Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-14
M M'ARTHUR AW AITED
NEW COMMANDER OF THE DE-
PARTMENT OF THE EAST.
The Important Duties to Be Performed
by the Umpires-Warships
Getting Ready.

The plans for the coming joint army and
naval maneuvers are tagging little owing
to the fact that General Brooke will turn
over the command of the Department of
the East in a few days to General MacAr-
thur, and not until the latter takes hold of
the arrangements for the army's partici-
patton in the maneuvers are the plans eX
pected to take final definite shape.
However, plans are materializing for the
purely naval maneuvers, which will pre-
cede the joint exercises. The arrangements
have been placed entirely in the hands of
Rear Admiral Higginson, commanding the
North Atlantic station, and he is expected
soon to settle matters of general details,
such as the limits within which the "ene-
my's" ships may attack, the selection Of
commander for the "enemys' force and
the selection of the ships which will COM
pose the attacking squadron.
Functions of the Umpires.
An interesting part of the work in both
sets of maneuvers will be that assigned to
the "umpires." Officers will be assigned
to each of the ships in the naval maneuv-
ers, and to both ships and Notifications in
the joint exercises, to act as judges and 1t
is understood that the final decision in the
greater maneuver as to whether the army
or the navy has been victorious will be
rendered by board of hgh-ranktng Off
GERS from both branches of the service,
probably headed by Admiral Dewey.
The task of the individual judges will not
be an easy one, for the entire scheme OF
the exercises is to be based upon probable
ity. For instance. a battle ship steams
past one of the Staten Island forts in the
dead of night. searchlight flashes out
into the darkness from the fort, finds ner
and the gunners ashore train their big
weapons to blow her out Of the water.
Did the searchight find her in time to have
prevented deadly work If it had been real
war? Were the guns in the fort trained
upon her with the requisite precision, or
can she be considered having run the
gauntlet and as flying up the sound to
shell the metropolis? This is but sample
of what may be expected in the way of
situations open to vigorous dispute from
both sides.
Planning the War Game.
AS soon as Gen. Macarthur takes hold at
New York it is expected that he will CO.
operate with Rear Admiral Hgginson in
drawing up a complete and definite plan
for the game of war between the army and
the navy which begins in August's last
days.
The battle ships Kearsarge, Alabama and
Massa chusetts of the North Atlantic squad
ron, which have been laid up for repairs at
the New York navy yard for some weeks,
will be ready to put to sea tomorrow. Rear
Admiral Higginson will transfer his nag
from the Olympia back to the Kearsarge,
and the squadron will Immediately begin
active work in target practice, drills,
maneuvers and evolutionS in order to in
crease its present proficiency and also
with a view to fitting itself for the coming
summer maneuvers.
Lieutenant Commander Niblack, inspector
of naval nr3cticp is in New
York city making arrangements for that
feature of the squadrons work during the
summer. The cruiser Olympia left the Bos-
ton yard yesterday for New York, where
she will be docked and undergo additional
repairs to those made upon her at Boston.
and will then join the other vessels of the
squadron at sea. The war game which the
North Atlantic squadron will play this sum-
mer should give it somewhat of an advan-
tage over the other squadrons which will be
rendezvoued at the great naval maneuvers
in the Caribbean next winter. The COM
manders of the various squadrons were or
dered some time ago to begin work with
their vessels in target practice, drills, in
dividua and squadron maneuvers. SO as to
be a. fit as possible for the great game In
the West Indies in January, and the sum
mer maneuvers of the North Atlantic
squadron open up opportunities for develop
ment in seamanship which Rear Admiral
Higginson will not let pass.
Work of European Squadron.
1t is learned at the Navy Department
that the European squadron, which is now
gathered at Christiania, Norway, is also to
work in lot of active preparatory work
during the remainder of the summer. Ad-
miral Crownnshield, aboard the Illinois,
has with him the Chicago, Albany and San
Francisco, leaving only the little gunboat
Nashville to follow the annual custom of
showing the Stars and Stripes in the ports
of the eastern Mediterranean. The Nash
vile is now at Beirut