Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-19


definite information: that the President
| doubtless, in any call he might make for
troops, would specify the number and char
acter, so as to give each state a represen-
tation in proportion to its population.
Whether the National Guard can be called
into service such Is a question about
which there Is a difference Of opinion. 1t
can be stated. however. that the War De-
partment recognizes the fact that the Ma
tional Guard is largely composed of excel
lent military material. and, within the lin
itatfons Of the law. every effort will be
made to secure this fine material for any
active service that the government may
have for troops outside of the regular
army.
Numerous inquiries and applications have
| been made for the appointment of COM
| missioned officers of volunteers. II is quite
definitely determined that the War Depart
| ment will deal only with the governors of
states. and when the regiments are offered
for muster these officers will be mustered
| as appointed by the governor. The sug-
| Gestion is made. therefore, that such appli-
cants for their own best interests better
put themselves in touch with the governors
OF the states.
No definite information, General Corbin
says, can be given on the many questions
| involved. but when 1t is once officially de-
termined that troops other than the regu-
lar army, will be called into service the
department will then meet them promptly
and on the lines of fairness having in mind
the rights of all concerned.
Admiral Sicard Reports
Rear Admiral Sicard reported at tn, Navy
! Department this morning and was imme-
diately assigned desk in the Office of The
Secretary Of the Navy to act as orficial ad-
wiser to the Secretary. Nearly all naval of
| hc4rs on detached or shore duty have put
in applications for sea service An Illus
tration of the alacrlty with which they are
coming forward was afforded by the case
or Lieut.. A. II. Baker. He has Just re-
turned from Paris, where he accompanied
Assistant Secretary Cridler as a naval aid
III preparation for the Paris exposition. Be
fore shaking the dust of travel from his
clothes the officer reported to the navigation
bureau and asked for sea ASST ynment BY
virtue of his rank he will probably receive
command of one of the vessels of The mos
quito fleet.
Work Of the Mosquito Fleet.
There appears to be a mistaken impress
sion IN some quarters as to the functions
of the mosquito fleet. 1t is not destined for
shore guard, nor yet for attack, but, as ex-
planned by one of the naval strategists, the
primary use of the vessels of this feet will
be 10 protect the battle ships and other
ironclsds from attack by torpaIo boats and
desiroyers. The purpose is to create In the
navy something like the SAINT system that
prevails in the army In conducting hostile
operations. 1t seems a, first rather odd to
require great battle ships 10 be protected
ty these light, frail, unarmorcd vessels but
this. it is said, accords with thu military
practice of protecting heavy artillery by
infantry, from the attack of tine cavalry,
which in measure corresponds to the at
tacks Of torpedo boat. In Other words,
| the battle ships correspond to the heavy ar
tillery, the mosquito feet to infantry and
the torpedo boats to the cavalry.
Demand for Modern Guns.
The board Of naval bureau chiefs is con-
sidering the advisability OF utilizing some
of the old converted smooth-b bore guns for
the auxiliary cruisers. Working day and
night, and using up the raw material for
the manufacture of guns as rapidly as it
can be procured. the naval ordnance bureau
is unable to supply this enormous demand
now made upon it for guns Of medium cali
Der. This is the case, Notwithstanding the
ldCt lIlttl dlLnOSt dli dtdllaDlS ordnance OF
this character In foreign markets has been
purchased. large part of the guns that
have been set apart for the auxiliary navy
have been absorbed by the recently pur-
chased Morgan line vessels, and Ii is the
intention Of the board to supply Deficiencies
In the armament of the remaining vessels
by the use Of the converted smooth bores.
These guns are really very mach more
fOrmid a hle w anOnS than the min fiate1 re-
alize. They are not smooth bores at all.
but are cast-iron guns lined with a steel
tube fully rifled. There are two classes of
these guns, one an S0-pornd muzzle-loading
Parrot gun, such as was used In the civil
war, converted into a breech-loader by cut
| ting off the base and fitting breech block.
These are light and effective pieces, al
though their range is necessarily limited
by reason of the light charge of powder
| necessarily used. To compensate for this,
the projectile is reduced in weight to 60
pound shot or shell. The other class is
made up of what were 11-inch smcoth-bore
| naval guns, reduced to the caliber of eight
inches by the insertion of steel rified tube.
They are not, however, breech leaders, SO
they will be necessarily slow in action.
Their weight is eight tons, and all that
would be necessary to fit them to vessels
OF the st. Paul and New York class would
be the laying Of deck track and the tas-
tening of a couple Of heavy ring bolts fer
each gun They fire solid d-armor- piercing
shot weighing 1S0 pounds. or a Bursting
shell with ten pounds of powder. weighing
156 pounds. With an accurate range Of
from two and half to three miles. they
would be effective weapons against any
| urarmored ship. which is. after all. the
only class of vessels that the auxiliary
cruisers are expected to cope with. 1t is
the intention of the Navy Depar tmant to
replace them upon the vessels 10y modern
weapons just as fast as the new guns can
be turned out.
Asking for Protection.
Applications are pouring into the War
and Navy Departments for the immediate
protection of supposedly exposed points on
the Atlantic and gulf seahoard. Some
towns ask for the Immediate construction
of batteries. while others want warships
stationed off the shore. A vast majority of
these applications are from very small
towns. The two Florida senators called
Alrcr vxystb of