New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-03
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
House Naval Committee Ready
to Abandon Yards.
rProm The Tribune Bureau.
Wa August

! Naval Committee VINO recently ua"e a"
tpsnection of the Northern navy yards
including that at Brooklyn, have re-
| turned To Washington determined on
como imnortant recommendation when
| will he taken up at the hearings ouiihe
! tho regular session Several are con-
vincad that there are too many navy
wards. and that great economy could DE
effected by closing some Of them anu
avoiding duplicat ton OF work ana mui-
duplication of machinery. They tn'h"
| there should be also a substantial redu0-
ton in the clerical and draftlns FORCES
Great difficulty will attend any COM
mittee action looking 10 the aoandon-
| ment of any Of the yards. Already pro-
tests have been addressed to the com
mittee from those sections where ~ Is
feared there will be interference with
existing conditions. Secretary DanieiS
| is expected to include in his annual re-
| mort some important observations on
| this troublesome problem.
There Is likely TO he fight IN tne
committee and probably repetition OF
tho experience Of past years, when local
| influence has operated 10 defeat the
committee and to Illustrate the enorts
of the Navy Department. II is prom
able that there will be required by law
| a report from a board Of naval on1cers
which shall 90 thoroughly into the SUD
iect OF navy yard abandonment. This
| board may take the form OF commls-
sion Of nigh ranking naval of1cers ana
members of the House and Senate, max
! ing il a Joint service and congressional
body. NJ all events. II is contemplated
that the board shall conduct It's inves-
tigation during the coming year and
have its report and recommendations
ready AT the beginning OF the second
regular session Of Congress in Deem
| her. 1914
HUMANE PUNISHMENT IN ARMY
Secretary Garrison has made important
progress on his plan 10 ameliorate the
punishment of enlisted men found guilty
Of derelictions culpabe from purely
military. rather than a social or moral
standpoint. which policy was first an
nounced In The Tribune Of May IS. To
this end the military prisons are 10 be
abandoned There will he. hereafter.
careful separation OF offenders now In
] 7
arc criminals. or. who would be 50 held
by the civil courts. will be sent 70 the
United states penitentiary. Others. who
are guilty Of such offences as deSertion
and the violation ~ military regulations.
hut who have committed no social or
moral crime. will be formed into d!scip-
linary commands and subjected 10 ardu-
Gus drills, with a view 10 their work
| ing out their salvation and returning 10
tho service with clean bills OF health.
For this purpose there will be estab-
Nshed three detention stations. similar
10 tho Naval Detention Barracks now in
successful operation At Port Royal. ;. c.
! one Of these army detention barracks
will be located NJ Castle Williams. In New
York Harbor where will be stationed two
disciplinary companies. Another will be
at Icavcnworth where IS situated the
| largest 81 the military prisons and where
| there will he "A disciplinary regiment;
| third will probably be- lO-sted at Old Fort
! Point in san Francisco Bay. one Of the
old Notifications II the Casemate type.
General r.. n. Crowder. Judge advocate
general ~ the army. has Just returned
4
coast where he visited the military
I prison on Alcatraz Island. which has long
been marked for abandonment because OF
It's inaccessibility. II is purposed 10 turn
| that reservation over 20 tho Department
OF Labor for use as an immigrant station,
on" now being located at Angle Island.
General Crowder was accompanied on
| this trip by the immigration officers. who
pronounced the Acatrsz Island property
! admirably suited for their purpose, in
view OF the demand for increased facili-
ties following the completion OF the
Panama Canal. when at least six new
! ocean lines will bring immigrants from
European points to San Francisco. The
immigration authorities expect that there
will be an appreciable diminution ~ the
number OF immigrants entering AZ Ellis
Island and proportionate increase at
san Francisco.
Secretary Garrison has been in San
Francisco this week. and IL is supposed he
examined the plans foi abandoning the
military prison al Alcatraz Island and
converting Old Fort Point into an army
detention station. IL may be necessary 10
obtain legislation 10 carry out the plan
I'm detail although former Secretary Slim
SOL had already insugurated. by author
ity OF law. system Of greater leniency
toward army offenders than had formerly
existed
ENGINEERING COMPETITlON.-Ths
Navy Department made public to-day tho
| results Of the engineering competitions
| for l9l2-l9l3 I'm the battleship and subma-
| Inc classes In the bsttIeship class tho
Utah. Captain W 5. Benson. won first
place. having a big lead over the Wyom-
ing, which took second place from the
| Idaho by a fraction Of a point In tho
| submarine class the D-S. Ensign w. r.
Carter commanding. took the trophy.
| The 90 was second and the &C third.
| congratulatory letters have been written
| by the Acting Secretary OF the Navy 10
| the commanders OF the winning vessels.
Similar letters will also be written 10 tho
subordinates Of the various ships who
| have contributed most 10 the successful
| engineering record Of their respective
vessels
The final results in the torpedo class
have not been published in full but II il
announced that the Burrows. Lieutenant
Commander J. +. Helweg commanding.
| finished at the top Of the list
ORDERS lSSUED.-These army and
navy orders have been issued:
ARMY