Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
The New Medals of Honor Are
Not Popular.

The efforts Of the War Department to re-
place the congressiona medals of honor or
lginally awarded to officers and enlisted
men Of the army for distinguished gallantry
In action with medals of a later design
have not been very successful. Congress
provided for the issue of 5000 of these
medals. According to the records of the
War Department at the time of the adoption
of the new design, there had been 2.5i1
medals of honor of the original design is
sued by the War Department. Since that
time 80 of them or a little less than 10
per cent have been returned to the de-
partment and have heen replaced by medals
of the new design. These figures are taken
to show that the recipients prefer the medal
of the original design to the one now issued
by the War Department.
Capt. Potter's Command
Capt. William p. Potter, the popular as
sistant chief of the bureau of navigation,
Navy Department, has been selected as the
first commander of the battleship Vermont
That vessel was built by the Fore liver
Shpbuilding Company of quincy. Mass,
and is one of the finest ships in the navy.
1t Is probable that she will be nut in COM
mission for the first time next spring and
that she will be added to the battleship di-
vision of the Atlantic or home fleet. Capt.
Potter is from New York and has been on
duty in the Navy Department since June,
1903.
The Vermont is to be presented with a
beautiful silver service of fourteen pieces.
In the set are punch bowl and ladle,
plateau or waiter, upon which the bowl
stands, two candelaBra. a water pitcher.
syrup pitcher, appropriate to the state of
maple sugar; two salad bowls. a meat dish
and butter dish. 1t is said to be of
the handsomest services ever made for an
American warship and will be the gift of
the state of Vermont.
Naval Library Bookmark.
The Secretary of the Navy has adopted
for the library of the Navy Department a
bookmark designed by Mr. p. c. Rueb-
sam Of the photographic office 1t is based
upon the seal of the department. with the
eagle with widespread wings and the an
Choir significant of the purpose of the serv-
ice, but it was found that the circular de-
sign of the navy seal did not lend itself
readily to artistic purposes. and conse-
quenty there was substituted the shell of
the hippopus, deep-sca molTusk of great
value. on the face of this shell is depicted
the fTlgdte Constitution, under full SAIL
which is generally accepted among naval
officers as most characteristic.
Sunday Games for Soldiers.
Adopting opinion rendered by Maj
Carter. acting judge advocate general, the
War Department has decided not to inter-
fere with the Sunday games of the troops
stationed at Forts Strong and Rodman
Massachusetts. The New England Sabbath
Protective League protested against the
playing of base ball and foot ball games
at those posts on Sunday and made the
point that such practice was against the
law. The department takes the ground
that the games are part of the regular
military athletic training of the soldier and
has decided not to interfere with the Sum
day games unless 1t shall be judiciaIly de-
termined that they are "offenses'' under the
statutes.
No Non-Commissioned BARRIERS.
The question was raised last week
whether non-commssioned officer may
properly be a company barber. 1t was
decided by the Secretary of War that such
practice Is not consistent with the rank
and position of a non-commissioned officer
nor with the maintenance OF proper dis
ciplfne in company and a circular was
ordered Issued accordingly.
Cannot Have a Badge.
A veterinarian Of artillery, having quail
fed as sharpshooter, request was made
for the issue of a sharpshooter's badge
The War Department decided that, since
existing regulations state that qualifica-
lions as expert rihemen, sharpshooters or
marksmen cannot be made in the ar
tillery corps, a veterinarian assigned to
;he artillery corps is not entitled to CLASH
fcatlon as a sharpsheoter, and hence can
not properly be issued a sharpshooter's
badge.
Two Naval Coaling Plants.
The Navy Department has awarded con-
tracts for the construction of coaling
plants at Guantanamo, Cuba, and Cali
fornia City Point Cal The former plant
will be built by the Robbins Belt Conveying
Company at a cost OF SCI, 500. The plant
on the Pacific coast will be built by the
Hoshor Plant Company of New York for
the sum of $S7, 1913. The work will be un-
dertaken at once.
Another Ship for Maryland.
The Navy Department has assigned the
United States steamer Newport, now at
the Portsmouth navy yard, to the naval
militia of Maryland. which organiza ton
also has the use of the monitor Mian-
tonomoh.