Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1908-08-20
WASHINGTON LETTER
[special Correspondence.l

Officers or the navy ana marine corps
believe that congress made Il mistake
which in time OF trouble might prove
costly In not making appropriation ut
this session of congress for rearming
the naval service with the new Spring
field rifle for firing the pointed ammu-
milton, such as has been furnished TO
the army and militia. The Krag-Jor-
gensen rifle is now used by both the
navy and marine corps. This weapon
was long since discarded and the new
Springfield rife adopted by the militia
ry service. and the first of these rifles
have lately been supplanted by the
same rifle with improvements designed
to adapt it for use with the pointed
bullet which was adopted last summer
Need of Similarity of Rifles.
The ACCESSIBILITY of having all the
fighting services of the country armed
with small arms and machine guns
capable of firing the same ammunition
arises from the fact that when they
serve together in the field it is of OBJ
vious advantage for it to be posi-
BILE for one to draw upon the other
for ammunition. Embarrassment was
caused in ut least one case during hos
tilities in the Philippines in 1898 be-
cause the army and marine corps used
different arms and ammunition.
Army Medical Corps.
There are now siXty-one vacancies
In the grade of first lieutenant in the
medical corps of the army. Ten con-
tract surgeons who have passed the
preliminary examination for appoint
ment to the permanent corps are now
under instruction at the army medical
school in this city preparatory to I'M
dergoing the final examinations. II
they all qualify, there will be fifty-one
vacancies for candidates who may
have passed the preliminary exanina-
tons recently completed and for those
who pass IN the preliminary examina-
tons to be held in August
For the examinations recently COM
pleted seventy-two candidates We're
authorized to appear, of whom sixteen
failed to present themselves, eighteen
were found physically disqualified. and
thirty-eight finished the examination.
Women Naval Nurscs.
Many applications are being received
at the navy department from women
nurses for appointment as superintend
ent of the corps of women nurses fol
the navy which will soon be organized
The law provides that the superintend
ent be "a graduate of a hospital train
ing school hiying a course OF instruc
lions of not less than two years ant
that the corps shall consist of as many
chief nurses, nurses and reserve nurse:
nav lac needed.
New Picture Of Washington.
A new picture of George Washington
recently has been hung in the banque
| hall at Mount Vernon. 1t is sever
| feet high and four and half fee
| wide and represents young and hand
some man with daredevil eye and
| splendid carriage wearing the uniform
of the British army
The picture was painted while Wash
| ington was a major on the staff of tn
British provincial governor of Virginia
Robert Dinwiddie, ard only recent
was found. While the American con
sui to Glasgow, Il. w. Austin. was al
tending lecture delivered by Thoma
Layton his attention was attracted b.
the reference to picture supposed,
that of Washington which had beel
brought to Scotland from the Dinwid
die residence in Virginia.
| John Paul Jones Statue.
Secretary Metcalf and Representa-
| tive Mccall of Massachusetts, constj
tuting committee of the compression
| al commissions charged with the dut,
of erecting statues of John Paul Jone
and John Barry on public reservation
in this city, have just completed per
sonal inspection of the various avail
able sites and have. practically con
| Guided to report in favor of placing th
| John Paul Jones statue on the nava
| observatory grounds on Massachusetts
avenue and the statue of Commodor
| Barry in Franklin square. 1t is under
stood that the Irish patriotic associa
tions interested in the matter favo
! the Franklin park site for the Barr,