New-York tribune., 1908-09-07
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Government Reservation Used for
Illegal Prizefghts.
rFrom The Tribune Bureau ]

w
ILLEGAL ATHLETIC SPORTS.-Overton and
Noble. who lease government land on Plumb Island.
| N Y, will not be allowed to the govern
ment shield to conduct prizehghts other
Illegal athietfc-sport- Reports recently pub
| hshed IN New York papers that prizehghts were
| being conducted the island and that while New
York policemen were among the spectators they
| were powerless because the land owned by
the United States, and they were without jurisdic
ton The War Department is Of contrary opin-
| ion, and has instructed General Grant who has
| disciplinary jurisdiction the premises, TO in
| vestigate the alleged Illegal practices, and if in
| his opinion, the charges well founded take the
| necessary steps to make full investigation and
ascertain what evidence may be used for prosecu-
ton by the United States for me revocation Of
| the lease. The government has the right to lease
military reservations, and there is doubt of the
| Jurisdiction of the federal authorities the
premises but it is held equally clear that the lease
of such ground for Illegal purposes would be i'm
| proper. The reservation leased for the pur
pose of establishing a rife range and to maintain
| club for shooting, athletic and aquatic sports
The War Department acquainted with the pur-
pose of the lessees, but it was not contemplated
that prizedghting other athletic sports forbid
den by tie laws of the State OF New, York should
| find refuge upon government reseTvation
| BRAID" FOR DIsTINCTIoN.-The difficulty of
Distinguishing army officers and enlisted men when
| dressed in the service coat has been removed.
/ Army officers in the field when they wearing
| the olive drab uniforms in winter and the khaki In
| summer, will have the sleeve a half-inch brown
braid This will assist in establishing the distinc-
| ton which is regarded necessary between the
enlisted man and the officer. For every one in
military service particularly when in the field,
the dress is alike and it is with difficulty tnat an
observer is able identify officer, since the in
sigma on the service uniform is not clearly defined
or recognizable at a distance. This is likely to
lead to confusion in the matter of command, or
cause mistakes which may be troublesome The
braid will brown for all officers. regardless or
rank with the exception of those who are serving
on the General staff in which the braid will
be black The General Staff officers have worn
the sleeve marking all along, and hitherto 1t has
been considered d distinction which belonged 10
the officers of that branch, although why there
should be need of special distinction does not read
lily appear.
ABANDONMENT OF SMALL YARDs.-Naval
officers are inclined agree with the proposition
of Rear Admiral c. F. Goodrich to reduce the
number of navy yards and maintain only few large
and fully equipped plants GU the Atlantic and Faclhc
coasts Some OF the yards now in existence are
destined to be abandoned sooner or later and IL IS
expected that the Navy Department will submit to
Congress at The next session some reconlnenoa-
tiors on this subject BASED principally upon the re-
port which has been filed in the department. by
Rear Admiral Goodrich 1t is considered that for
purposes of construction and repair II would not De
necessary to maintain more than the yards at Bos-
ton New York Norfolk and Charleston The
wards at Portsmouth, n. H, Philadelphia, Pensa-
cola and Key West will probably be continued IN
use for minor purposes. that of Philadelphia lot
instance being station for ships in ordinary, ana
that at Key West as coaling station and base OF
supplies for ships operating in West Indian waters
On the Pacific Coast, of course, the yard at Puget
Sound will be retained. but II is still question:
whether II would be advisable TO enlarge Inc pidh'
at Mare Island abandon it entirely and estao-
lish a yard elsewhere in San Francisco Bay where
aCh
than is the case at Mare Island
FLORIDA KEYS IN wARTIME-The naval
strateeists have been giving consideration to the
protection which it may be necessary to give In
time of war to the Flagler railway over the
Florida KEYS to Key West. The construction OF
the railroad. by filing between the keys has had
a marked effect the currents and tides The.
currents that passed in among the keys ana
reefs north and south. are now diverted TO
large extent around into the harbor Of Key west
The tides all come from the Atlantic and How
close in to the outer line of reefs into the chan
,eIs between the outer reefs and the keys, and
finally into the Gulf of Mexico. 1t has been said
that this railroad is much exposed to a landing
force from cruisers There are only rev places
where cruisers could navigate inside of the reef
and then only for a very short distance A hotilla
of torpede boats could readily command the inner
waterway and give adequate pTotecton 10 TINS
railroad The protection afforded by the outer
reefs sever miles seaward from the railroad, is
in itself better than that which many other coast
railroads have.
CARPETS FOR NAVAL STATIONS.-The bu-
rssu OF supplies and accounts OF the Navy Depart
roent will shortly call for bids for furnishing car
nets and rugs worth $4,000 for officers quarters at
the various naval stations. It has been the prac-
tce TO purchase them az the nearest market TO
the stations and only in quantities sufncent 70
answer the purposes of each place. This will now
be changed and the purchases for al quarters
will be made by contract result Of competitive
bids It has been found possible 20 get much Bet
ter material than under the old method ara al
greatly reduced cost The successful contractor VIII
he REQUIRED 70 furnish each station with catalogue
showing the quality Of the carpets and rugs ne Is
to deliver and the officers will be allowed TO Sc
lsct the color and pattern they desire The con-
tractor will be called upon deliver the goods at
the different stations proper requisiton being
made Brussels and woolIen velvet carpets and
Wilton rugs will be called for at this time, and
later the same method will be adopted with re-
gard 10 household furniture The Navy Depart
ment is desirous of using many rugs as pos
sble as they are thought to be more sanitary and
better adapted to the needs of the naval service
than carpets. The officials at the Portsmouth On.
HI station have made special request for car
pets. which they believe a necessity during
New England winters.
NAVY SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS-The Navy
Iepartnent has received the report of the naval
nav officers who have been examining the methods
fha Of NJ u,nrk a