Promotions in Medical Department.

the Chief Surgeon forwarded to G. H. Q, through Headquarters, S. O. S., a list of recom mendations for promotion embracing 85 Lieut.Colonels to grade of Colonel, 282 Majors to grade of Lieut.Colonel, 832 Captains to grade of Major, and 2457 Lieutenants to grade of Captain.This list is a long one because there have been great and unfortunate delays in making promotions in the Medical Corps of the A.E.F., and it represents an accumidation to fill long existent vacancies.That this list does not exhaust the vacancies existing under the law is shown by the fact that if these promotions are made there will still remain the follow ing vacancies: 241 in grade of Colonel, 293 in grade of Lieut.Colonel, 1151 in grade of Major, and 1323 in grade of Captain.It does not embrace all the medical officers in the A.E.F. who have earned their promotion and should be given it, but it does include those whose length of service in the A.E.F. and whose reports as to the character of service justify it.2. It is certain that many of the medical officers serving with the British have not received the promotion to which the lawandthe character of their services have entitled them.They have failed to get their merited promotion, because in addition to the obstacles, delaysand accidents which have been incident al to the history of promotions in the A.E.F.there was the add ed delay of mail communication with the B.E.F. and the great difficulty in getting from the 900 or more officers on duty with the British the reports of character of Service and Qualifi cations upon which the roster was based, which determined their promotion up to and including Major.3. The necessity for making promotions in the Medical Corps of the A.E.F. has been especially urgent because most of the Reserve Corps Officers were commissioned in the lowest grade (1st Lieut.), which was originally the only one, including men who had been fifteen or twenty years in practice.It was