New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-14
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Hobson's Hobby Feared by
Naval Officers.
iFroTu The Tribune Bureau. D

Siderable apprehension - entertained By
naval officers concerning the provision in
the naval appropriation bill requiring the
Bureau OF Ordnance 20 conduct tests with
a high explosive under actual service con
ditious- For some years efforts have been
made TO induce the experiment 20 fire from
a naval gun an explosive gelatin. with tn.
idea Of exploding 10 against heavy plate
armOr o. an actual vessel The objection
Of the experts 70 this material is that IL -
dangerous 70 handle on board ship and
would not be available for Use as ne am
munitior Of n battleshiD The assertion %
made that the experiment win result I'm i'm
/ pOrtant disclosures calculated 70 show that
radical mistakes have been made i'm battt--
ship construction. especially in the charsc-
tertstic of protection. The advocates or the
test have pointed ont 70 the $avv Depart
ment that the experiments win revOlii-
tionize the arrangement Of arnor and show
that IL is necessary 90 rebuild existing bat
tleships and % change the plans u those
under construction. The naval Or1nance
officers % not share this vitw. They say
the assertions are without foundation and
that there have been tests o. EXPLOSIVES
gelatin which show the effect OF attack IN
that form. They are convinced that ~
would &c dangerous 20 carry explosive geis-
tin in the magazines Of a battIeship. and
that while fl could be fred and lodged
with accuracy against the hull OF enc
my's vessel it would undoubtedly do dam
age. but there is no evidence that an out
side explosion against ships heavy plate
armor or heavy turret arrnor would 10 any
such damage as has been asserted.
/ Representative Hobson. a member OF trs
House Naval COMMITTEES. is responsible for
the clause Incorporated in the Dill This
was effected by prohibiting the expenditure
of any Of the 100000 fund for ordinances
experts unless a part OF the appropriation
Is devoted 20 firing explosive gelatin n,
quantities Of not less than two hundred
pounds Mr.. HObsOu has had an interesting
/ experience with the naval authorities on
this subject. He brought the matter TO the
notice OF the department last year but ths
Information Re desired has not been forth
/ coming from that source He is 4rrnlv
I convinced that the question Affects pro
foundly the future Of naval construction. 90
and while he does NOT commit himself 70
/ the efficacy OF nigh explosives in large
| quantity on the outside OF arnno-. he takes
I the position that The sooner results are
known definitely. one way or another. tho
better for the service"
I II is possible that the Navy Department
/
I Naval COMMITTEES remove this requirements
from the bill. putting the final question NJ
/ to the conferrees. As the matter stands
now. the naval ordnance officers are 90
posed 20 the test although il NAV be con-
stdered unwise 20 offer pointed reulou-
STRANGE % the provision. This can be done
\ with success. of course. only on the ground
I that the department. possesses all the in
formation which would be produced By the,
required test. but is understood also BIZ
. conservative naval officers that one Of ths
advantageous results Of the deu1onsfr,i ton
would be TO settle q long standing confro-
versy which has been carried on with r1url,
/ persistence. This same conservative efs-
ment I'm the navy does not expect however
that radical changes i'm battleShfD de-
sign and construction viii be necessary. II
Is enphatically denied that the opposition
in the Navy Department arises from snv
. fear that the department viii be ar7ba--
raised by sensational disclosures.
THE CHARLESTON EXPLOs1ON.-rfow
the disastrous explosion occurred aboard
the cruiser Charleston I'm Philippine vvs-sr7
recently and who were responsible for the
manufacture of the gun forgfnEs - cast
Ings was reported TO the House 4 av b,-
secretary Meyer, i'm response 10 z -esoir1-
ton calling for details Mr. Never sayz
the board of inquiry found that The acci-
dent. IN which eight men were killed was
due 70 the premature discharge OF a g-lDcr
gun at target practice. RE also saws the
/ torgings Of the gun were made bv fro
Crucibie Steel Company Of America. ar
Harrison. y. J.. and the small castings f7r
the breech mechanism at the naval --In
factory IN this city. where the parts we're
assembled
DISMISSED FROM ARNfT.-First LI.u-
tenant Carlos J. StoIbraud. of the en-
glneer corps. was dismissed from -
army to-day a a result OF the court mar
tial held in this city which convicted hin,
on Charges of dtsObedience Of orders CON
duct unbecOming an officer and a gentle
man. dereiiction in money matters and
neglect Of duty. Lieutenant StoIbrand was
born in the District OF Columbia and an
| pointed from New York to the MiIitsrT
Academy. being graduated I'm 1915.
/ ORDERS ISSUED.-The following orders
I have been issued.
ARMY
\ Captain GARRISON STCNSKEv LIT, r,fs-.--.
ise -rn-,d hospital Presieiio Of san Frsn-
.I-''r 70 proper station.
COMPANY many g. hospital corps Captain WILLIAM
from Fort Niagara 20 wsfrs- rost s. nllaS;
. - Ite>plta District of Coiumbia.
n
HJ tiiFS~ and ROBERT a RROWrNr a.
,s.alr>. To- Iort Riley. examination FOR pro
second iiruteuant GEORGE O.. T.AyV2 SOW
9th infantry, from Washington Il, IRIS "a .
ulent. az Fort T.avv-ou GUS ~
. l.'aFf or atSence. captain WILLIAM rOpST-
coast ARTILLERY three months from. MAJ IL
NAVY
Mar Island '''s
/ Lieutenant II. g. S. WALLACE. d, .ba-z. -.
cruitng station. Detroit vice Lieufen4nt "
- H. AiistsN- 20 the Texas
7 t-nsiSu p DORTCH. from navar --r{f~.f
school hospital " Washington. 20 thq rsls-
b MOVEMENTS OF WARSHIPS The fol-
lowing movements Of vessels have been -
ported 20 the Navy Department.
ARRIVED
april 1.-The standish and the Severn. A. Nov
folk
I April tS-Ths Chester. az Havana.
SAILED
Arrtl l2-.I'e tennessee s1t the south Dako.s.
from Panama for Purta Arenas
. April i$-The Charleston. che Cnattsrooa7 anf
the Cleveland from Hong Kong Tor Annoy