New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-22
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Chances IN Commanders of the Bat
tLeship Fleet.
from The Tribune Bureau
washington, February 2


GOOD NAVAL BILLETS SOUGHT--The Navy
r,por+r,ar+ "a taking ND the question of changes
in the personnel of the Atlantic fleet The tenta-
tive schedule Of such changes has been prepared III
the bureau OF navigation The important question:
10 be decided is that OF the command or some OK
Tho sbiDs n being necessary supply the vacan-
Giles in >those prominent naval biiiets IN te cases
of the Connecticut, the Kansas the MINNESOTA uas
Nebraska and the Rhode Island the commanding
officers OF which vessels have been on sea DUTY III
sor,a instances for two years. There Is g vacancy
existing already in the command OF ths Georgia on
account OF tho court martial proceeones IN uls
case of Captain Qualtrough Anticipates sHpr@
tJo, Of sea duty will render K necessary 10 selecK
commanding officers before the end OF the year on
the Illinois, the Kearsarge and the hentucNy-
Then there two new ships. the Michigan anu
the South Carolina, which will pTooaoly De re@oy
for service before October L Inc STATE OF ne"
commanding officers includes Captain n. p Usher
L S NJ now on duty assistant to the bureau OK
navigation, and CoRmAnder W. y SIMS inc hS'A
aid of the President and Inspector OF taSsss prao
tioe I'm the navy whose tour OF duty In that cap&c-
itv will expire with the Roosevelt Administration
The naval regulations have been changed py the
President so az render Commander Sims eligible
70 command a battleshp. Some Of the naval orn-
GERS believe that this II a step TO make SUI
Younger officers available for battleshp command
but Inasrnuch there ara many junior captains
who ara waiting prominent bilIets and have fled
appcations for such assignment 70 duty, IL is not
expected that many commanders VIII OBTAIN the
coveted duty. The problem confronting the bureau
OF navigation In this matter is not to md offcers
to command the battleshps, but to keep naval Orn-
GERS satisfactorily employed on shore The desir-
able navy yard duty has been reduced TO some ex-
tent nv the change IN the system OF operating the
manufacturing departments at navy yards and
some of the line officers have expressed the opinion
that the duty OF cornnandant has lost rracuon OF
its Importance with the order which places the
naval constructors IN direct charge Of most Of the
plants at navy yards
Cr,-rr. SERVICE SYSTEM IN ARArYs-An i'm
nortant order is In contemplation In the War De-
nartment This will aim to establish uniformity
OF examination and determination OF individual
fitness In the case OF candidates for positions m
the post non-commissoned STAFF. Up TO this time
candidates for appointment as post quarterrnaster
sergeant post commissary sergeant, ordnance ser
eeant and SO on. have been examined every few
wears and an eligible list OF qualified candidates
has been maintained. from which appointments
we're made as vacancies occurred. 1t Is purposed
m have such examinations held annually here
after the questions to be prepared IN Washington.
and all the papers to a board convened for
the purpose Of marking on a fixed basis.
WAR COLOR MODIFTED-It has been found
necessary to make a slight change In the paint
known as the war color, and which has been
applied TO naval vessels In homo waters. This
color f. dull gray Slate and represents
the shade which Is least observable the ship
at sea It is found. however, that the paint will
be more durable IL 1t is mixed with oil Such
mixture Will give II gloss. to which objection has
been made since It reflects ths sunlight and brings
a ship out when a searchlight Is directed upon Il
a. night The dull lead color. however. without
the oil mixture La lacking IN durability. 1t has
been found by the experts that the glossy paint
loses it's Iustrs after IT has become wet and that
the protective effect OF duiness Is eventually OBJ
tanned while the preservative quality is also ae-
ouired Orders Will be issued 10 have the mixturs
applied to ships which have been already painted
the war color, and the paint viii be placed