Evening star., 1907-07-07
.BUSYON ROU TINE WORK
Naval Chiefs Not Preparing for
Cruise of BattIeships.
NO ABNORMAL ACTIVITY
Construction CT Guns for the New
Ships.
DRYDOCKS ON THE PACIFIC
forts to Get Trained Mechanics at
the Bremerton Yard-Operations
in Quiet Way.

The heads of the naval bureau express
| ignorance of the plans of the admnistra-
| tion to send the battleship fleet to the
| Pacific. notwithstanding the official con-
| f1rmation of the reports that had been so
frequently denied in the beginning. These
| bureau chiefs assert that they are engaged
| only in the routine work of the depart
ment. and that they are making no un-
| usual preparations for the great undertake
| ing They also assert that they have had
| no orders to do otherwise. On the sur
| face there are few signs of abnormal ac-
| tivity In Washington; many of the chiefs
are away, the naval general board is scat
tered, the usual proportion of subordinate
employees are away on summer leaves OF
absence, and the War and Navy Depart
ments appear to be In the usual summer
| lethargy.
But it Is undeniable that the plans of the
department workers for this particular
summer fit in very we'll with the eXigencieS
of the case. In the matter of coal supply,
for instance. 1t may be said that the move
coast is simply equal to the average de-
mands of the naval service. In fact. it IS
said that the coal would have gone forward
before this had the money been available
1t was not available. they say, until the
beginning of the new fiscal year.
Then the supply of reserve naval guns
and ammunition and of torpedoes Is found
to be much nearer the needs of the service
than il has ever before been at this season
of the year.
Construction of Gums.
The construction of guns for the new ships
is progressing very we'll. and without doubt
the armament for the armored cruisers
about to be turned over to the government
will be found to be read, by the time the
ho,y 6otS had ba hull f
tings of the ships Headway has even been
made in the fabrication of the great guns
for the two big 2OOOO-ton batteships, al
though the contracts for these have not
been finally signed. Orders frr the forgings
for these guns were placed two months ago
with the Bethlehem, Midvale and Carnegie
works. Some of these forgings have al
ready been delivered at the Washington
navy yard. where most of the guns are to
be finished and assembled. and much of
the steel has been delivered at the army gun
factory at Waterviet, n. Y.
1t is recalled now that some curiosity
was expressed few months ago when
it was announced that the navy had
adopted a policy of building some of it's
guns in the army gun factories. That
curiosity was not gratified at that time.
but 1t may develop as fortunate cir
cumstance that as result of the alop-
tion of that policy the naval gunshops
are not in danger of being taxed beyond
their ability.
Only the routine expenditures under the
ordinary heads of appropriation for con
struction and repair. and on account OF the
yards and docks. are being made on either
the Atlantic or Pacific coast, according
to the officials here. but as Secretary Met
calf pointed out, one of the items is
dry dock at the naval station at Puget
sound, and 1t would not be surprising If
special effort were made to dredge out the
channel at the Mare Island navy yard,
as to make it available for the deep
draught battleships. There is fine dry
dock in the Mare Island yard which might
as we'll be in China as far as the United
States Navy is concerned, unless a chan
mel is dredged out to bring it within
reach of large ships in need Of cleaning
and repairs
The Bremerton Yard.
Last year the Navy Department found
it impossible to spend all of the money
that Congress had appropriated for the
building and operation Of machinery
plant in the Bremerton navy yard. That
was because the materials could not read
lily be had. but more serious difficulty
lack of trained mechanics and skilled
labor, AS that is the only dock on the
Pacific coast now ready to handle big
battleship some special inducements must
be held out by the department to get
homes i'll Bremerton and it Is believed that
steps have already been taken in that direc-
ton.
Altogether, Notwithstanding the total alb
sence of any appearance of furry or excite
ment among the few officials who remain In
Washington. 1t Is patent that much useful
work is being done in a quiet way to put
not only the navy but the army coast de-
lenses in as good condition as the appro-
priations made by Congress will permit