Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-28

Scarcity of Workmen at Navy Yards.
| Interruption in important work for which
| provision had been made in the allotment
of funds has occurred at the Portsmouth, |
| N. H, and Puget Sound navy yards, be-
cause Of the great difficulty of obtaining
| competent workmen. Such state of af-
fairs has not been known before. AT Ports
mouth work has been stopped on the new
! seagoing tug in favor of more urgent re
pair work, and at the Puget Sound yard
! work was suspended on the Oregon and the
| Wisconsin SO that the Nebraska might be
| ready for service and repairs needed on ,,
the Chicago and Charleston first completed.
The Saratoga to Be Sold.
The old warship Saratoga is to be sold at
auction. The vessel has been In as a
nautical training ship by the state of Penn
| sylvania for several years, and has been
| returned to the commandant of the League
| Island navy yard. Pa, for final disposition.
Changes at the Naval Academy.
| 1t Is understood that the combined de-
| partment of mathematics and mechanics
recommended by what is known as the
| Wainwright board, as the result Of It's re-
| cent investigation of the curriculum at the
| Naval Academy, will be in charge Of Pro- |
fessor Of Mathematics stimson ]. Brown.
Since Capt. c. ]. Badger assumed the du- |
ties of superintendent Of the academy, |
about two weeks ago. he has made a spe- |
cial report to the department in regard to
the recommendations made by the Vain
wright board. The Navy Department ap- |
proved most Of the recommendations made, |
but it is understood that Capt. Badger |
urges that only few Of the changes, |
which had been approved, be made, includ- |
ing the consolidation of mathematics and |
mechanics.
Appointment Of Midshipmen.
Following the graduation Of the first class |
ar Acc Tup NIL
be about three hundred vacancies in the po- |
sition of midsh1pmen which must be filled |
by appointments between now and March |
next. The vacancies include those caused |
by failures in the examinations, resgna- |
tons, discharges etc. There are to be two |
examinations for admission to the academy. |
the first being held in various cities and |
towns throughout the country the third |
Tuesday in April under the auspices of the !
civil service commission, and the second |
the third Tuesday Of June at the Naval |
Academy.
New Cooking and Baking School.
A cooking and baking school for the navy
is to be established at the naval training |
station, Newport, r. l., in charge of Pay
master Eugene F. Hall. The plan approved |
contemplates sending to the school those !
cooks and bakers who re-enlist, the purpose
ultimately being to have cooks, bakers and
commlssary stewards hold diplomas of the !
school. The course Is to include instruc-
tons in cooking and baking, with the prac-
teal work afforded by the conduct of the
large general mess at the naval training
station.
Soldiers Commended for Gallantry.
Certificates of merit have been awarded
by the War Department to Quartermaster
Sergt. John W. Ash and Corporal Preston
Askew, both of Company E. 9th Infantry,
for conspicuous gallantry In action against
the Pulajanes at Tabon-Tabon, Leyte, P. l.,
July "A, 1905. The certificate in the case
of each of these men says: BY his fine
example and cool bravery, when the COM
mand, consisting Of about ten men of the
oath United States Infantry and detach
ment of constabuary, was surrounded. he
did much to bring the engagement to sue
cessful conclusion
A certificate was also awarded to Lewis
Broadus, first sergeant, Company NJ, 18th
Infantry, for GOODNESS, presence of mind
and bravery at Fort Niobrara, Neb., July
B. 1906 in rushing In on a man armed
with rifle and Intent on murder. and. at
imminent risk to himself, Selling and de-
flecting the aim of the rife just before it
was fired, thereby saving the lives Of
others"
Pedro Yambao, quartermaster sergeant,
9Th Company, Philippine Scouts, was
awarded a certificate of merit for good
conduct September 10. 1905, in assuming
command of his company of Philippine
Scouts when his commanding officer was
killed In engagement with Pulajanes,
routing the enemy and recovering the body
of his commanding officer, and personal
bravery September H. 1903, in keeping his
own men from returning the fire when fred
through error by American troops at
short range and fearlessly exposing himself
by advancing to the front and waving his
rifle and his hat until he was recognized,
thereby stopping the fire of the American
troops and preventing further casualties
while sergeant, 9Th Company, Philippine
Scouts.
Military Discharges by Purchase.
In view Of the difficulty experienced by
the military authorities in obtaining neces-
sary recruits for the army there is a grow
ing belief in various quarters that the dis
charge-by-purchase system should be abol-
ished. When recruits were moro easily OBJ
tainable the practice Of releasing men from
the service before the expiration Of their
enlistment contract caused no serious en-
barrassment. But even then discharge by
purchase was q costly thing. in that 1t gave
the government no return for the time and
money spent in training the man for the
duties Of the soldier. For the first six
months the new recruit is Of little real
military value; yet the expense of his train
ing and maintenance has to be paid, the
expectation being that after becoming pro-
f1cient in his duties he will remain in the
service until he has served the full period
of his enlistment The money he pays for
a discharge before the expiration Of his
term is adequate return for what the
government has disbursed on his account. |
and, 1t is contended, the abolition of the
practice would be in the interest not only
Of economy, but Of military efficiency.
A High Tribute to Bluejackets.
Rear Admiral William T swinburne,
commanding the second squadron of the
Pacific fleet, has written an article THE
Navy and the Man. in which he says: The
standard of efficiency among our men Is
vastly higher than il few years ago.
We have just come from fleet target prac-
tce at Magdalena bay. There each man Is
trained to act with other men as in actual
war He is trained exactly how to do each