Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-02
ARMY AND NAVY GOSSIP.
Notes of Information Cleaned from the
Army and Navy Register.

In tneSe Gays Oh lle Tdpiu lTdIlSlt vi
information and the mysterious de-
vices for circulating news we are apt
to sometimes forget that the obvious
to us may be quite unknown to our
friends who are not on the ground. A
few days after July 1. when everybody
who cared anything about the case
knew that William II. Moody had
ceased to become secretary of the navy
and had been succeeded by Paul Nor
ton the navy department had occasion
to send some cable instructions to the
commander in chief of the Asiatic sta
ton. They were put into economical
phraseology, as is the custom of fru-
gal government, and the message.
again following habit, was sent with
the signature Morton" The text was
devoted to- matters of which there had
been some inquiry from the remote
fleet and it was obviously from proper
authority. The acknowledgement came
back in the course of a day:
instructions received; will be
carried out. Who is Morton? Stirling
1t never occurred TO anybody that
the officers on the Asiatic station might
have no means of knowing that there
had been a sudden shift in the head of
the navy department. Those things
happen in night at home sometimes.
but it is more or less puzZling to the
distant officers to get their orders from
one Morton" of whom they have had
no recollection as government official
and whose name was represented in
the naval register by only one naval
officer, lieutenant on the Wyoming
who was hardly likely to be sending in
structiOns to the senior rear admiral on
the Asiatic station. Presumably the
inquiry from Shanghai was answered
promptly and informingy.
The war and navy departments are
ir receipt of numerous letters from all
sections of the country making in
qury in regard to the adoption of wire
less telegraph systems. 1t appears
that the firms which are interested in
having the government select their
systems and which succeed in getting
more or less favorable consideration
of their apparatus are inclined to ad-
vertise the fact as a means Of dispOs-
ing Of stock. Announcements of this
sort are received evidently with some
suspicion. with the result that the
branches Of those experimentation
as the signal Office in the war depart
ment and the bureau Of equipment In
the navy department-are repeatedly
invited to express their opinions of this
or that stock as entitled to cOnsidera.
ton as an investment. OF course the
official replies are couched in nOncom-
initial terms and no advice is given
one way or the other. Where the di-
rect question comes for information the
inquirer is informed just what the de-
partment has done. The government
authorities do not propose to be be-
trayed into the endorsement of any,
thing or into expressing themselves so
as to have any concern profit by the in
formation. There Is the keenest rival
ry among the wireless telegraph COM
panies and this makes the situation a
little more interesting.
There are eleven vacancies in the
army medical department and the
probability is that at least most, if not
all, Of these will be filled as a result of
the examination Of candidates to be
held at various places beginning on
August l under the new system which
will govern the appointments ito the
junior grade of the corps. Boards OF
officers have been detailed to conduct
the examination of candidates at Fort
Sheridan, Illinois; Fort Mcpherson.
Georgia; Fort Thomas. Kentucky; Fort
Leavenworth Kansas; Fort Crook.
Nebraska: Fort Jay. New York; Fort
f'reble, Maine; Fort Porter, New York.
and at the General hospital at wash /
ington barracks. District Of Columbia. |
These army garrisons are conyenientlyl
located for the candidates who have
signihed tn desire to be examined. AS