New-York tribune., 1908-06-24
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Var Department Hasn't Sufficient
Funds for Supply Depot.
From The Tribune Bureau

IFrorn The Tribune Bureau.I
Washington. June =
GREAT PACIFIC WAR RASE.-Ths War De-
partment authorities have been in something Of .
auandary concerning the contract which has just
been let to New York firm for the construction
at Fort Mason. Cal. Of the big army supply depot.
which is to cost more than two million dollars
This will be the principal shipping point and rhs
transport headquarters between this country and
Manila. There will ultimately be built quarters
and barracks with the means of taking care OF a
large body of troops. The depot will be equipped
a storage place OF capacity sufficient TO meet
the needs OF war. When the bids were recently
opened by the Quarternaster General for this work
IL found that the lowest bid exceeded tho
amount which available An arrangement
however. has been made with the contractor BY
which certain items omitted from the frse
work he Is do. and il funds are available later
the remaining construction will be carried OUT
contract which has just been awarded
This considered better than revising the plans
and specifications which would have involved con-
siderable work and much delay, and IN addition
to which 1t was necessary award the contract
before the end OF the present fiscal year Inc
work which omitted consists Of sons sneds-
which be built later without interfering WIN
general project The military authorities arc
much satisfied with this conclusion since IL assures
them Of a badly needed army supply depot and
shipping station the Pacific Coast There was
desire this establishment on Puget
Sound but the land adaptable for the purpose
and that place had been selected by the experts
after careful consideration OF other available
sites The railroad facilities will be extended so
as to reduce the handling Of the supplies
to the minimum II will be possible TO transfer
material between the cars and transport with one
handling
BATTLEsHIPs AT TARGETs--rnstructions
have been sent from the Navy Department 10 tne
commander in chief of the Atlantic feet. giving
he hold
guns of the ships of that command Some OF tne
preliminary work will be held in Subig Bay upon
the arrival Of the fleet in Philippine waters on us
Journey around the world. II is expected tnat the
practice itself will occur during the early part
of November in Manila Bay. and orders have
been sent to the navy yard at Cavite to prepare
the floating targets and chart the ranges Ihere
is sufficient space in Manila Bay 70 conduct this
target practice, which is usually held FOR record
purposes off Guantanamo. Cuba IL is gratifying
to the naval authorities to be able to conduct tar
get practice with the big guns notwithstanding the
crcumnavisating cruise. which is observed so far
to have as it's disadvantage its deprivation or
the annual practice with small arms This mas al
ways been conducted at the naval station az Guam
tanamo but there no facilities either on tns
Pacific Coast in the Philippines for having small
arms practice for the benefit Of eight thousand
The facilities at Manila are meagre, and II
is out of the question to delay ships sufficiently
long to give all the men chance at this rife fire.
This years target practice in Manila Bay will oe
a departure from the preceding work in that the
ships will go ranges without previous knowl-
edge of the direction speed at which they VIII
pass the targets This information will be in the
form of sealed orders, which will be opened as
ships for the practice II is another step
toward promoting efficiency in naval sunnery under
conditions which exacting those Of actual
warfare Under such conditions II is not TO be
pected that as good percentages will be made as
have been achieved at Guantanamo and Magda-
, lena Bay. but the practice will be more valuable
ORDERS IssUED.-The following orders havs
| been issued:
ARMY
Following officers from college 20 camps
Of instruction designated; -, ,....-.
Ranch: Major DANIEL B. DEvoRE. 11th In
fantTy American LAKE, captain % mtL1hAH III u, !.
Tison: Major EDWARD GHTNowETH I'm II,
fanTy GhicksmaTsa am Park o oaPtsin & 5
captain ssh aEH t"5 GdRanee nance
from WateTyiist Arsenal 70 sREingheld 5I Ar1no.y-
partment; from Rock Island Arsenal to Frankford
Captain CHARLES r REYNOLDS. medical corps:
from Elmira to General Hospital. washington bar
racks. as commanding officer Company c. hospital
| Captain MICHAEL. J. MDONOUGH corps OF ensi-
neers. detailed chief engineer officer. camp OF IN
| - structi1n; ChickanIauga Park -
from transport Mcclellan: TO s.: Louis. as assist
First Lieutenant ALBERT GILMORE. from Battery z
First 1eusnsn5 1 t DENIS slo II c1RE assigned Bat
terry E. 4th Field Artillery.
I
sCRIvEN. signal corps two months from August
:: First Lieutenant WILLIAM b GOWN. 81
Cavalry. twenty-one davs
Iieutsnant Commanders J. p. MORTON ard F p.
Assistant VI E LANDO. recruiting Nnr--
apolis. vice Passed Assistant surgeon F NJ BOGAN.
to Wisconsin
Assistant Surgeon TRIPLE. detached naval hospf-
Island. RELIEF
Acting Assistant surgeon G. F CLARK. the
Paymas;sr c. NJ srAcHHoUsE. to uaey yard. Nor
PASSED. Assistant Taymaster z. VI DoBsox. detached
the Glacier June so. home wait orders
MOVEMENTS OF wARsHIPS-The following
movements of vessels have been reported to the
Navy Department
ARRIVED
yuns 2n-The Arkansas at Hampton Roazs
June 21-ThA dish annapolis
( June Rowan tio.SsbNrouEh Astorta;
Dolphin New Haven. the Birmingham se
June 23-The Rainbow the Cleveland the Concord and
the Denver at Woosuns
June 20-The Illinois Francisco:
/ Norfolk for Hampton Roads
Jrre 22IThe wisconsin from Fran
[ cisco Olympia the Arkansas: the ChiSago ths
Hartford and the Hampton Roads for
London. Dolphin from yard. New York.
fcr New Haven. Maine and the Alabama from
the Birmingham from Provtncc-
for Boston