The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-15

buckles boast recently repeated in long
telegram to the secretary of the navy,
that he has never experienced a failure
in raising ships. He Is now trying to
raise the auxiliary cruiser Yankee, sunk
on reef in the Buffards Bay, Massacrl-
sets.
Naval officers insist that the Maine
cannot be raised, first because there is
probably only half a ship left, the whole
forward end being destroyed. Secondly
they say she is lying deep in the muck of
Havana harbor, which presents not only
a serious engineering problem but will
cause undoubtef illness and most likely
death to the salvage workers, to say
nothing of the residents of Havana If this
rot accumulations of Havana's sewaga
for years, is disturbed, as it would have
to be in the sinking of caissoons or
through any work on the wreckage 1t
is pointed out that when the Maine was
blown up the forward gun turret was
blown clear of the wreck and settled SO
deep in the muck that even up to this
time it has not been located.
Under the ruling of Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham the army engineers
will not have to advertise for bids,
and hence they can prosecute the work
in any way they see fit The en-
gineers know that the naval officers
but it is said the former are going
at their task with hammer and tongs
and If successful will be able to claim
| superiority over the naval officers, even
when at work in the sphere that be-
longs to naval men. 1t is intimated
that the engineers will not call upon
expert contractors but will use army
boats and attempt the task without
outside assistance. -
Congress Is to be called upon at the
| coming session to take some action
to make the United States marine
corps more effective and to give the
officers OF this service. 334 In num-
| Der, sufficient work to perform to keep
tn EN- alert and busy. Lack of work is
responsible for the recent Elliott
Lounchheimer scandal. The command
ing officer of the corps is General Ell
liott. He~will retire this fall. Colonel
Launchheimer, a. staff officer with a
following of other officers, was found
guilty of stirring up dissention. A
court of inquiry of retired rear az
mirals of the navy, behind closed doors,
looked into the sewing circle sQuabble
of the staff officers OF the corps and
on their findings Secretary of the Navy
Meyer ordered all of the officers
brought into the scandal sent away
from Washington. Colonel Denny and
lieutenant COlOnel fflnce, the former
ordered to San Francisco and the lat
ter to Manila. plead physical unfitness
and asked to be retired, which request
has been denied.
The trouble which had been brewing
for many months came up over tho
question as to who was to be General
Elliott's successor. Colonel Launch
heimer declared he had been keep
ing tabs on General Elliotts drinking"
The marine corps which has an en-
listed strength of 1921 men received a
severe jolt by the navy department
when President Roosevelt was in the
White House. He ordered marines off
all the warships. Congress put them
back, for the marine corps stands
strong with Congress and with So
ciety. Navy officers say that the ma
rine is useful, but not aboard war YES
sells. In fact, they assert they are
detriment, for In war time they are
landed to establish and hold base
points, leaving weakened gun crews
on the battleships
What is believed will be a solution
of the problem will be to have one
transport manned with 100 marines and
officers carrying necessary supplies
and field pieces to occupy advance
bases, accompany every eight battle
ships. Such a programme would call
for at least six marine corps trans
ports. leaving 5000 marines for guard
duty at the navy yards and marine
stations In this country, Porto Rico
Hawaii and the Philippines