Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS

made.a report showing the position of
1.-THE War Department in such cases.
AT various times previous to the re-
| strictions placed upon such sales by the
Secretary of War last March, says he,
Springfield rifles were made by this de-
existing law, and the custom heretofore
| followed in the disposal Of such mate
| rial. No sales to dealers have been
made ths since ,os such sales were prohibited
| War, as referred to above The sale of
arms to individuals Of known standing
who desired the arms for their own
use and agreed not to dispose of them
to others has been continued. as sales
Of this kind were not prohibited. The
dealers who purchased arms prior to
placed the arms SO purchased upon the
market. and this is unQuestionably the
source from which those referred to
! were procured.
1T Should be noted in this connection
that according to numerous advertise
ments in daily papers throughout the
country quantities Of high,powered
been imported into this country, and
are offered for unrestricted sale at
prices which allow of their general
! will be seen. therefore. that rifles manu-
| featured by this department are not the
only ones procurable by. people gener-
| ally. and that the cessation of the sale
this department does not close the
sources from which efficient arms can
| be procured cheaply.
This department., of course. is with
out authority to restrict the sale Of
| foreign arms, or of those sold to deal
ers prior to the orders directing the
| diScontinuance of such sales.
Automatic Rifle for Army.
| IN automatic rifle is being considered
/ ~ bo al hni hot
of a British inventor. This is matter
that has for long time been under con-
sideration. and there is a distinct desire
10 secure some such arm which will in
crease the volume and force of infantry
| tire. The effort hitherto has been to get
| a rife device that maybe attached to
| The present Springfield rifle, 1903 model.
s. Thus far no such device has been forth
coming. The weapon now under con-
!, sideration is complete rife. lighter in
weight than the Springfield rifle. but very
| much more complicated and necessarily
| more difficult to keep in order and clean.
1t carries a cartridge with q load 6f $50
grains of powder, with caliber of 2S
| instead of 80. 1t is claimed to have an
| effective range of 1000 yards in a sweep
| ing fire through sixty to seventy degrees.
| in use the chief problem with such an
! The design under consideration carries
| two cups with ten shot in EACH which
makes the weight carried by the infantry
! man using the rifle no insonsiderable
| load.
Vacancies in Medical Corps.
The examination of eighty-two candi-
dates for appointment as junior officers
| in the Army Medical Corps will begin
tomorrow before boards convened in va
| rious parts of the country. Those can
didates who are reported as qualified
will be appointed first lieutenants in the
Medical Reserve Corps, and form the next
| class at the Army Medical School in
Washington. where there are now under
instruction fffty-seVen student officers
examination Of the members of the class,
to be followed in June by the final exam
ination, the latter determining the ap-
| pointment to the regular CORPS It is ex-
pected that at least fifty medical officers
will be obtained from the present class.
and If an equal number is derived from
the preliminary examinations of next
| week. it will go good way toward filling
the 120 vacancies now existing in the
Army Medical Corps.
Not for Militia Officers.
In response to a request made by the
| captain of company of the organized
militia of state for permission to use
certain government buildings and grounds
as an armory for the company and a resi-
dence for himself, the acting secretary of
| war decided that the approval Of this re-
quest would be opposed to the policy of
| the War Department, which contemplates
| that the states shall provide adequate
armory accommodate for their or
Ganized militia.