Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-18
Army and Navy News.

Army and Navy News.
| Secretary of War will next year ash
| Congress to appropriate Sooo,ooo LOT eA'
penditure in the direction OF post eX-
changes. for which purpose Sl,ooo'-
600 has already been allotted. II
is estimated that similar sum
divided into two appropriations III
the next two years VIII 1urnlsh
, all the army garrisons with new
post exchanges and symnasiuIns.
At some places new buildings are being
erected, and at others, sue, as fort
Mcpherson, Georgia. the roAcH.' No.
halls have been converted INT" HN-
change buildings. The time Is coming
when Il part of the allotment VIII have
to be employed for repairs anu mann
tenance, such as replacing fixtures in
order that the gymnasiumS snail be
kept up to working order. 1t Is esti-
mated that these requirements Will
make necessary the expenditure OF $40, =
ou0 Il yc?r, which will take consider
able slice out of the annual allotment
for post exchanges. Types of build
mgS have been designed so there need
be no difficulty in doing the work
when funds are available. There are
three Or four of these stock plans pro-
vided for, both brick and frame build
ings, and of dimensions capable of ex-
pansiOn to accommodate the needs of
different posts.
Otflnarc nj,
force at Culebra are considerably eX-
erciSed over the situation at that point.
The marines recently removed from
the temporary camp 10 the permanent
barracks near that town. 1t is Re
ported that nearly all or the inhabi-
tants are engaged in the traffic of al
coholic drinks, selling great quantities
TO the enlisted men of the command
and the visiting ships. The beverage
is described as 1.-THE most vile COM
position" and it does great injury to
those who drink il. The reports re-
ceived state that it has proved can
impossible task to suppress the sale on
account of the indefinite relations OK
isting between the civil and military
authorities"
Lack of officers for ordnance duty
ard the overtaXing Of the naval gun
! factory at Washington continue to be
the two most serious problems facing
the Bureau of Ordnance, according to
the annual report Of Rear Admiral
Newton f. Mason chief of ordnance.
just approved by Secretary Morton.
The report says a plan for reorganiza-
ton of the work of the bureau viii be
submitted later. with q view to in
creasing the supply of ordnance eN-
perts. OF the rush of work at the
naval gun factory, Admiral Mason
says:
The naval gun factory has been run
| ming night and day at full capacity,
and. although good progress has been
made the congested condition of all
work gives assurance that it's capacity
is being overtaxed and must, unless
this capacity is materially increased
eventually result in the failure to
supply the ordnance outfits of ships in
time to meet the demands of the con-
, tractors.
Appropriations are asked for this
year to make the naval powder depot
at Lake Denmark, ". j., the main stor-
age station for smbkeless powder on
| the Atlantic coast.
Captain Charles NJ. Thomas. in
charge of the goNernment training sta
ton at Newport, >R. l.. has introduced
a new system for training boys for the
navy III eight months. The plan is ex-
pected to overcome much Of the diff
Guilty experienced Iby the navy in get
ting full crews fpr vessels. Captain
Thomas proposes to give the boys eight
months of thorough instruction in sea-
manship and gunnery at the station
and also to send them on short cruises.
At the end of eight months they'are to
be rated as ordinaryfseamen. Hitherto
| boys have been Obliged to spend about
six months in the station and another
six months aboard p vessel before they
could be rated as ordinary seamen.
49,
General A. W. Greedy. chief signal
officer of the United States army, in his
annual report, gives an Interesting ac-
count of the work performed by his
corps in establishing an all American
! Geographic system in Alaska. The
cables used in the Alaskan system
would reach from Newfoundland to
Ireland, and the lahd lines from Wash
| ington TO Texas. There are 2O79 miles
of cable. 1,439 miles of land lines and
| lo7 miles of wireless service. General
Greedy says the United States has
| brought Southeastern Alaska, : the
Yukon Valley and the Behrlng{ Strait
region into Geographic commuH ication
with the rest of the civilized twOrld.
The report says the Nome wireless sta
| ton has daily and uninterrtIptedly
| Transmitted the entire Geographic bus
ness Of Seward Peninsula, FIVE thou
sand words being exchanged in ona
afternoon between Safety Harbor and
ST. Michaa'. The signal corps Fperat IS
i the longest wireless section of any
commercial telegraph system I'm the
world. Speaking Of the Philippines. he
says the sixteen most import ant
! islands of the archipelago are nbw con-
| nected by cable. 1t is strongly urged
in the report that steps be taken bv
the United States to adhere to the in
ternational telegraph union. and that
! national regulations governing wireless