New-York tribune., 1908-05-25
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Sunday Baseball and Other Service
Topics.
[ From The Tribune Bureau, |

| Washington May "a.
| SUNDAY BAsEBALL.-The playing of base
| ball on Sunday continues to be aggravating
| subject of discussion between certain clergymen
who live in cities adjacent army posts and the
| War Department authorities. The latest protest
comes from minister of Detroit who has re-
| ported to the Secretary of War that the playing
| of baseball by soldiers Fort Wayne. Mich. on
Sundays constitutes a public grievance. The
War Department has acted on this in the line
| of the policy which has been adopted by Secre-
| tary Taft this general subject of Sunday
| diversion among soldiers. 1t is held that base
ball playing military reservations Is not a
menace to the morals of a neighborfng civil COM
munity provided the reservation is large enough
to have the games remote from the resorts of
the civilians. The War Department will consider
, that effective reform will be accomplished If
the military reservations closed to the public
on Sundays wherever there is found to be the
casion of complaint that the games have cor
rupting influence upon civilian beholders 1t is
not considered. however, that a single protest
from clergy man should be taken a justifca-
ton for excluding the public from such military
reservation as that at Fort Wayne. Mich. II the
people of Detroit consider that they e.> outraged
In their feelings by the Sunday baseball playing
at Fort Wayne the War Department Will resort
to the remedy of closing the reservation and al
lowing the soldiers to play baseball to their
hearts content. In that way the diversion of the
soldiers on Sunday will not be offence to the
citizens Of Detroit. But such action is con-
templated until there is general protest
NAVY WHITE ELEPHANT.-The fact that
Congress failed appropriate $4,000 for estab-
fishing naval training station at Port Royal,
S c.. keeps that reservation in the status of
abandoned plant. There is some available prop
erty at Port Royal which may be used else
where. The movable appliances and parts of
buildings which could be transferred have been
taken to the navy yard at Charleston The
big dock al Port Royal is going to decay. and
there Is way in which IL may be used. Some
of the buildings elaborate being of large size
and of stone construction. These, too. de-
teriorating from disuse. 1t was hoped by the
Navy Department obtain a sufficient sum TO
place the Port Royal station In use sort Of
emergency depot to which enlisted men might be
sent In time OF epidemic. II was also proposed
TO make use of the place as a station for the
preliminary training OF newly recruited men and
transfer Port Royal those who
ceiving this initial instruction at the Norfolk
Navy Yard. where the facilities for such work
are measre. II Port Royal could have been OBJ
tained the Navy Department would then have a
station at Newport r L. one at Yerba Buena.
Cal and another at North Chicago. Ill. where the
government is expending two million dollars in
constructing elaborate plant. The Navy De-
partment had opportunity to acquire the site
OF the jamestown exposition, but was Indifferent
to the project and preferred obtain enough
money 10 convert the abandoned navy dockyard
at Port Royal into a suitable training station.
NAVY'S FEMALE NURSES.-The medical of-
GERS attached to the bureau of medicine and
gerry at the Navy Department busly engaged
in forming the rules and regulations governing the
appointments to and administration Of the
corps OF which becomes a part
OF the navy by virtue Of provision in the navy
appropriation act signed the 18th inst The
first step In this direction will be the appointment
OF a superintendent who will be selected from
among qualified women nurses several OF whom
have already filed applications with the surgeon
general. These women will be for the most part
stationed at naval hospitals within continental
limits Some OF them Will also be sent to the new
naval hospital at Canacao. in the Philippines That
Is the most important OF the United States naval /
hospitals the Asiatic station. Another hospital
has been maintained for years at Yokohama
ia pan. and later when all the other hospitals
are provided with nurses, 1t is probable the
institution at Yokohama will have women nurses
also. Much interest is taken in this employment |
OF women nurses by the navy. The general system |
which has been adopted by the army medical de- !
partment in this particular will be followed by the
navy. but as the services are not Identical. of |
course there will be some minor differences.
SAILORS OLD CLOTHEs-The Navy Depart !
ment is making every effort to punish those n !
listed of the navy and marine corps who un- !
la wfulIy dispose of the clothing which has been /
issued to them. The policy of the department /
this matter is described in the following comment |
which has been made by the Secretary of the Navy |
on a bill introduced in Congress for the relief of |
enlisted marine who guilty of this |
act. The department said: 1T has been repeat
edly held that marines may not dispose OF their |
clothing. which is issued to them by the govern
ment against a prescribed allowance. and a
rorolary TO this II is held that a person receiving
ma rine clothing without authority commits un-
lawful in view of the organization of the
military and naval service it be doubted
whether II would be advisable, in the interest of
discipline. to set aside the sentence of properly
constituted court which has been approved by the
authority and carried into effect by the
department after careful revision OF the proceed
ngs and findings. Nevertheless, should the de-
oartment feel upon reconsideration of case, that
Undue severity had been exercised In dealing with !
he accused. objection would be made to the
passage of a bill for his relief. However the above
acts. taken from the court martial record, do not
show any such severity in this case and the de- |
,artment is therefore unable to recommend IA
'orable action upon the bill directing that hon
orable discharge be issued
4