31. Examinations for the eligible list for first-class sergeants and competitive examinations for vacancies as master signal electricians will be held in January and July of each year. The eligible list for advancement to the grade of first-class sergeant will be confined to sergeants who have had excellent records as sergeants for the previous six months. 32. Competitive examinations for advancement to the grade of master signal electrician will be confined to sergeants and first-class sergeants of at least a year's service in such grades, with unbroken excellent records during such period. 33. Applications for examinations of men serving in the United States and Alaska must reach the office of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army not later than June 1 and December 1 of each year. Candidates for examination in the Philippines will be designated by the chief signal officer of the division, who will make the arrangements for such examination. 34. Examination for promotion to the grade of first-class sergeant will be written and will embrace the following subjects: Electricity, theoretical, five questions. Telegraphy, practical. Telephony, five questions. Primary and secondary batteries, five questions. Visual signaling, using apparatus, practical. Visual signaling, five questions. Arithmetic, five questions. Algebra, five questions. Army Regulations, five questions. Telegraph administration, questions from Manual No. 2, Signal Corps. General adaptability, to be determined from length and character of service, recommendations, and special qualifications. The subject of "General adaptability" will be given a weight of 25 in the general average, and all other subjects combined a weight of 75. Examination for promotion to the grade of master signal electrician will be written and will embrace the following subjects: Electricity, theoretical, five questions. Telegraphy, practical. Telephony, five questions. Power and light, five questions. Primary and secondary batteries, five questions. Visual signaling, five questions. Algebra, five questions, not including quadratics. Geometry, five questions, and to consist in problems in construction only, and no demonstration of theorems. Trigonometry, five questions, to consist of simple problems in solution of triangles; no demonstrations. Elementary mechanics, five questions. Steam engineering, five questions. Gas and oil engines, five questions. Army Regulations, five questions. General adaptability, to be determined from length and character of service, recommendations, and special qualifications. In computing the general average the subject of “General adaptability" will be given a weight of 25, all other subjects combined having a weight of 75. In telegraphy the examiner should certify to the number of words (five letters each) per minute which the candidate is able to send and receive correctly. The subject of "Army Regulations" will cover only portions pertaining to the Signal Corps company administration, military correspondence, and matters affecting the pay, rations, and equipment of enlisted men. The questions in the subjects of "Electricity," "Telephony," and "Primary and Secondary Batteries," will embrace only subjects treated in Signal Corps Manual No. 3. The questions in "Visual Signaling" will embrace only matter covered in Signal Corps Manual No. 6. In visual signaling a certificate will also be required as to the number of letters per minute correctly sent and received by flag. If heliograph and field acetylene lantern are available these should be set up and operated by the man under examination, and the familiarity with them indicated by marking on a scale of 100 per cent. CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICERS OF DEPARTMENTS. 35. At the end of each fiscal year, or as soon thereafter as possible, the chief signal officer of each department in the United States will prepare an annual report, addressed to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, which will comprise a summary of all the monthly reports during the year, and in particular, recommendations for the employment of Signal Corps in that department for the following year. It will include a statement of branch commercial telegraph offices at military posts. 36. On the last day of each month, or as soon thereafter as possible, the chief signal officer of each department will render a report, addressed to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, to include the following: Progress in construction of post telephone systems, with references to material on outstanding requisitions which appear to be unusually delayed. Report of line receipts, number of messages handled, and classes of messages at each military telegraph office in that department. A statement of civilian employees, with their stations and duties. A statement of enlisted men of the Signal Corps detached from signal corps posts, with their stations and duties. A report of interruptions to military telegraph lines of more than one-half day, with duration, cause, etc. Departments in which fire-control installations are in progress at coast artillery posts, the monthly report should include a statement of the progress at each post, with the percentage of completion. 37. In addition to the above, the chief signal officer, Department of the Columbia, in charge of the Alaskan telegraph and cable system, will include a report of cable operations, transfer of money by telegraph, the amount of press messages handled, stations and duties of officers and enlisted men of line organizations serving with the Signal Corps, telegraph offices opened and closed, and all other matter which should be of record in the office of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army. In the Department of the Columbia the statement of enlisted men on detached service will include only those at posts in the United States, and not the operators and linemen throughout Alaska. 38. The chief signal officer, Philippines division, will render monthly and annual reports as prescribed in the preceding paragraphs for chief signal officers of departments, and in addition thereto will report concerning the changes in telegraph offices, lines, and cables, and telegraph line receipts of the bureau of posts as well as Signal Corps. 39. Department chief signal officers will make the necessary arrangements for the inspection of post-telephone systems once each year, as prescribed in General Orders, No. 97, War Department, series 1906, as amended by General Orders, No. 219, War Department, 1907. 40. Chief signal officers of departments will call upon post signal officers and artillery engineers for the semiannual report of post-telephone systems, whenever these reports are not rendered promptly at the end of the period. When not rendered in proper form, or incomplete, they should be returned to the post signal officer for correction. A summary of this report should be recorded in the office of the department chief signal officer and this report forwarded to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army. 41. Chief signal officers of departments will make special report by letter to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army of any permanent changes in the status or station of civilian employees in their department. 42. Chief signal officers of departments are directed to promptly advise the Chief Signal Officer of the Army of the names of all the officers or enlisted men assigned to duty as storekeepers of signal corps property, either for general use or for fire-control purposes, so that proper check of property received or issued by them may be made in the examination of property returns. 43. On June 30 and December 31 of each year each chief signal officer of a department will submit a confidential report to the Chief Signal Officer of the Army covering the general efficiency of each civilian employee of the Signal Corps serving under his supervision, as provided in paragraph 95, this manual. ORGANIZATION FOR FIELD SERVICE. 44. The senior signal officer of an army in the field commands the signal parties serving therein. Orders affecting them will be transmitted through him, and he will be responsible that they are fully instructed, adequately supplied, and that they properly perform their duties. He will keep himself informed of the position of the army and of the enemy, and, under the instruction of the general commanding, will establish his stations. He will submit reports of operations to the general commanding and forward copies thereof to the Chief Signal Officer in Washington, to whom he will report monthly his station, the strength and condition of his parties, and ali other matters pertaining to their duties and equipment. (A. R., 1578.) 45. Upon the recommendation of the Acting Chief of Staff the Acting Secretary of War, on September 16, 1907, approved the following as a provisional organization for the Signal Corps serving with a division of troops in the field: 3 captains. 9 lieutenants. 9 master signal electricians. 30 sergeants, first class. 30 sergeants. 30 corporals. 135 privates, first class. 60 privates. 6 cooks. For the purpose of administration these men may be organized into companies of such strength as to best meet existing conditions. The following transportation is provisionally approved for the signal corps troops attached to a division: 100 riding horses. 6 reel carts, 2 horses each. 5 wire wagons, 4 mules each. 7 lance trucks, 4 mules each. 6 instrument wagons, 2 mules each. 3 instrument wagons, 4 mules each. 6 construction wagons (escort), 4 mules each. 4 escort wagons (general transportation), 4 mules each. 9 pack mules. 46. As authorized above, the Chief Signal Officer announces the organization of companies for purposes of drill, administration, and equipment, as follows: A COMPANY. 1 captain. 3 lieutenants. 3 master signal electricians. 10 sergeants, first class. 10 sergeants. 10 corporals. 45 privates, first class. 20 privates. 2 cooks. A company of 100 men, as enumerated above, will be considered a normal organization. However, in the field the number of enlisted men will be greater or less, as the nature of the service and existing conditions may require. 47. The number of signal corps troops authorized for a division is therefore equivalent to three companies. In order to distribute the duties equitably and provide suitable equipment for each company, the companies will be designated as "Field," "Telegraph," and "Base line." The scope of duties, equipment, and normal distribution of transportation will be as follows: 48. Field company. - Will provide lines of communication for tactical use during combat, maneuvers, rapid marches, etc. Each field company will be provided with suitable equipment to furnish communication for a division by visual signaling, wireless telegraphy, and tactical field lines. The amount of equipment will be sufficient for a field company to construct, operate and maintain 40 miles of field wire lines, 30 miles of buzzer wire lines, three portable wireless telegraph stations (normal radius 20 miles) and six visual signaling stations. 90 riding horses. TRANSPORTATION. 6 reel carts, 2 draft horses each. 2 escort wagons (general transportation), 4 mules each. 9 pack mules. 49. Telegraph company. - Will provide lines of communication for administrative purposes, such as camp telephone systems, serving staff departments, supply depots, hospitals, etc. Each telegraph company will be provided with suitable equipment to furnish communication for a division by visual signaling, and lance or semipermanent lines for telephone and telegraph service. The amount of equipment will be sufficient for the company to construct, operate, and maintain 40 miles of lance lines and six visual signaling stations. 10 riding horses. 3 wire wagons, 4 mules each. TRANSPORTATION. 4 lance trucks, 4 mules each. 4 construction wagons (escort), 4 mules each 1 escort wagon (general transportation), 4 mules. 50. Base-line company. - Will provide lines of communication from the base of an army along the routes of supply to the distribution points and connections to commercial telegraph and cable systems. Each base-line company will be provided with suitable equipment to construct, operate, and maintain telegraph and long-distance telephone over permanent or semipermanent lines, 50 miles of three wires, and two wireless-telegraph stations, 1 kilowatt having a |