New-York tribune., 1910-07-27
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Retired Naval Officers To Be
Relieved of All Active Duty.
From The Tribune Bureau.

Washington, July 26.
DETACHING RETIRED OFFICERS
Continued effort is being made by the Navy
Department to withdraw from active duty
retired officers who are now variously en-
pIoved Under the law all retired officers
will be relieved from any sort of active duty
in the next eighteen months. As rapidly as
possible naval officers of the retired list
who are on active duty are being detached.
and their places ara being taken by active
officers. It is not possible 70 do this with
out considerable skill in the way of adjust
rnent since one change in an important
billet may require many other changes 10
take into consideration when officers are
due for shore or sea duty, and TO observe
the question of relative rank. OF the four
teen naval officers who were retired on June
30. either upon their own application or by
the operation Of the plucking board, five OF
them remain on active duty. The principal
billet occupied by any of these officers was
that OF superintendent of the naval obser-
vatory which position is filled by Commo-
dore T E. D. ". Veeder That officer was
selected out by the board of rear adnirals-
II is expected he will remain on duty at the
observatory, since there is pending legisla-
ton which will place that institution under
a civilian scientist instead of A high rank
ing naval officer. It has been of the
most attractive naval billets. and much
sought by officers of the requisite rank who
are due for shore duty. The President is
much in favor of having this change made
and it was one of the recommendations con-
tained in his annual message to Congress
OIL TANK SHIP-The navy is TO have
an oil fuel ship. or, as it is destined to be
known. an oiler. It will carry about four
thousand tons of liquid fuel. and will be the
first vessel of its kind TO be employed in
this special way. Shortly there win be ft
teen torpedo boat destroyers burning oil ex-
cusively and It is necessary to provide
means of delivering this oil to such vessels
when they are separated from the base Of
supplies Plans have been completed for
large oil tanks made OF steel at the coallng
stations and some of the important navy
yards but there will be times when the
destroyers cannot get into touch with the
ba ses and the oil will be delivered TO the
storage tanks on board by means of the oil
fuel ship. For this purpose the United
States ship Arethusa is being converted into
tank vessel at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
It will be necessary TO have an oiler for the
Pacific Coast although it will be some time
before there are any oil burning destroyeTs
in service there In the mean time the
Navy Department is constructing barges
which will also carry oil from the places
of delivery Of the contractors TO the regular
naval storage stations.
INSPECTED COAST AND GULF DE-
FENCES. tour of all the defences
on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
coast as far north the Chesa peake Bay.
Brigadier General Arthur Murray, chief of
the coast artillery corps. to-day returned to
Washington He had been absent on the trip
since early IN May. The trip wss made on
the new mine planter, the General Frank.
General Murray said that the object Of his
trip was TO enable him 70 prepare more in
telligentIy his annual estimates for next
wears appropriations. No unusual projects
are to be proposed, but il is understood that
the department intends to put the Atlantis
seahoard and the Gulf Of Mexico on a war
bs sts equal to that of the Pacific Coast in
potnt OF equipment While at Norfolk Va.
CsnersI Murray talked with those interest
ed In having the government provide fur
ther forttacations for Chesape Bay. The
data obtained in this way viii be used by
the general In his recommendation for ad-
ditional improvements
The following orders have been issued!
ARMY.
Major HERMAN ". SCHULZ Ordnance Depart
meut from Watsrtown Arsenal TO san Fran
cisco thence October l. TO Philippines
Major WILLIAM F BLACVELT. paymaster. to
Fort Du Pont. and report to commanding Of
Hcer artillery district OF the Delaware. for
duty on his stad during joint army and
militia coast defense exercises, July 80 and
AUGUST 7 thence Fort Monroe and report
10 commanding officer. artillery district of
Chesapeake Bay. Tor duty on his STAFF during
ioint army and militia coast defense exsr-
cisas. August TO IL
Brgadfer General WILLIAM w wITHER-
4 Hall,
lectures before Naval War College.
f-aptatn CLARENCE NJ CONDOR tmaior Philip
nine scouts coast artillery. from i69th Com
pany 10 unassigned list
First Lieutenant PIERRE V. KNEFTER, as
signed TO 65th CoInpany, coast artillery.
Captain FRED E. BUCHAN, 9th Cavalry. from
headquarters, Department OF Missouri. TO his
regiment
FIRST Lieutenant WILLIAM p. GRAHAM. Goth
Infantry from Fort Leavenworth 70 san
Francisco, for temporary duty. thence 20
proper station
second Lieutenant RICHARD r. PICKERING.