New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-24
From The Tribune bureau J
NX-ac bf,,cfo an Junf

MdSNlllgNDils 'Ni'N -
MEYERS RADICAL PROPOSAL-lne
Secretary of the Navy has suDnh'teo W
the naval committees of the two houses vi
Congress n recommendation for merging
,be nav and construction corps with the me
In urging this policy Mr.. Meyer CONTENDS
that il will materially increase the en-
cheney Of the service. will eliminate the an
tagonism which now exists between Tue
line and the. stan. will promote speciailSih
and augment the general fitness or oincers-
Mr. Never cites the highly satisfactory re-
suits which have followed the merging OF
the engineer corps with the line twelve
wears ago as an indication of the beneficial
results TO be expected from the further
step in that direction he proposes. His
policy oontemplates continuing the
assignment Of present members OF the
pay and construction corps TO the
duties for which they are peculiar
" qualified but he would assign GER
tain graduates OF the Naval Academy to
technical schools. in order that they may
perfect themselves as designers. and as
these young men become fitted for their
specially he would give them comparatively
longer periods Of shore duty and shorter
periods at sea. The experience they would
gain at sea however. he believes, would
prove invaluable 10 them as shop managers
and navy yard administrators Being mem
beers of the line. they would be on par
with those OF their fellow officers who have
fitted themselves for ordnance and en-
gineering shop work. In the case OF the
pay officers a similar course would be fol-
lowed II is not to be expected that the
older pay officers could 1T themselves for
line duty, but it is contended that most
graduates Of the Naval Academy could
certainly. with comparatively little prep
aration, fit themselves TO perform all the
duties now performed by the pay corps.
The younger men assigned 10 the Work or
the pay corps could perform the duties OF
storekeepers on shore ard afioat, and the
older men could be employed in accounting
work. Mr. Meyer realizes that his plan
will encounter much opposition from ofil-
GERS Of the line. TO some extent from those
Of the staff and to material extent from
members Of Congress. who now enjoy the
privilege OF naming candidates for the staff
corps Nevertheless. the Secretary believes
the policy is sound and would work great
benefit 10 the navy, and that for this rea-
son. sooner or later ii will be adopted.
GREAT GUNNERY.-Br General
Weaver. chief of the coast artillery, mas
10 the chief Of stan That
special commentator be granted to the OIL
fcers and men Of the 1lth Company coast
artillery for the remarkable results in tar
get practice which have just been achieved
by them. This company. which is stationed
at Fort Mills in the Philippines, recently
fired six shots from two tweve-inch guns,
mounted on disappearing carriages. III
minutes IS 2-5 seconds. at a material target
thirty feet high by sixty feet long. being
towcd at a speed of slightly over eight
miles an hour Every one OF the shots
penetrated the target al a distance OF APP
proxin1atelv four and a half miles, making
Il score of 100 per cent of hits This consti-
tutes a record for the coast artillery ana
General Weaver has already sent his con
gr7itulati0ns TO Captain Louis H. Bennett
commanding the company
DIRECT ELECTIONS The advocates Of
popular election of Senators insist that they
have not given up hope OF passing the
Borah constitutional amendment at TINS
session. The House, as will be recalled
merely voted 10 non-cOncur IL the senate
amendment and asked for no conference.
The bill has been returned 10 the Senate
and will be laid before that body on Mon
day. 1t is probable that the motion to ask
the House for a conference Will be maze
and adopted. but, in view of the temper of
the House. there is little probability that
this will accomplish anything. When the
conferrees report that the House declines
TO confer with them, however. the motion
will be made that the Senate recede from
its amendment. and on this the fight VIII
be made. The advocates of the proposition
10 relinquish on behalf OF the federal gov