New-York tribune., 1907-08-29
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
NoUeI Questions Arise on Disposal
of Public Property.
fFrom The Tribune Bureau.

ABANDONED PUBLIC PROPERTY.-The aban-
donment of army posts in different parts OF the
country in anticipation of the concentration Of
troops in larger garr!sons has served TO present
a number of more or less novel questions. Some
OF them have TO do with the disposition of prop
erty owned by the government at the places which
are marked for abandonment. OF course. ordf-
narily, much OF the property be transferred
along with the troops and some Of II Is obviously
Of a character which, account OF its useless
ness. may be disposed of In the regular way by
public sale 70 the highest bidder. At OF the
army posts in Texas. however. something Ike
problem presented IN the disposition of a large
quantity of pipe which underground and
which, such. still IN good condition and
could not be condemned worthless, since IT was
Of use where 1t lay. and. moreover, could be taken
up and used elsewhere But this reclamation would
entail much expense and require expenditure or
public money which is all justified under the
circumstances. The law has been specially con-
strued 10 consider the buried pipe unsuitable
for the public service" and in that Of the
situation the pipe and other things at the Texas
post viii be sold at public auction
RETIREMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL DAVIS.
The retirement for age to-day Of Rear Admiral
Charles H Davis. tr. takes the active list Of
the navy Of its most able and distinguished
officers a native of Cambridge. Mass. and the
of a naval officer who commanded the Mississ ppi
fotilla during the Civil War he was graduated
from the Naval Academy Just as that
closing. His scientific attainments gained him
appointment to the Naval Observatory. first
subordinate investigator and later its head He
commanded several expeditions organized to deter
mine the differences of longitude by means Of SUBJ
marine telegraph cables. and the author Of
volume on the 'Telegraphic Determination OF
Longitude" and Of another on "Chronometer Rates
Affected by Temperature and Other Causes"
HIS knowledge Of maritime and international law
led to his appointment various important COM
missions. notably the international commission
of inquiry the North Sea incident during the
Russo-Japanese War. He came prominently into
public notice recently when his prompt and gen.
erouslv offered aid to the sufferers from the earth
quake at jamaica met with such ungracious and
ungrateful recognition by the British Governor OF
that island. The dignifed manner in which Rear
Admiral Davis comported himself IN that difficult
and surprising situation crowned with peculiar ustre
career OF conspicuously honorable service. During
the war With Spain he commanded the auxiliary
cruiser Dixie. In 1899 he published biography OF
his father Rear Admiral Charles n Davis. q. s. N
RETTREs WITH RANK OF GENERAL.-CoIorel
Amos stickney corps Of eengneers. was retired
from, the army to-day brigader general having
reached the age limit for active service He
born Missouri and was appointed TO the army
from New York After the Civil War. IN which he
served cred,taby IN 1854 and 1866 he was assigned
to a variety OF complex duties. which he performed
with great honor He was president of the Missis-
sfppi River Commission for almost two years. and
later president OF the Missouri River Commission.
He was one OF three commissioners TO run the
boundary line between Indiana and Kentucky
north OF Green River Island For about a year
he was in charge of river and harbor Improvement
work in New York City. On June he retired from
service as a member of the Lighthouse Board and
also as engineer officer Of the Atlantic division.
NAVAL MILEAGE EXPEDITED-Navalo officers
appreciate fully the advantage which they are now
enjoying In having their claims for travelling eN-
penses paid without the former delays which at
tended the settlement OF such transactions The
Treasury DeDartmeut has always been behind IN
the settlement of these claims. and the new ar
rangernent provides for their payment directly by
a pay officer assigned to that special duty In the
bureau OF supplies and accounts who gives the
government check for the amount as soon as 1t has
been approved by the department and found TO be
I'm accordance with the list of proper charges IN
dicated department orders. Later the treasury
Department takes up the paymaster's account and
settles that in the ordinary course Of business The
naval officers who have incurred travelling
penses on government business. for which outlay
they must reimbursed. have often been hampered
by the delays in the settlement OF the claims The
new arrangement Is working with satisfaction IN
the expedition of these claims.
LESSONS OF MANCHURIAN CAMPAIGN.-For
some time army experts have been engaged on q
valuable compilation of an official military history
of the war between Russia and Japan The events
are all recorded in chronological order with spe-
caI technical reference to their connection. MUCH
care has been taken by the compilers 10 mako
this complete and accurate. ana 10 tiis' emu ere
have been many trarslations OF advfces from for-
i, so,,rces ~ information with such drafts upon
the reports CT United States officers who served
as military observers IN Manchuria as appeared 10
he necessary It is expected that this epitofne OF
events from the beginning to the end OF the war
will soon be ready for publication by the war De-
+roert The text is illustrated with sketches and
r,ans one of the features being a large strategic
chart covering the scene Of operations between the
antagonistic armies
opDFRs IssUED-The following orders have
been issued:
AAf5 tired list WIN srisaas. general from
r,rtsn SAM BOTTOMS commissary. from subsistence
F,r, lieutenant ROBERT J. REANEY. % Cavalry from
detail as captain nth Company Philippine Scouts to
First m Lieutenant KELroN l. PEPPER. 2sd Infantry. to
Second Lieutenant GEORGE F BRADY. 14h Infantry.
to Fort Lawton for examination
NAVY
r,s,,sn.nt 7. A. CAMPBELL. tr.. detached from the
AkaRsas 70 h9s se Ma ama Passed Ass-ta, Pay
Ins,S Master A s PETERS. designations accepted.
surgeon n s. ELLIOTT. detached from the Olympia. to
surgeon Nas W A DIfNsAR Hospital
Passed Assistant surgeon OMAN. detached from the
Assistant sT srreon G H. DELANEY detached
from the Florida, to navy ,I yard New ss YSrk;
Assistant Surgeon r. A VICKERY. detached from the
Illinois yard. Boston
MOVEMENTS OF VESSELS The following
movements of vessels have been reported to the
Navy Department; ARRIVED
Aug 77-Tne MIN. and the n Punssr & at navy yard Ne.
York; the Nevada , and the ARKANSAS at Annapolis;
Aug 2s-The Galveston, at shan-Hau-Kwan
SAILED.
Avn. os-The Galveston from Tons-Ku for shan-Hau-
Aug s7.&rno Pr.bi. from Seattle for Everett wash
tha