Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-25

President Roosevelt has announced that
he will repeat at the coming session OF
Congress his fight of last winter for four
battleships and corresponding number of
armored cruisers and torpedo craft. The
naval general board has decided upon four
battleships and stands ready to recon-
mend as many as six If there should
appear to be any chance of obtaining
them at the coming session of Congress.
This stand is approved by Secretary
Metcalf. who would rather ask for six
battleships than for four. 1t may be that
the President will eventually ask for six,
with the hope of obtaining at least
four.
Severe Penalties for Desertion.
With a view to dlscourag ing assertions
in the navy the President has established
certain limits of punishment for that Of
tense. These punishments vary from
dismissal In the case Of an officer and
dishonorable discharge and eighteen
months confinement in the case of an
enlisted man. to dismissal and five years
imprisonment in the cases of officers and
enlisted men in aggravated cases. In ad-
dition to these punishments conviction of
desertion includes the statutory forfeitures
of the rights of citizenship and capacity
to hold ONCE under the United States. as
well as forfeiture of any pay or allow
ances that may be due at the time of de-
sertion.
Long Trial Run of Scouts.
/. One of the longest naval trial runs
which has ever taken place will be that
to which the three scout cruisers. the
Birmingham. the Chester and the Salem,
will soon be subjected One of the runs
planned is 1000 miles in extent under the
maximum speed of twenty knots. This
run will be conducted with the ships in
squadron formation and will give the ex-
perts a chance to observe the perform
ance of the vessels under Identical condl-
tons of weather. There will be other
runs of shorter distances at various
speeds down to twelve knots. The re-
suits of the comparative runs OF the
scout cruisers are important, for the rea-
son that they will determine the rela-
tive economy of the Parsons and Curtis
turbines and the reciprocating engine. 1t
is expected the information thus deliver
ed will have an influence upon the plans
for the machinery OF the next battleships
designed.
To Parade at Annapolis.
The Navy Department has directed that
the brigade of midshipmen at the acad-
envy the band and such marines and
sailors as are available at the time par
ticipate in the parade November 90 in
connection with the jubilee celebration of
the two hundredth anniversary of the
granting Of the charter of Annapolis.
The Navy Department will be asked to
dispatch several ships to Annapolis to
help form the naval pageant in counec-
ton with the celebration.
Improving Battlefield Park.
According to Gen. Carman chairman OF
the Chickamauga and Chattanooga ma
tional park commission. steady progress
IS being made in the improvement and
development of those historic battlenelds.
No land has been acquired since the date
of the previous report. The acquisition
of about $50 acres lying on either side OF
the Ringgold road from the eastern lin
is of the park to Reeds bridge on the
Chickamauga. Gen. CaTman says. Is de-
sirable. the estimated cost of which would
be about $50 per acre. The total area OF
land now acquired is about 6.S76.9l
al cost of S3li990.GG, an average cost
of $3.50 per acre This includes 7SJ
acres in Fort Oglethorpe but does not
include the acreage In the road from Ste
veas gap to Crawfish springs. now under
construction. nor the acreage in the pro-
posed Hooker road, for which appropri-
alton has been made In the park and IT'S
approaches there were at the close of the
last fiscal year 1877 miles of completed