New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-04
NAVAL AND ARMY NEWS.
Washington. December 5.

COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR NAVAL
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Long has taken announcer
advanced position in favor OF the merit system ~
the naval service. with the fun approval u '"e
President and by order issued 'o-ua' eS."D
usbed a precedent which Is confidently expected "
give a distinct impetus TO long-desired reforms III
the method Of securing the best naval paymas'ers
from civil life. and simultaneously aoonSn'Pe
frequently recurring scramble for pol'icai inhoe"
nv naval officers seeking TO secure the eh'iS Va
their sons into tho service. II has peen iohe-
established rule that officers sons all o'her '''ss
beinc eoual should have the preference TOT va
cancies In the Pay Corps as well as LOT tiesiue"''
appoin trnents to the Naval Academy ana 'i''s i"s
given rise 20 continual wire pulling by oicers' anu
led to serious Presidential embarrassn'eh's OH "e
count Of the great pressure brought 10 Dear Wne"-
aver an appointment is 10 be made. The qualinca-
tons Of the applicant have in many instances oeeh
completely overshadowed. and in some cases nave
been efectua,ly concealed by the powerful III
.fuences brought into conflict on such occasions,
Speaking Of the matter to-day secretary LUIS ~
TO TIE Tribune correspondent 49,
oyer since I came to the Department have felt
the necessity of making all selections 1or wha'e'e,
place, depend on merit, not IN the nhlcai sense -
the word. but In It's broad. business pracucai
meaning When a vacancy was TO be hlled IN the
Civil Engineers Corps good men were urged oy
those who had only personal interest IN them'
but the corps needed Strengthening. ana 'he fresr
dent allowed me 10 have competitive eHaHiha'o"
10 secure II possible. men Of unusual attainmen's'
The ouest,ons propounded were thorough compre-
s.,v. and nractical and Of the twenty-five men
who took part in the examination two stood only
three marks apart the highest making nearly one
thousand two hundred points Places as pay
masters are much sought by relatives OF deserving
naval officers and Of the Ave paymasters who nave
been appointed since March 4. with one or TWO eH-
en,,ons the results indicated the necessity OF COM
petitive examinat lions. We have now from one nun
dred and nifty two hundred Applications ior 'hese
places and Il seemed that competition was neces-
s,,v 10 make selection. The President heartily In
dorsed the plan and therefore next Monday here
q, the Department a plan will be arranged by
which all those gentlemen whose applications were
filed on December will be admitted TO the trial
have appponn,iG Tec an Frank G crosby Pay In
spector George Lyon pnd with
Faymaster Livingston Hunt recorder They. Will
prepare questions which will give the highest re-
srable 70 sstainmen,s for accounting officers. with
writing photography. grammar history ana coven
sheud be- required Of any ocer representing The
Of the Hn Obtain s se ss, IN po sS
masters. to the distinct advantage OF 'ne e"'''e
manner anne an eligible list from which appoiniments
ay be ao H N those ae Of i ordinary Standing
ever their political or other influences VIII be
mas;er.General Stewart, who has been anxious 10
establish such system for seY ny Long
rs hs NATTER and all other paynasters here ap
piaud the departure from the Old sPohs SYSTEM
AnMIRAL sELFRIDGE PREPARING TO RE-
rIRE-Admiral sefr!dse. commanding the Euro
mean Station is making re dy TO retire early IN
February The Raleigh sailed to-day from syria
for Smyrna. ard 1t is believed at the Navy De
partment that the Admiral is about to take all
81 his ships to the eastward and have them at
Genoa Itafy. when he hauls down his flag In that
mort on February 2 and turns over the command 10
Sommodore Howell who Will then become Acting
Pear Admiral Admiral Selfrdge VIII SAL I'm, I'M,
February g. that date may find him again on the
water on his way by private steamer 70 the 'nned
States.
MOVEMENTS OF wARSHIPS.-The batte-ship
Oregon has sailed from San Francisco for Puget
Sound. She is going to the new drydocK az brem-
erton to be fitted with her bige ksels She was
measured for these when in the dock last summer.
and they have been so far completed in the shops
that little remains be done except to attach them
to the sides Of the ship The wilmington I'M aIr, has
there 70 have the forward Of her pair OF udders
removed having been eS 10 viii re steer
= better with one The Terror has arrived at Hamp-
\ ton Roads.
u NEW GUN TEsTED-By direction'of the Sec
retary Of the Navy a special board OF officers to-
oay. at the Indian Head Proving Ground. made
automatic gun. This weapon has been nred at
the Of tortyone rounds At a each IN s
NAVAL oRpERs-Passed Assistant Paymaster
r n Hicks Is ordered to the New-York Navy fard
as assistant storekeeper
The unexpired leave OF Lieutenant n. H. mines
ha. been revoked and he has been ordered 70 the
branch photographic Office at Cleveland ONO
WESTERN POSTS IN GOOD SHAPE-Mr'
,,sk,e,ohn. Assistant Secretary OF War. has re-
ca,,Iv returned from tour OF inspection OF West
ern military posts extending to the Pacific Coast
ord embracing twenty States and Territories. Ex-
ceIlent conditions were found 10 prevail at all
ARMY posts visited. with one exception. and that
ma, been abandoned since his inspection. He was
enthusiastic in praise OF the ofhcers and men, ana
doubts II their equals exist in any foreign army
He SAYS the superb discipline and military spirit
everywhere conspicuous reflect great credit on
General Miles who as Commander In Chief OF the
Army IL responsible for its military control Mr
Meiklejohn made thorough inspection OF the mgr
power guns and mortar batteries at the Presidlo
Of San Francisco. He is strongly impressed with
tary OF War in his annual report for an additional
force Of artillerymen to care for and handle the
guns belonging 10 the fortihcations and seacoas
defences He says Secretary Alger put the whole
thing in nutshell when he said that visit "a
any Of these batteries must vince any practical
mind OF the necessity for immediate action In this
matter.
ARMY ORDERs.-By direction Of the Presiden,
the retirement from active service Of Lieutenant