New-York tribune., 1908-03-05
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Hearings on N dVdt
Personnel.
Interesting
From the Tribune Bureau

washington. March T.
PERSONNEL. CoNTROVERsF--When the suo-
ject of personnel is reached IN the hedi - -,
the Senate Naval Committee there VIII PioDaD-,
bo some interesting Developments rms suo1e
will be taken UP following the material INV - 2
ton to which the committee has HIhteo i a.
the present 1t is now considering III. i.ao.
sbips of war as existing to-day. and WITNESSES
have been cautioned to separate from TINS SUBJECT
the question of personnel. including the critt'iS
of the bureau system and the advocacy oi tn1
tablishment of a board OF design Inc NO+
will recall Commander w. 5. Sims, Inspector Oh
target practice and naval aid TO the President ao
get him to explain what he meant when ne saio
that official reports had disappeared 1hlS - "
serious charge to make, and while tne coiiAiiil'e0
Maid no attention TO il Monday the aIesdIIoH
inDressed the members, and it was determined 70
ascertain what Commander Sims meant oy TINS
reference. officers who recommend dIteIaiIoi ~
the Navy Department organization VIII ul50 'A0
creation of a board Of design or a new once cor
reenondng with that of the Assistant Secretary OF
the Navy. TO be filled by high ranking line olil-
GER whose decision shall be final in determlnlns
technical questions. number or prominent oiif-
GERS will be called also TO show that this is IN
necessary and that the bureau system. together
with the of construction, with its sources OF
information and advice, is sufficient for the PuI-
poses of designing equipping and constructing
ships of war. The hearings naval personnel are
bound TO be interesting, if not positively sensa-
tonal
TDTOSYNCRACIES OF GUNS.-The recent calf
bration" of the coast defence guns at Fort Monroe
has led to j report by the board conducting that
work of alleged defects in two of the Finch guns
This celebration guns. which has never been
attempted in the coast Notifications. is deterrnl-
nation of the exact range of particular gun under
given conditions of powder charge and direction
Hitherto the ranges been determined by nlath-
ematcs and based theory Every gun has
its peculiarities and the coast artner1sts deter
mined to settle the questions in practical way
In two of the 12-fnch guns the pecularities We're
so marked that a criticism OF the material was
included in the report of the testing board The
subject has attracted much attention in the War
Department. and the chief of ordnance of the army
has sent two experts, Major c 7. Dickson, who is
on duty at the army proving ground at Sandy
Hook and Major L. W. Fuller, who is attached to
the office of the chief of ordnance in Washington
to Fort Monroe make investigation and re-
port.
ORDERS ISSUED.-The following army and
navy orders have been issued:
ARMY.
Major Alfred NJ HINTER coast artle5y a-, corps
construction work Fort Constitution
NAVY.
Lieutenant Commander o. BITLER to navy yard.
Ensign R. E. INGERsOI.I. detached the Navy De-
partment; to the Mayhower. - -
j. D1xoS and II N B1TIER appointed in the
marine
MOVEMENTS OF VESSELS.-The following
movements of vessels have been reported to the
Navy Department.:
ARRIVED.
March 3--The Tacoma, Fort De France: the Are
thUsa. Calao
March 2-The Alexander from Cavite. for Guam the
Tacoma from St kits for Martinique.