Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 32 Part 1.djvu/896

 FIFTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 553. 1903. 831 Sec. 2. That the duties of the General Staff Corps shall be to pre- D““°’°*· pare plans for the national defense and for the mobilization of the military forces in time of war; to investigate and report upon all questions aifecting the eiliciency of the Army and its state of preparation for military operations; to render rofessional aid and assistance to the Secretary of .War and to general) officers and other su rior commanders, an to act as their agents in informing and coorcliiiating the action of all the different officers who are subject under the terms of this Act to the supervision of the Chief of Staff; and to perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as maybe from time to time prescribed by the President. Sec. 3. That the General Staff- Corps shall consist of one Chief of °"”‘P°°“*°¤ °*· Staff and two general officers, all to be detailed by the President from officers of the Army at large not bel0w_the grade of brigadier-general; four colonels, six lieutenant-colonels, and twelve majors, to be detailed from the corresponding grades in the Army at large, under such rules for selection as the President may prescribe; twenty captains, to be detailed from officers of the Army at lar e of the grades of captain or first lieutenant, who while so serving ghall have the rank, pay, and allowances of captain mounted. All officers detailed in the General T°"" °*“°"*°°· Staff Co s shall be detailed therein for periods of four years, unless sooner relieved. While serving in the General Staff Corps,` officers Temporary usigumay be temporarily assigned to duty with any branch of the Army. mn"' Upon being relieved from duty in the General Staff Corps. officers ‘ shall return to the branch of the Army in which they hold permanent commission, and no officer shall be e igible to a further detail in the m§,';_,":fg,°°¤* dem] General Staff Corps until he shall have served two years with the ` branch of the Army in which commissioned, except in case of emer— E¤°¤P**¤¤¤· gency or in time of war. _ _ Sec. 4. That the Chief of Staif, under the direction of the President §{‘,‘,$§,°§E°"°‘ or of the Secretary of \Var, under the direction of the President, shall have supervision of all troops of the line and of the Adjutant-General’s, Inspector—General’s, J udge—Advocate’s, Quartermastens, Subsistence, Medical, Pay. and Ordnance departments, the Corps of Engineers, and the Signal Corpsand shall perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned y law as may be assigned to him by the President. Duties now prescribed by statute for the Commanding General of the Arm as a member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification and of {C3};? $:*522; the Iloard of Commissioners of the Soldiers’ Home shall be rformed ` by the Chief of Staff or other officer designated by the President. Acts and parts of Acts authorizing aids-de·camp and military secretaries m;‘}};*_’;;l‘;gg‘,’;*g{_de';¤° shall not a ly to general officers of the General Stal! Corps. 1%.8.. ms. rwwvis. Sec. 5. That the Chief of Artillery shall hereafter serve as an addi- Pg?.,;.,; mm,,,,,,., tional member of the General Staff and by and with the advice and j*,*j;;$be$” **d*“”°"**‘ consent of the Senate shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of a R¤¤k.`p¤y,<~=c. brigadiengeneral and when the next vacancy occurs in the office of brigadiengeneral of the line., it shall not be filled, and thereafter the d,g_ggg;,g',i;$j number of bri adier—generals of the line, exclusive of the Chief of Pos:. p. 10:1. Artillery, shallgnot exceed fourteen; and the provisions of the forego- wg; effect August 15. ing sections of this Act shall take effect August fifteenth, nineteen ` hundred and three. Approved. February 1-1, 1903.