Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-27
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
New System Of Clothing Allowance

ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
New System Of Clothing Allowance.
The quartermaster general of the army
has extended the decentralization sys-
tenn to the clothing allowance Of en-
listed men of the army. He has fixed
the average money value of the clothing
allowance at about So per year per en-
listed man. That will be divided into
four quarterly allowances. furnishing a
basis of apportionment at every army
post. acquisitions for clothing will be
limited to these prescribed allotments.
As the estimates are sent in three
months in advance. and it will be
possible to fill reauisitions promptly.
every post commander will have In stock
supplies in qua nifty and OF character to
meet the exact needs OF the men. In
a recent investigation it was found
that where the allotments under the
latest plan would have been within $685.,
600, the clothing on hand at one post
represented a value of $S1, 900, and at
another $4,000. At one post there
were 500 overcoats in stock, and not
likely to be called for or needed for
some time at least. BY the new method
it will be possible to regulate the de-
mand according to the personal needs
and climatic conditions, and at the same
time control the supply, so as to get
the best possible returns for the dis
bursement of the fund.
Small-Arms Record for Last Year.
The results Of small-arms practice in
the Department Of the East during the
past year have been announced in gen.
eral orders issued by Gen. Wood, COM
manding. In company firing the best
records were as follows: Individual fig.
ure of merit, Troop D, 18th Cavalry, at
134.49: collective figure of merit and
general figure of merit. Company g,
oath Infantry. at 92.22 and 10S.38, re-
spectively. In the squadrOns. the 10th
Cavalry made the highest figure of in
dividual merit and the 18th Cavalry the
highest record in the collective. ana
general figures of merit. The cath In
fantry made the best records in the reg
mental competition. in the individual,
collective and general figures of merit,
AS to posts Fort Myer. Va, stood first
in the individual and general figures of
was first in the collective inquire OF
merit In almost every instance the
shooting showed a decided Improvement
over the records for 1907 and 1905.
Gas Power for Ship Propulsion.
1t has been suggested to the Navy
Department that serious consideration
be given TO. the possible use of gas
power. as we'll as petroleum, for the
propulsion of warships. 1t is admitted
that several advantages would be Sc
cured by the substitution OF petroleum
for coal such as a saving OF time in
taking on a supply of fuel. additional
storage facilities and greater radius
OF action. Advocates of gas power for
ship propulsion claim that it offers SUI
perior advantages to coal OIL The prin-
,in &c
without stopping for fresh supplies.
Another advantage claimed is that gas
power is much cheaper than steam
newer Furthermore, it is pointed out
that there is no assurance that the
supply of petroleum will hold out for
many more years, aud even II 1t does.
that there are only few places where
it could be obtained in the desired guam
tity The fact that coal can be pro-
cured i'm almost every port in the
world. and that the known deposits
are likely to last for centuries, is also
advanced as an argument in favor of
the inauguration of naval experiments
to determine Ahe availability of gas
power for ship propulsion.
Defenses of Chesapeake Bay.
A delegation of Baltimoreans is COM
ing to this city to urge liberal appro-
priations for additional Notifications at
the ocean entrance to Chesapeake bay
for the better protection Of the cities
of Washington, Baltimore and Norfolk
from foreign attack. The delegation
is composed of Mayor Mahool Of Bal
timore, Rear Admiral Yates Stirling.
U. s. N, retired, and Brig. Gen. Peter
Leary. U. s. "A, retired. A bill has
been introduced in the House of Rep
resentatives by Representative Maynard
Of MARYLAND appropriating $4,000 for
the purchase of the land on which it is
proposed to locate the new fortification
President Taft and army and navy OIL
GERS generally are known to be strongly
in favor of increasing the military de-
lenses at the Virginia capes. A plan
strongly advocated involves the estab-
Of heavy batteries on an arti-
fetal island, to be built at the entrance
to the bay.