Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS

constantly on duty within the limits OF has
department at the time he first took COM
mand. The boats were afterward with
drawn, because 1t was held that their
presence was unnecessary to preserve
peace. However, their withdrawal, he de-
clarcs. makes it practically impossible tor
American troops to visit many of the nu-
merous islands inhabited by lawless
Moros. AS long as the Moro is let alone.
and an occasional display of power is
made. he is amenabe to discipline. says
Gen. Bliss. but his disposition is such that
he is as ready to fight as he ever was
and welcomes slight reason for opening
hostilities. Practice marches have been
made from garrisons into adjoining terri
tories. but the countless outlying posts
have not been visited. and it is impossi-
Bile to cover much territory outside the
immediate vicinity OF the large army
posts. Gen. Bliss deems it necessary to
have the interisland communicat' on re-
stored so that troops can be constantly
on the move. camping at various points
in the Moro country. BY so doing very
small force of men will accomplish all
that is necessary toward making the
Moro a peaceful citizen.
Oil Depots for Torpedo Boats.
The determination of tie Navy De-
partment to establish the torpedo flotilla
on the basis of joint operations with the
main depots has rendered it necessary
to devise special means of storing the
liquid fuel which torpedo craft will here
after use. The torpedo station will be
at the navy yard. Charleston. s. c. It is
possible that a northern base will be Sc
lected at Portsmouth. N. H., and later 1t
is contemplated to establish a third base
either at Key West or Guantanamo,
which is to be made ready in anticipa-
ton Of the Panama canal. The civil en-
gineers of the navy have developed plans
for some large tanks, in which gasoline
and fuel oil will be stored. at Charles
ton. These tanks will have Il capacity
Of 6,OO0 barrels Of gasoline or 10000
barrels of fuel oil. Tanks of equal ca
pacity are likely to be established at the
two other stations, In order that there
may be prompt supply for the boats
without too long d trip to repleniSh the
reservoirs on board. The question Of
adopting tank ships to carry oil to sea to
supply the torpedo craft has been dis
cussed. and undoubtedly Congress will be
asked to provide these oilers within
the next year or two. 1t is foreseen and
has been pointed out by the naval gen.
;eral staff that this means Of delivering
fuel oil to the torpedo boats at sea will
enable those craft to accompany the fleet
on long voyages and manifestly add to
the radius of action of the boats.
Identification Tags for Soldiers.
The work of distributing the Identified
ton tags for enlisted men of the army
has been undertaken by the quarter
masters department. which department,
by War Department orders, is charged
with the duty Of providing TO + sale to
officers and sratuitous issue to enlisted
men aluminium naturalization tags, the
size of silver half dollar, of suitable
thickness. TO be suspended from the neck
underneath the clothing by means of
tape. One hundred and twenty-five thou
sand of these tags have been procured
from the ordnance department. Each
tag is to be stamped with the name. rank
company, regiment corps of the
wearer, and steel dies for stamping the