Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
To Harden Regular Troops.

Brigadier General 7. ]. Whit, U. s. A.,
commanding the Department of the Mis-
souri,, in his annual report, touches upon
the system of training to which troops are
now subjected. He is of the opinion that
a march of twelve or eighteen miles once
a week will not keep men and public ami
mails in hardened condition and ready Tor
active service. He thinks the desired hard
ened condition can be attained by the daily
and varied drills of from two to three
hours, with changes in equipment, at least
one hour each day being employed In drills
under full equipment in all sorts of weather
and seasons Of the year. three-day
march with full equipment once month,
and fifteen-day march at the close OF
the drill season, following the termina-
recommended. General Whit advocates fire.
Quent winter marches of from one to two
hours with and without the field kit, in
order to accustom men and animals to bad
and slippery roads.
General Whit also takes up the subject
OF bartering in uniform clothing. He de-
scribes the incident which recently occurred
of the soldier who parted with his shoes
for a dollars worth of bar checks, and
was contented to walk sock-footed quar-
ter of mile in freezing weather through
the snow. He says that something should
be done to prevent the sale of military
clothing, and suggests as remedy the
turning in of, clothing by a discharged SOL
der and the prohibition Of purchase of
clOtnlnS ny citlZeHS.
Gallery Practice Discontinued.
Secretary Bonaparte has issued a special
order directing that gallery practice be
discontinued on board all ships in commits
sion on the receipt on board of the sub
target gun now being supplied. Practice
with the subtarget gun will be held in lieu
of gallery practice prescribed, and the quail
ihcation for the entry "B' on enlistment
onrdS will 20 do xxyif h
the subtarget gun, precisely as If the firing
were done at gallery, practice,
The Secretary says 1t is not intended to
restrict the practice at the subtarget gun
to that necessary to qualify for the entry
81 on enlistment records, and as much
time as Is consistent with the general duty
Of the crews should be devoted to this
practice, as means of promoting efficiency
in the use Of small arms.
Col. Wiser to Go to Berlin.
Lieut.. Col John p WISER Artillery
Corps. recently stationed at Fort Baker.
Cal. and now in this city. is to be ap-
pointed United States military attache at
Berlin, Germany. It had been generally
understood that Col. Wiser would be de-
tailed to the Inspector generals depart
ment. but the decision to send him to Ber-
lin precludes the possibility of such de-
tall being made and another artillery Of
detailed to the inspector generals depart
ment.
Khaki for Russian Troops.
A report received at the bureau of manu-
features says that the Russian military
authorities are also considering the adop-
of the khaki uniforms worn by American
soldiers. The car, it is said, became espe-
cially interested in the khaki uniforms
worn recently by American army repre-
sentatives at St. Petersburg. The Russian
authorities are also considering the adop-
ton of American accouterments, including
the web cartridge belts and cavalry
saddles
New Ships for the Navy.
Several new ships will be added to the