Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21

private concerns regardless of their merits
purpose. especially when it is desired to
extend business by negotiation with officers
and enlisted men. A case in point arose re-
Gently when a desire expressed that a
board of army officers be appointed to in
vestgate the methods of the system in
vogue in one of the correspondence schools
with view to obtaining official approval.
and so facilitate and extend it's business
among enlisted men The unfavorable ac-
ground that. if the request were granted. it
would establish a~precedent which would
neceSs:tate the investigation of all sorts OF
business concerns by the War Department.
Transfer of Crew.
The crew of the monitor Amphitrite is,
to be transferred to the United States
steamship Lancaster. receiving ship at the
League Island navy yard, as soon as the
monitor is placed out Of commission
Increased Allowances to Soldiers.
Retired soldiers are to receive increased
allowances in the future. in accordance
with the following amendment to the army
regulations, just promulgated in general or
derS:
The authorized pay and allowances of
retired enlisted men will be paid to them
monthly by the pay department. Their
pay will be three-fourths of the monthly
pay allowed by law for the grade held by
them when retired. In addition to the
monthly pay they are entitled to $3.50 per
month for Communication of clothing and
rations and S6.25 per month in lieu of quar-
tiers, fuel and light. Service on the retired
list does not entite enlisted men to any
further increase of pay for length of serv-
ice beyond what accrued at date of retire
ment."
Coming Trial of the Connecticut.
Instructions have been given the naval
board of inspection to conduct the trial
trip Of the battleship Connecticut early
in August. The vessel is now undergoing
repairs at the New York navy yard. 1t
is expected that the ship will be ready
to leave the navy yard in about ten days.
She will proceed to the coast of Maine,
where the board of inspection, accom-
panied by naval engineers, including the
Junior line officers who are under special
instruction for engineering duty, will OBJ
serve the test. Interest attaches to this
test for the reason that the Connecticut
Is sister ship OF the Louisiana, the
former being built at the New York navy
yard and the latter under contract at
Newport News, Va Some comment has
been caused by the fact that the Connecti-
cut was not tried before she went into
commission. 1t is declared that such a
trial would have been unfair to this ship,
as compared with the Louisiana. for in
the case of contract-built ships the trial
crews are composed OF expert nremen and
engineers. The Connecticut in the COM
ing trial will have an advantage which has
never happened in the case of a ship under
trial-that all the weights will be on
board and the vessel in service trim
Resignation Of a Chaplain.
Chaplain Fl. T. Brockmann, goth Infan-
try, duty at Fort Douglas. Utah, has
rendered his resignation. and it will be
accepted. Chaplain Brockmann has been in
the army for several years, and belongs
to the Lutheran Church. He gave as his
reason for wishing to be separated from
the military establishment that he was
not able properly to support himself and
family on his army salary. This is the
first case Of the resignation OF chaplain
on that account. although there are many
instances where officers have complained
that they could not make ends meet on
their pay.
Long Cruise of Torpedo Flotilla.
The second torpedo fotilla, now at Nor
folk may be ordered to cruise in the Pacific
about the same time that the Atlantic bat
tleshp fleet is transferred to that ocean.
The question of whether or not the destroy
ers shall be taken to the Pacific has been
left to Rear Admiral Evans for decision.
Officers declare that the cruise of torpedo
boats from Hampton roads to San Francis
CO is entirely practicable, though probably
years ago by the first torpedo f1otilla from
Hampton roads to the Philippines via Suez
The second fotilla is commanded by Lieut..
Commander E. A. Anderson, and is now
composed of these destroyers: The Hopkins
Lieut.. A. G.. Howe; the Whlpple. Lieut. Ed
ward Woods; the Lawrence the Worden
Lieut.. Victor S. Houston; the Hull Lieut.
James H. Tomb; the Stewart, Lieut. Fred
erick Hellweg.
To Distinguish Officers From Privates
Considerable interest attaches in military
circles to an order prescribing the indica-
ton of commissioned rank to be attached
TO the sleeve of the olive-drab and khaki
coats of army officers. 1t has been consid-
cred that there was not sufficient distinction
between the service uniform worn by the
officers and that worn by the enlisted men.
The distinction will now be established by
means of brown braid on the sleeves of the
officers excepting those of the general
staff corps, who will continue to wear the
black. now prescribed. 1t is provided
that the officers shall wear on the sleeve of
the service coat. three inches from the end
of the sleeve, a brown braid one-half inch
wide conforming in color to the pattern in
the Office of the quartermaster general.
The rank insignia of the shoulder loops will
remain as at present.