New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-05
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
IMPORTANT MEASURES BEFORE CONGRESS.
REFORM, NEEDED IN THE sEEvICE-vAcANo1ES
TO BE FrIIED-RELATIvr MERITS OF Guns

TO BE FIIIED-RELhT1Nt Nthii' w "''
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDrNEI
Washington. Dec 4-Thc Army, Navy anu hai'ne
Corp ARE anxon,ly looking forward to the proceedings
or the LID Congress, second session. All oi 'n''c
trenches of the service have bills In Congress winch
affect them some introduced at the request oil Officers
and Others presented by Senators or KepNS'n'i,'
upon Their own knowledge OF the needs oil MS Hl'',S
and naval services. officers generally express ".u'
hone O; securing any favorable legislation curing 'e
session. owing chiefly TO Tie fact that NJ It's s"oi.
session Congress Is not often disposed TO pas p'H "
relief. The next Congress. despite the TACT 'nat II
VIII be Democratic Is therefore loohcd iof""u ~
with more hope owing to the time before preSi-
DENTAL election and the probability that DIS NAY
therefore be considered upon their merits
There are several important Army measures wen
advanced in this Congress which might be brought 10
Il successful issue II the House would show dlspo-
si,ion TO act Justly upon them. Chief among U'se
are bills rcorganlze the artillery ana ihiahlry' anu
To Increase OF promotion therein; to increase
The pay Of non commissioned officers, ana 10 mahe
lineal rather than regimnal promotion apply 10 al
lieltcnants OF the line, ana not to second euonhhtS
only as now The first measures have passed the
Senate and pending In the House Military 'om
mittee. The last measure has passed b0th senate
ard House. out owing differences In the conference
committee, there t. Hight chance of It's being revived
As the Navy has wen the good will OF Congress. the
work Of modcstly adding 10 the feet WILL In all PROB
ability, go on. II is MT expected that Mr. Holman
will consent 10 the authorization Of several battle
ships and a number OF needed cruisers and torpedo
boats, but It Is believed that Oh a comprmlse, re
spectacle increase IN vessels Will be secured. WIFE
reference to personal legislation little fokcd for by
naval officers The fight against the proposition To
n.fer the Revenue Marine service viii again, no
doubt, be- resumed TIE bill to terminate tn, reduction
I'm the Engineer Corps Will probably pass, unless me
Naval Committees persuaded that officers o1 THIS
corps should not generally 90 to sea. but become
designing and consulting engineers on shore ms
I'LL has passed the Senate. The bill to I'M
prove the Of llnc officers has met with mIch
opposition by certain Inc officers themselves and this
fact will tend decrease Its chances OF success The
Marine Corps had before Congress request for relief
from stasnaton in promotion and rs there appears TO
be particular objection TO the BILL except tho In
creased expenditure OF money involved. 1t may be
that, with Judicious pruning. It will get through.
II is believed that the secretary Of War will shortly
after Congress convcncs submit 10 the ircslclt his
rccomncada,'s % appoint ucnts TO IN vacancies
In the grades Of Assistant AdJuant General ard Assist
| ant COmmis sary Of subsistence In the Army. These
vacancies have existed for nurlb'r Of months. bat
through variOus causes have net been illel. III re
are many applicants FOR b,th vacancies. the number
seeding the Assistant Adjutrnt-G ncralshp Icing eN
| crpilonally large. Captains OF the line alon"
eligible to this Office ana II reports lie true few such
officers have ai.c1 L apply fO- TIE post Olc rs 4
! tie Army who have served for many year, without
| advancement and immediate prospect OF pro
motion in the lnc appreciate the advantages attach
| ing 10 promotion and transfer to the staff. ana
while few infect to Gcspi.e office. the many are
only too cagcr 10 be Transferred. Lleuicnants
eligible for appointment Assistant Commits ar's.
I.y the rc,icm,nt OF General Dubarry Comm's ary
General. to-day. and Colonel Perry. Deputy Quarter
master General. next week, two add toYal vacancies
In the saT Of the Army viii be- created II Is
thought IN Army circles that General Dularry will De
II.tuy
l. rs. the Officers next Ia rank in tn. ps CI ncl
Perry VIII br succeeded hy TIE next senior Officer In
the regular cout,c ~ promotion vacancy occuhng
al the bottom II the lst Of taiS corp, only. On
January J. Colonel Rodney smith. Of the Pay Corps.
brother Of the Pnymaster- General viii retire on
count o. age. Altogether. therefore. tn President
will have nj his disposal on January 4. appointments
= five s'aif officers in the Army nor mention sew
eral vacancies existing In thc medical cOrgs which Is
I usually short OF officers.
Some time ago the British Admiralty decided that
guns weighing more than hay tons should not b.
built for iae British Navy. Presumably This decision
Of The Admiralty based upon rea sons good and
sufficient from the point Of view Of English ordnance
experts. The fact that the monster liOton gun lad
not proved TO be- satisfactory. and that the neces Aiy
! for n-irg marhlnc Instead Of haud-p"wcr would be
Dispensed with II The calihrc II The guns reduced.
hd mech to do no doubt with the cnnnec. Whatever
] tn reasons Tor ih" G"cl@uu IL mas o'tasonod much
d cu--0n and criticism In TIL, country. by reducing
the calibr" IL gun. th' rapdity 81 iis fire j, cor
ropoudgiy Increased. and by 49, Of smoK'lcS' powder
'hc velocity of prol"cc and rs power II prn"ira-
non are Increased Gr'at'r rapidly OF fire and In
crca,cd penetration Of proJcctl -, materially enhance
! the effectiveness Of gun and II 10 these conditions
Is added The greater safety Of hand power In manpi-
| laiinS gum. # must he admitted that ENGLAND mas
gained his much as least by the change ana the gain
/, 10 light IN the Hight Of modern requirements
| OF batlle.
opposed to these advantages OF lighter guns are the
recent successful developments IN hIrdenng The sir
face II the arnOr with which guns 10 compete,
ard The question naturally arises whether EHeliud j.
Justified IN reducing the calibc OF her grn, wheh
experiments have siONn that prolrci"S which FORM
erly penetrated otherwise damaged arInor plates
not do 80 when fired AZ the lannon's llrv"YNNi
nickel 'crl plato. Rapidly ~ manipulation and In
creased Velocity have been secured bat whether those
decided gains connt"rbalanco IA" increased nvuner
foiser 1fcf Of Tr"au Of lhincc doubts III" Wis
dom OF reducing the calitrc Of great guns. and In
connection with this subject he says IN his last annual
report " II seems probable tina; the tendency 10
reduction ~ cnbrc will now To end. II being
evident TIA. greet In the pioirc.lIe has
again become nceo,sar; 10 insure bFeihiay through
surfaces n increased haI'lncss.'
In the annual report Of Commodore Ramsay. chief
of the Bnrean of NavlpnDn there appears tl, follwng
vice demand, that some changes shall be made in is
personnel in order that The number OF officer, in the
different grades shall l." in Keeping with thSntes
required Of them, and with TIE character and number
Of vessels CONFUSING the Navy. These changes are
Corp, but as special legislation for different CORPS
f. detrimental t. the morale Of the service. IL is
earnestly recommended that tho necessary action be
taken 10 effect systematic reorganization Of tho
entire personnel ~ the Navy"
officers Of the Navy. who familiar with the in
crcaing duties and IclErcmcnt' ~ Naval service
brought about IN the designing. constructing and
agencn Of modern vessels OF indorSe these state
mcnts Of COmm0dorc Ramsay While an Increase In
;hr number ard classes ~ ships has been authorized
bv Congress- there has been Increase in the number
u officers. which Is now wholly unequal to The present
demands Of the service.
HrCYVvyNC PEVyPIT uFETyyCc