New-York tribune., 1908-06-29
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
ArmOr To Be Tested Under 1ctuA
Battle Conditions.
[From The Tribune Bureau. !
XyTo -h{ ,,Df on

long RANGE F1RING-one of the most inn
portant of military naval tests is that when IS
contemplated by the naval ordnance officers at the
naval proving ground at Indian Head. Md Fer
a long time there has been much discussion among
the experts as to the effect of long range hring
on armor. The facilities at the naval proving
ground at Indian Head and the army proving
ground Sandy Hook. n. J.. do not permit Oh
firing at ranges which resemble conditions OF
actual Something like the conditions are
approached by reducing the velocity to give the
proiectile the force at the shorter range II "ouid
presumably possess if the shell had travelled ooVo
yards or Under these conditions the piate
is Tilted to out theoretically the diree
ton the shell would have when II struck armor at
the long distance. This is, however. only theory
and it is upon this point that the experts diner
in opinion Some of them that the rotation OF
the shell would have effect at the point or I'M
nact altogether different from what Is the case
when the range is short, Notwithstanding the re-
duced velocity. 1t is appreciated by the naval
authorities that the discussion will go on 1ndeh-
nitelv and with less Vigor until there Is
firing at long distance. This is not possible at
Sandy Hook. but it Is believed II can be carried
out on the Potomac River of course under such
| ARRANGEMENTS as will introduce precautionary
measures against disaster to passing craft 1t Is
not prouosed to include in this test any new eX-
nIosive of which several samples have been pre-
sented to the and navy ordnance officers
with the representation that they are more e1ec-
| tive than the service ammunition
| IDENTIFICATION OF SOLDIERS AND
SAII.ORS.-The War Department has taken
! steps complete its Photographic record OF en-
| listed men 1t has been discovered tiat d mum
| her of soldiers who on detached duty OF s'a-
toned at isolated posts or connected with trans
| norts have not been photographed This record
| includes not only one or two photographs OF lhe
| face but photographic reproductions or the hhser
| print record The same system has been adop'eu
| by the Navy Department in regard TO the en-
| listed men of the navy and marine corps ana
| the system is found to work with adInirao'e re-
suits especially in the Identification of deserterS
| who attempt re-enlistment. The army records
are kept in the adjutant generals office of the
| War Department and the navy and marine corps
| records are kept in the bureau OF navigation OF
the Navy Department Special Instructions nave
/ been given both departments TO exercise especial
care to see that these records satisfactory ana
as clear and complete il is possible to make
them before they are sent to Washington II
was anticipated that there would be some oh1ec-
tion on the part OF certain enlisted men 10 pelhS
subjected to this record but il has been received
| without protest 1t evidently being appreciated
that the system is in the interest Of the integrity
| of the enlisted force and the elimination by
| identification Of men who are undesirable
| GENERAL. STAFF CHANGE-An important
change in the organization and scope of the gen
| eral staff of the army to be shortly effected IS
| that which designates certain senior coiohelS oi
! infantry cavalry and field artillery for special
| duty in charge Of all subjects coming oetofe the
! General Staff relating to these respective arms
| This NAV be regarded step toward the es-
tabIishment of a chief OF infantry. ctef or cav
airy and chief of field artillery; but, or course
| such change requires legislation, pending winch
it Is only possible to assign officers to take charge
| of matters which would ordinarily come before
| chiefs of the of the line In General stan
| proceedings The officer who Will have 10 DO
with infantry matters will probably be coionel
Joseph w Duncan. 9Th Infantry. member OF
| the General Staff and chief of staff at the mead
| quarters Of the Department of California. Soio-
| mel Montgomery NJ. MacOmb, of the 6th Fleld
| Artillery and of the General Staff. on duty IN the
| office of the chief of staff In the War Depart
| oapt &c proposed for duty in connection with the
| affairs of his arm
| ARMY POLICIES UNAFFECTED--It is not ex-
| nected by army officers that there will be any
| change in the War Department policy by reason
| of the aDpointment of General Luke e. Wright as
Secretary of War. Most of the questions afecting
tbe service in minor degree will be settled IN the
| next dav or two by Mr. Taft before he goes out Of
oasoa There is every TO expect that General
| 11-r,obt will continue the policy which has been
| favored by Secretary Taft and which is repre-
sented in pending legislation. such as the plan Tor
anina ting officers in the scheme TO create Vacah-
cies and help promotion and bring younger off1cers
to command grades The most important OF the
| rendtne legislation which will engage the attention
OF Congress at the next session is the Dill Whlch
increases the commissioned personnel of the line by
| b,1rdre officers.
| by the War Department and the President, General
ur,rb+ is not likely to amend the plan in any way.
A question which is likely 10 be presented to Cen
oral Wright however, is that which has to do
with the system of detailing line officers for duty
| with the special staff corps. One of the plans
| which has been presented is that the detail Oh
officers to staff shall be confined TO the junior
grades of respective corps. and that the hgher
| grades shall be filed by the permanent appoint
mont of officers who have served satisfactorily In
detailed capacity. There Is evidently some specu-
| lotion as to whether General Wright will accept
! ,bie view In any event it will require legislation
| to accomplish H.
CONTINUOUS SERVICE PAY.-The Controller
| 90 tba Treasury has rendered a decision which has
| taar avyaitad with much anxiety and apprehension
| b,, enlisted men of the army and marine corps.
| TLis Is an INTERPRETATION Of that part of the new
law increasing service pay, II being questioned by
| come of the authorities whether men who were re-
| tired prior to May Il, when the President signed
the army appropriation act, were entitled 10 Ger
| tain increases OF compensation known as continu-
| o,s service nav If the Controller had ruled that
this was not possible there would have been mucii
| 5,sopnointment among the older enlisted men who
| had served for long time and who would nave
| been deprived of substantial beneht me Wllole
| question hinged on the use or the words no" IN
ti,e service" The Controller has decided that re-
| -, .o,isted men whether they retired be-
| 60 or after Nav II, should receive pay on the
| COMO bass of calculating service. This informa-
.,on "a received with qualification by the officers
- a,sh,,rse soldiers pay. since otherwise Ii would
| have meant the maintenance OF TWO pay tables lor
.;d enlisted men, and have operated as an In
| yidious distinction against men VINO were on the
| tiad ust at the time the army act was signed.
| - to,,,des that class of who were in the
| 80, w. and who served In Indian campaigns