SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Sess. IH. Cris. 167. 1915. 1191 are hereby extended to the followm` g oilieers of the Arm and Na T¤=*¤k¤ ¤* °¤¤¤r¤¤·¤ of the_United States who, as mem ers of the late Isthlnian (Bang i<°¤ °§’ié°iSg Commission, have rendered distiplguished service in constructing °°' the Panama Canal, to wit: Colon Geo e W. Goethals, chairman and chief engmeer; Brigadier General C. Gorgas, sanitary expert; Colonel H. F. Hodges, Lieutenant Colonel William L. Sibert, and Commander H. H. Rousseau. Sec. 2. That the President is hereby authorized, by and with the ,,,§“,,g’.F;*°°*’ '”* °°· advice and consent of the Senate, to advance in rank Colonel George ` W. Goethals to the grade of major general of the line, United States Army; Brigadier General William C. Gorgas to the rank of major gfneral in the Medical Department United States Army; Colonel . F, Hodges and Lieutenant Colonel William L. Sibert to the grade of bggadier general of the line United States Army· and Commander H. . Rousseau to the grade of rear admiral oi the lower Nine, United States Navy. Sec. 3. That such officers of the Army and Navy as were detailed I,§?,°,;" ,‘},?§“°§6:,§ for duty with the Isthmian Canal Commission on the Isthmus of ¤¤hvg¤¤¤<1mg¤¤ s¤¤1¤ Panama for more than three years, and who shall not have been W mt ' advanced in rank by any other provision of this bill, shall be advanced one grade in rank upon retirement: Provided, 'That any officer dii°i'$$ mw mem of the Army or Navy now on the retired list with similar service shall *"°‘°°°°· be immediat¢§y advanced one grade in rank on the retired list of the Army or avy. _ Sec. 4. That the President is further authorized, by and with the i§‘“’“° H°"‘“‘ S°"" advice and consent of the Senate, to sippoint such officers of the ,hQ_§<>¢g“¤;,{=·¤1•d Public Health Service as were detailed or duty with the Isthmian enepgue. Canal Commission on the Isthmus of Panama for more than three years to the grade next above that at present held by such officers. Sec. 5. That the numbers in such grades provided for in sections ,,,;‘g‘§?,§P"" '“°"“° two and four of this Act; except where vacancies occmring in any ade by the provisions of this Act can be Elled by such officers in a §>tw3·1]grade as are entitled to the benefits of this Act, shall be tem- Fromm or increased during the time such offices may be held: Promkied M•¢w¤¤i>¤pmm·=¤¤. That tile officer who may be advanced and a pointed major general ,§§‘$f,§{‘}.‘§f.‘°}},.f" $§jZ,i{ in the Medical Department, United States Army, shall thereu on ¤°$j)',f*3*;*I’;f'.;'g5{"- become the head o such department, and the operation of so mucli of ' section twenty-six of the Act of February second nineteen hundred and one, as limits the term of office of the ead of the Medical Department, United States Army, shall be suspended during the incumbency of the head of the epartment who may be gppointed under R uk mmm to this Act: Provided, That whenever the head 0 the edical Depart- tn§aam;¤¤mn. ment appointed under the provisions of this Act shall become separated from the active list of the Armi, by retirement or otherwise, the extra office or grade to which he s all have been so advanced or appointed shall cease and determine, and thereafter the rank of the head of the Medical Department, United States Army, shall be that Pmmmm not M_ of a brigadier general: Provided further, That nothing in this Act acted. shall operate to interfere with or retard the promotion to which any I m oflicer would be entitled under existing law: And further, ,£§§‘§§§d_ ° ° °°” That the officers advanced to higher gfades under t Act shall be junior to the officers who now rank them under existing law when these officers have reached the same grade. _ R V mm mm Sec. 6. That at any time after the passage of Act any officer of inf ‘" ' the Army or Navy to be benefited by the provisions of this Act may, on his own application, be retired y the President at seventy-five per centum o the pay of the rank upon which he is retired. Approved, March 4, 1915.
