STATIONS OF OFFICERS AND ABSENCE THEREFROM.

516. Meaning of term "station."-The term station refers to the place at which an officer is assigned by orders. All absences from such station or its immediate vicinity are "on leave” or "on duty," and should be noted on personal reports under the heads of "date of leaving station," "date of return to station," and " on leave or on duty." (Cir. 6, C. of E., 1896.)

517. Visits by officers within their districts.-Officers are authorized to visit works in their charge and within their districts as often as, in their opinion, the good of the work requires; but it should be noted on personal reports whether such visits are made with or without orders. (Cir. 6, C. of E., 1896.)

518. Visits by officers outside their districts.-Officers are not authorized to visit other works or go beyond the limits of their districts, or absent themselves on any duty not immediately connected with the official work in their charge, without special and proper authority, except to take advantage of an authorized leave, or under the provisions of A. R. 64. (Cir. 6, C. of E., 1896.) 519. Citations and cross references:

(a) As to leaves of absence of officers, and as to visits to foreign countries, see A. R. 49-67.

(b) Delays in obeying orders, in reporting for duty, or in returning to duty from leave when authorized by the War Department, to be regarded as leaves of absence in certain cases. (A. R. 70.)

(c) All authorized absence from duty, except on account of sickness or wounds, counts as absence with leave unless shown to be for the convenience of the Government. (Cir. 35, W. D., 1905.)

(d) Absence with permission to hunt is construed as having been "shown to be for the convenience of the Government" when the officer on his return forwards the certificate and furnishes the report mentioned in A. R. 65. (Par. 4, Cir. 52, W. D., 1905.)

(e) As to report to be submitted to the Chief of Engineers by an officer on changing station, see Par. 2, G. O. 11, C. of E., 1905,-§ 34.

(f) The tour of duty for Philippine service will, so far as practicable, be on the basis of two years and six months' absence from the United States for all staff officers.

G. O. 133, W. D., 1905.)

(Par. III,

520. Countries not "beyond the sea."-It has been held by the Department that as Canada and Mexico are not "beyond the sea" it is not necessary for officers on leave of absence to obtain special permission from the War Department to visit those countries. It is also held that officers on leave of absence may visit Porto Rico and Hawaii without special permission from the War Department, as those islands are a part of the United States, but when an officer desires to visit any foreign country and the journey thereto involves travel by sea the officer should first obtain the permission of the War Department as contemplated by A. R. 61. (Cir. 9, C. of E., 1905.)

PERSONAL PROPERTY OF OFFICERS.

521. Transportation of property of retired or deceased officers.-A limit of one year from date of retirement or decease is fixed during which the change-of-station allowance of the personal effects, professional books and papers may be transported at public expense to the homes of retired officers or to such points within the limits of the United States as the relatives or friends of deceased officers may designate.

All property shipped after the time limit herein fixed will not be at public expense.

(Par. I, Cir. 63, W. D., 1905.)

522. Citations:

(a) As to compensation for private property lost or destroyed in the military service, see A. R. 729.

(b) As to the storage of personal property of officers during their service in the Philippines, etc., see Cir. 8, Hdqrs. Northern Division, 1904, published in Cir. 33, C. of E., 1904.

(c) Where in the course of the transportation by railroad, at Government expense of an officer's allowance of personal baggage the boxes containing the same were broken into and a portion of the property was stolen, the remedy of the officer was against the railroad company, not against the United

States.

The United States does not make itself an insurer in such a case, nor can the officer require the United States to sue the company in damages, for this could be done only on the theory that the United States was responsible to the officer for the value of property lost by no fault or negligence of its own. (Dig. Op. J. A. G., 787.)

(d) Under the act of March 3, 1885, where the household effects of an officer of the Army were destroyed by fire while in a Government storehouse awaiting shipment to another station to which the officer had been notified he would soon be ordered, and such loss occurred without fault or negligence on the part of said officer, who was at the time engaged in saving property of the United States from destruction by the same fire, he is entitled to reimbursement for so much of said property as the Secretary of War shall, under the provisions of said act, deem necessary and proper for an officer of his rank, while in quarters, engaged in the public service, in the line of duty. (10 Comp. Dec., 433.)

GIFTS TO SUPERIORS.

523. Attention invited to provisions of law. An exact compliance with Revised Statutes, 1784, is enjoined. (Cir. 15, C. of E., 1903.)

(a) Citation: For provisions regarding the observance of R. S. 1784, and the practice of receiving presents from persons not in the military establishment or in the employ of the Government in recognition of services rendered, see Cir. 46, W. D., 1904.

SOLICITING INCREASE OF PAY OR PREFERMENT.

524. Officers and employees.—All officers and employees of the United States of every description serving in or under any of the Executive Departments, and whether so serving in or out of Washington, are hereby forbidden, either directly or indirectly, individually or through associations, to solicit an increase of pay or to influence or attempt to influence in their own interest any other legislation whatever, either before Congress or its committees, or in any way save through the heads of the Departments in

or under which they serve, on penalty of dismissal from the Government service. (Executive order of Jan. 31, 1902, published in G. O. 18, A. G..O., 1902.)

(a) Citation: As to efforts to influence legislation affecting the Army, or to procure personal favor or consideration, see A. R. 5.

ADDENDUM.

By direction of the Secretary of War, and in compliance with a request received from the Post-Office Department, disbursing officers of the Engineer Department will submit on May 1 of each year a statement of the aggregate payments from funds under the control of the Engineer Department made in their offices during the preceding year for telegrams.

This statement must be in the hands of the Chief of Engineers not later than June 10 each year.

(G. O. 3, C. of E., 1906.)

(See §§ 16, 26.)

233