New-York tribune., 1907-01-04
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
[From The Tribune Burea.E

l. Tribune BureagsE
Washing gtSc, January 5.
THINKS BIG RATTI IESHIPS BEHT.-Nuch in
terest has been attracted s-ticle written by
Lieutenant Commander w. S. Sims. the inspector
of target practice in the navy, which VIII De
printed by the United States Naval Institute. tie
argues in favor of the largest battleship of the all
big-gun equipment of ordnance. and is in opposl-
ton TO Captain Mahan, who believes the smaller
type of battleship the more valuable commander
Sims points that the advantage Is 2ltogether
with the monster possessing an armament consist
ing of the heaviest guns and as many OF them as
can be carried by the vessel The subject Is being
discussed with great interest by naval of1cers as
it has bearing what may be done oy 0oastSss S
Cnneress rge shnniG he nrovided in addition the
ship authorized at the last session. This would
give four ships of a class representing lhe latest
and best in naval construction ordnance @ ana en- ~
cheering and would serve to furnish vessels 70
take the place Of & the 0rego%2 % the st take po
sitons the second line of defence SINS arpcIe %
that naval power can be maintained only by build,
ing the biggest ship CARRYING the largest guns % ana
to arouse much controversy in the service.
MOST DESTRUCTIVE DEsTROYERs.-The
naval constructors putting the finishing touches
on the plans for the destroyers 1t is expected
that bids will be invited for this work in the
latter part of February and that there will be keen
competition among the shpbUilders of the country
for an order. The chief characteristics of the new
destroyers being determined by the naval ooard
on construction which is still in doubt as 10 the
speed of the vessels Some of the experts are much
impressed with the fact that the destroyers built
in England have speed of more than thirty knots;
in fact, the latest designs of British destroyeTs
knots and il becomes d question at once whether
the American type should not possess an e2uaa
amount of speed. On the other hand there is a
well defined naval view in favor of a speed OF not
ioD as the DESTROYER is able at all times and
der all conditions TO make and MAINTAIN tnae tai .i
trips. which under the most fayorabIe Gonai- t
worthv and that destroyers of prescribed speed
of thirty-f1ve knots may make much less tudh
sdeTsd imporant Gn t to have known maintained
speed which shall he unfaling in an emergency.
ARMY WANTS DoCToRs-The army medical
department Is in need of twenty-four assistant
surgeons, there being that number of vacancies IN
the junior srade of that corps Last year o"iy
eleven candidates out of the 120 who were able TO
appear before the examining boards were found
qualified. and these under instruction at the
army medical school in Washington with view
their final examination to determine relative
position in the medical department The method
of examination tried last year viii be emPlf4yed tf
one in May and other in the latter part of July
These will be held at army posts in the nelg5bor-
who signify desire to enter the competition;
Those wn3 pass the pr premarX @ 20 ipstrHc TtI
ton. to be followed by the final exaInina ton. The
ces IN the medical corps of the army are somewhat
discouraging but II is not consldered aaVlSaole 10
or make the entrance examination any easier.
OVERLOADED TORPEDO CRAFT-A special
naval board is hard at work on a scheme for re-
ducing the weights carried by torpedo boats and
destroyers. An investigation Of such craft recently
showed that the weights carried by the boats are
much in excess of the amounts prescribed in the
original specifications. This has the effect, OF
course Of snterfferns with the speed and the
boat and it is considered important that there be
reducing the weights II is possible that step in
that direction will be TO lessen the space now
the the desroyers at the Same Same d1 tmo
considered absolutely necessary.
ORDERS 1ssUED.-The following orders have
been issued:
Retirement Of Major General JESSE NJ LEE announced
NAVY
Commander A SHARP. to navy yard. Washington. Feb
1Aoqtsnan: commandes v CHASE, detached vesuvis.
Meutenant Commander n. E. IRWIN. from Naval Hos
L;ss.saaa! T4ksi}4f II, resignation aooep.sd
Lieutenant r JACKSON detached Lancaster. 70 oHice
Lieutenant + GARsH4L14 T.. dstached the Paul
Lieutenant p LARIMER. detached the Philadelphia to
ks,5D, sa;sn9pf s5vs DEFREF E 30 command the xe.y
Ronsahea Pesenatlo1 detached the No
PayTasteT Ss. .Iot RoPNETT M detached Department
Paymo.ter g P DYER. to bureau OF supplies and .o-
Payms'ts5 F. G. PYNE 70 Fort Baysrf
station. San Juan home. settle accounts wait orders
MOVEMENTS OF wARsHIPs-The following
movements OF vessels have been reported to the
Navy Department:
SAILED.
january THE Maine, the Missouri Kentucky
the oM from Sne HamG96 se Reog Illinois 3 the Indiana and
MOTIFS from Norfolk for Charleston: he Vir-t
gnia. the Maryland Colorado and the Pennsvl- |
vania from Hong Kong for Cavite; the Chattanooga
from Che Cavite
January 3-Tns from Kong coyt.a
TALE OF CRUELTY AT SEA.