the publications of the military information division. Considerable orthochromatic work has been done in copying colored maps and blue prints, which could not have been done on either wet plates or ordinary dry plates. There have been made during the year nearly 5,000 prints on the various kinds of paper, depending upon the purpose the print was to serve. Most have been prints direct from the negatives, although many enlargements on bromide paper have been made, some as large as 3 feet wide by 7 feet long. The work on the war album has progressed, and the preparation of new views to be included in it has been continued with all the rapidity possible in the time when not otherwise engaged in the regular map and other work of the division. Through the kindness of Mr. E. C. Rost, artist and author, of New York City, who loaned the Department nearly 600 glass negatives of scenes in Cuba, taken at the time of the occupation in 1898 and 1899, there have been made prints from about 175 of these negatives, to be included in the album. In the military information division exhibit at the Pan-American Exposition the photographic rooms furnished as a sample of their work four large prints of maps representing explorations by the Army in Alaska. The negatives from which these prints were taken were some made in the course of the regular work for the division, and not for this special exhibition; nevertheless they were thought to be as good as could be made by anyone anywhere with especial care for exhibition purposes, hence they were used. This is mentioned simply to illustrate the care that is always used to produce the best work possible at all times. No additional apparatus has been added to the gallery during the year, the only expense having been for materials and chemicals used in the regular work. Until more suitable and commodious quarters can be obtained for the gallery, there is in it now about all that can be conveniently used. All old hypo baths after becoming exhausted, the waters in which prints were washed, and all scraps of sensitized paper were carefully saved and the contained silver recovered and refined, netting 97 ounces of pure nitrate of silver of almost $50 value, or nearly six months' supply. MILITARY ATTACHÉS. The following is a list of the military attachés at American embassies and legations abroad: EMBASSIES. London: Capt. Edward B. Cassatt, Thirteenth Cavalry. Paris: Capt. T. Bentley Mott, Artillery Corps. Berlin: Lieut. Col. John B. Kerr, Ninth Cavalry. St. Petersburg: Capt. Stephen L'H. Slocum, Eighth Cavalry. City of Mexico: Capt. Powell Clayton, jr., Eleventh Cavalry. (Relieved July 1, 1901.) LEGATIONS. Berne: Maj. George R. Cecil, Third Infantry. The Hague: Lieut. Col. James N. Wheelan, Seventh Cavalry. ary 4, 1901.) (Relieved Febru Copenhagen and Stockholm: Lieut. Col. W. R. Livermore, Corps of Engineers. Brussels: Lieut. Col. James N. Wheelan, Seventh Cavalry. (Relieved February 4, 1901.) Pekin: Capt. James H. Reeves, Fourteenth Cavalry. The proper selection of officers for the important and delicate duty of military attaché to the several embassies and legations is greatly hampered and restricted by the fact that the additional expense to the officer involved by his acceptance of a detail is so burdensome that only those possessing private means can afford to serve in that capacity. In such cases, even, positive injustice is done to the officer having the requisite qualifications and able to accept the position by forcing him to expend his private means in the performance of a public duty. It is therefore again urged that the attention of Congress be earnestly called to this subject, in order that, by suitable legislation, capable officers may be able to respond, without injustice to themselves, to the call that may be made upon them for special duty abroad. It is recommended that every officer while so serving shall have at least the rank, pay, and allowances of a lieutenant-colonel. STAFF DETAILS. Section 26 of the act of February 2, 1901, provides that no more permanent appointments shall be made in the Adjutant-General's Department, the Inspector-General's Department, the Quartermaster's Department, the Subsistence Department, the Ordnance Department, and the Signal Corps after the original vacancies created by the act shall have been filled. Vacancies occurring thereafter, except that of the chief of department or corps, which can not be filled by promotion, shall be filled by details from the line and from the grades in which the vacancies exist; all staff details to be made for a period of four years, at the expiration of which the officer detailed shall return to duty in the line, and, if under the rank of lieutenant-colonel, shall not again be eligible for selection in any staff department until after serving two years with the line. The method adopted for apportioning the number of details to staff departments and other detached-service of officers of the line is as follows: The total number of officers in these arms, when completely organized, will be The number of places in the Adjutant-General's Department subject to detail is 15 and that in the Inspector-General's Department 8, making a total of 23. Making details in proportion to the number of officers in each arm, the Cavalry should have 5.94, or, in round numbers... Total... 6 5 12 23 The fractions six twenty-thirds for the cavalry, five twenty-thirds for the artillery, and twelve twenty-thirds for the infantry are applicable to all details to staff departments authorized by the act of February 2, 1901. To insure equal promotion, the above proportions apply to each grade and not to the total number in all staff departments subject to detail. So far the detailed system has fully met the expectations of the Department, and will in time give to the service an additional number of thoroughly trained staff officers acquainted with all the duties of well-equipped officers. INSTRUCTION OF THE ARMY. Notwithstanding the enormous amount of time, thought, and labor devoted to the instruction and general training of officers and men of the Army, there is no coherent plan which carries forward the work from one grade to another and connects the valuable work done in the various schools. Now that the reorganization of the Army under the act of February 2, 1901, is about completed, it seems a fit time to devise some scheme setting forth the views of the Department, in order that all officers may familiarize themselves with the full intent as to the course to be pursued in the future. Careful study and consideration of what has been accomplished in the past, and what appears to be desirable for the future, leads to the belief that the system of training for the officers should begin with elementary technical instruction at each post, and terminate in the higher training which would be provided by a War College, the speedy and complete organization of which is most desirable. To give life to this or any other system, it is essential that a progressive record of work done should be introduced into the scheme. Examination by carefully selected boards, capable of determining an officer's practical and technical ability to perform the duties of his grade, appear to be an essential element in any worthy record system. In this way unusual efficiency would be made known, while at the same time cognizance could be taken of any lack of a reasonable degree of proficiency. It is regarded as most desirable that officers of the National Guard or militia be authorized to participate in the work of the service schools and the War College to as great an extent as may be possible. It is believed that the details of this scheme can be worked out in such a way as to induce no inconsiderable number of ambitious and able young officers of the State troops to participate sufficiently to familiarize themselves with the work actually done in a well administered army. Officers who, by their industry, ability, and general intelligence, commend themselves as worthy of special recommendation in the various schools should receive the highest possible consideration of the Department, with a view to utilizing their services as military attachés, instructors in the various schools, and for any service requiring special aptitude. The services of a number of selected young officers have been availed of from time to time in the military information division of the Adjutant-General's Office, and an immense amount of painstaking and important work has been accomplished. It is proposed to continue to utilize the services of such officers, and the record of established ability heretofore mentioned would enable the Department to make such details with greater assurance of fitting the individual to the particular character of the work desired in that division according to his aptitude and proficiency. Work is already in progress enlarging the facilities of the several service schools, and steps have been taken to transfer to the artillery the school of torpedoes and submarine mines at Fort Totten, heretofore conducted under the Chief of Engineers. The special school for engineers has been removed to Washington Barracks, D. C. It will take some little time to complete the contemplated improvements at all the posts where the service schools are, established and to get them in smooth running order, but this work, under instructions of the Secretary of War, will be pushed forward as rapidly as existing conditions will admit. INSTRUCTION IN MILITARY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. Especially deserving of consideration in connection with this scheme, or any other which may be adopted, is the proper development of the military instruction of students in the various colleges of the country. The records of these schools show that while a few have developed a military element in a proper and comprehensive way, some have sought the details of army officers partly as advertisement, and that the military portion of the curriculum is so limited as to be of no substantial benefit. Since the Department authorized the detail of retired officers with full pay a number of officers have sought the detail for the material benefit accruing from full pay and allowances over retired pay. It is reported that some of these officers do not even live at the colleges and only occasionally visit them. This is a matter which needs correction, but should not be taken up until the general scheme is developed, so that when undertaken it will be thoroughly done. PROMOTION OF ENLISTED MEN. In former years the promotions from the ranks were confined to noncommissioned officers who had shown special abilities for command. A few years ago a bill prepared by the Department passed Congress making the promotion depend upon a general examination |