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JUNE 1, 1923

S a result of the experiences of the Great War, The Infantry School was established at Fort Benning, Georgia. It is essentially the outgrowth of the system of miliary schools which were found necessary for the instruction in the mechanical, technical and tactical training of the Infantry, the arm which constituted the greater part of the forces raised during he war. Here it is that Infantry officers from all the components of the Army (Regular Army, National Guard, Reserve Corps) assemble to receive the best instruction on the latest development in Infantry tactics, equipment, arms, etc., from picked, capable in

structors.

In its short past this institution has graduated over 1200 Infantry officers of all grades. That they have

proven their value is attested by the fact that all activities are constantly demanding that they be sent Benning graduates. The courses at The Infantry School for the present school year are as follows:

Refresher Course-extending over a period of six weeks.

Consists of General Officers.
Number of students, 6.

National Guard and Reserve Officers' Course-extending over a period of three months. It is composed of officers from the National Guard of the various states and officers of the Reserve Corps. This year's class contained 101 members.

Advanced Course-extending over a period of eight (8) months (October 1-June 1).

Composed of officers of field grade of the Regular Army.

Company Officers' Course-extending over a period of eight (8) months (October 1-June 1). Composed of captains and lieutenants of the Regular Army.

Before the school work begins the student officers are organized into companies with their own company commander, platoon, section, squad leaders and guides. The discipline is necessarily very exacting and any

By Lieutenant GEORGE HONNEN, Infantry

School is Organized Into Two Departments; Has Graduated Over 1,200 Officers

infringements thereof are severely dealt with.

The school proper is organized into two departments-The Department of Military Art and The Department of General Subjects.

The Department of Military Art is divided into four distinct sections: First Section--deals with Tactics.

Third Section-Machine Guns, Onepounder and Light Mortar.

Fourth

Section Map Reading, Sketching, Field Fortifications and Panoramic Sketching.

The Department of General Subjects is organized into three sections: First Section-Military History. Second Section-Equitation, Hippology and Care and Use of Means of Transportation.

Third Section-Athletics and Physical Training.

In addition to the school and of invaluable assistance thereto we have at Benning, the Infantry Board. The purpose of the Board is to consider such subjects pertaining to Infantry as may be referred to it, and to originate recommendations looking toward the improvement of the Infantry. The Infantry Board has as its practical section the Department of Experiment which furnished the Board with comprehensive data to aid it in making recommendations for the adoption, rejection, adaptation or development of equipment, weapons, etc., for Infantry use.

The Infantry School has many functions. It experiments with Infantry weapons and tactics, and tests innovations by actual demonstrations and by checking them against weapons and tactics of the past. No profession is more variable, requires more constant study, experimentation and research than the profession of arms has come to require, and of no branch of the service is this more true than of the Infantry. At The Infantry School the most recent developments in teaching, technique and tactics are perfected and are disseminated to the Service through the graduates of the Infantry School, who make the pilgrimage to Fort Benning.

These very activities and other natural advantages serve to make the Fort itself unusually attractive. At no other post are varying phases of military life so well portrayed and so completely represented as here. In former days a soldier could have spent his entire Army life from first enlistment to retirement without having realized so well as does the newest Benning recruit how interesting and diversified are the component parts of a modern army. It is impossible for monotony to enter the life of a (Continued on Page Twenty)

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OOKING back three years when North Carolina had no National Guard by reason of separation from service of those men who served in the World War, it hardly seems possible that such a change could take place during the period June, 1919, up to the present time.

In 1919 the State decided to re-organize its National Guard and undertook with vigor to complete the War Department allotment. The immediate result was that ex-service men who were absolutely "fed up," eligible men who had not served in the War were not prone to enlist and communities as a general proposition took little interest in the National Guard. Some towns and counties, however, did interest themselves, and splendid organizations were recognized but at best it was a hard uphill fight. One of the greatest handicaps at this time was the requirement that units would not be recognized except upon a basis of 100 men per company and this policy has now been proven unsound. On December 31, 1920, ten units of the North Carolina National Guard had been recognized by the War Department with a strength of 30 officers and 630 enlisted men. This strength was reached only after the hardest sort of efforts had been put forth by interested officers, who sacrificed their time and money, and the State authorities.

The North Carolina Guard was called out to aid civil authorities several times prior to January 1, 1921, and the eyes of the State were upon these men and notice taken of the creditable manner in which they performed their duty. About this time there was an awakening of interest in the National Guard and a finer support has never been given the Guard of any State than that which was given from January 1921 up to the present time. On April 1, 1923, the total strength of officers and men had reached 2520 and the total War Department allotment will be complete within the next few months. Units are located in about thirtytwo of the one hundred counties and in almost every instance towns and counties contribute financially as well as morally to the support of their units with a view mainly to making the service attractive to the members. One city in the State appropriates $2500 annually to the local company and the average amount for the entire

By Major GORDON SMITH

North Carolina Votes Additional Pay For Members of the State Forces

State per unit is close to $1,000, exclusive of the amounts contributed by honorary members, who are, under State laws, exempt from jury duty.

The year 1922 was the most active that the National Guard of the State has ever had in peace times, and during this year twenty-four units were called into State service on various kinds of duty. No member of the Guard registered a complaint for being called away from his civil occupation; in fact, they seemed eager for the service, nor was there a single case of where a member lost his position on account of serving the State. The Guard has more than justified itself from a State standpoint and the Legislature which adjourned about the first of March showed the appreciation of the State, by making an additional appropriation which almost doubled the amount that had been allowed heretofore. The purpose of the additional appropriation is to pay to unit commanders $200 annually, lieutenants belonging to organizations $100 annually, supply sergeants $100 per annum and to pay armory drill to enlisted men at the rate of fifty cents per drill, in addition to their

exce

federal pay, for not to drills per year. The appropria the National Guard passed the Assembly without a dissenti and the best part of it is t members of the Assembly thorough knowledge of the I Guard and an understanding o portance as a State and force. North Carolina is far r from much industrial trouble b ing a hearing in connection w curing additional financial supp fore a Budget Commission the man remarked to the other m that "during 1922 there were nights that I would not have had it not been for the fact tl had such a splendid National C

The Guard of the State has a honorable history and its rec former years will be equaled occasion comes for the use C armed forces of the Nation. I approximately 7,500 officers and were drafted into federal service the North Carolina National and, as a part of the 30th Div made a most creditable showing seas. Most of the units that serv the World War are being perpet in present National Guard orga tions and they are measuring 1 every way. The entire State is up behind the National Guard and more adequate appropriations and best sort of moral support throug

the State it is still going st The change that has taken 1 in three years is remarkable indicates that the entire Nati Guard of the United States i better condition, better un stood and more appreciated t ever before.

2nd Engineers' Rifle Tea

With 92.3 per cent of the r ment qualified as rifle marksi or better, the 2nd Engineers, Sam Houston, Tex., recently o cluded a most successful tar season. This performance is improvement on the record of per cent made last year and per cent in 1921.

Of the 518 men shooting year's course, 110 qualified as pert, 159 as sharpshooter, and as marksman, while only 40 fa to qualify.

Sgt. Otto Marvin, Company with 326 points out of a possi 350, made the highest score, a Corporal Boyd Walker, Compa D, scoring 325, was a single po below.

Photo by Signal Corps, U. S. Army.

T

HE flag of the United States has 13 horizontal stripes-7 red and 6 white-the red and white stripes alternating, and a union which consists of white stars of five points on a blue field placed in the upper quarter next the staff and extending to the lower edge of the fourth red stripe from the top. The number of stars is the same as the number of States in the Union. The canton or union now contains 48 stats arranged in six horizontal and eight vertical TOWS, each star with one point upward. On the admission of a State to the Union a star will be added to the union of the flag, and such addition will take effect on the 4th day of July next succeeding such admission.

In the Army Regulations four kinds of national flags are described: viz, flags which are flown at military posts or on ships and used for display generally; small flags or ensigns which are used on small boats; colors which are carried by unmounted regiments, and standards which are carried by mounted regiments and are, therefore, smaller in size than colors.

National flags, with the exception of the colors and standards carried by troops, will be of the following proportions:

Hoist (width) of flag, 1.
Fly (length) of flag, 1.9.
Hoist (width) of union, 7/13.
Fly (length) of union, 0.76.
Width of each stripe, 1/13.

For a number of years there has been prescribed in Army Regulations a knotted fringe of yellow silk on the national standards of mounted regiments and on the national colors of unmounted regiments. The War De

partment, however, knows of no law which either requires or prohibits the placing of a fringe on the flag of the United States. No act of Congress or Executive Order has been found bearing on the question. In flag manufacture a fringe is not considered to be a part of the flag and it is without heraldic significance. In the common use of the word it is a fringe and not a border. Ancient custom sanctions the use of fringe on the regimental colors and standards, but there seenis to be no good reason or precedent for its use on other flags.

There is no Federal law now in force pertaining to the manner of displaying, hanging, or saluting the United States flag, or prescribing any ceremonies that should be observed in connection therewith. In fact, there are but four Federal laws on the statute books that have any bearing upon this subject, one, the act of Congress approved February 20, 1905 (33 Stat. L. p. 725), providing that a trade-mark can not be registered which consists of or comprises, inter alia, "the flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or any simulation thereof"; the second, a joint resolution of Congress approved May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. L. p. 771), authorizing the display of the flag on Mother's Day; the third, the act of Congress approved February 8, 1917 (39 Stat. L. p. 900), providing certain penalties for the desecration, mutilation, or improper use of the flag, within the District of Columbia; and the fourth, the act of Congress approved May 16, 1918 (40 Stat. L. p. 554), providing, when the United States is at war, for the dismissal from the service of any em

ployee or official of the United States Government who criticizes in an abusive or violent manner the flag of the United States. Several States of the Union have enacted laws which have more or less bearing upon the general subject, and it seems probable that many counties and municipalities have also passed ordinances concerning this matter to govern action within their own jurisdiction.

Warning against desecration of the American flag by aliens was issued by the Department of Justice, which sent the following notice to Federal attorneys and marshals:

"Any alien enemy tearing down, mutilating, abusing, or desecrating the United States flag in any way will be regarded as a danger to the public peace or safety within the meaning of regulation 12 of the proclamation of the President issued April 6, 1917, and will be subject to summary arrest and punishment."

Many inquiries concerning the proper method of displaying, hanging, and saluting the United States flag are being received in the War Department with the evident object of securing some authoritative statement relating to the subject. In this connection it should be remarked that while it is within the province of the War Department to prescribe rules and regulations governing the matter in question for observance within the Army, yet it is beyond its province to prescribe any such rules or regulations for the guidance of civilians or to undertake to decide questions concerning the subject that are presented by civilians.

There are, however, certain funda