The Washington herald., 1915-11-09
By +, b. JOHNS.


Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss. chief
of the Bureau of Ordnance, will make
an effort at the next session of Cong
ress, to secure legislation by which
civil employees of the Washington
Navy Yard. who devise any economy
In the manufacture or improvements In
the design of ordnance material, may
be rewarded. Under existing law II
is only possible to reward such en-
ployees by promotion. but this is not
sufficient in the opinion of the chief
of the Bureau. There are not always
vacancies for such promotions and
system of rewarding enterprisinG and
ingenious employees of the yard
should be devised.
Admiral Strauss expresses himself
as being highly pleased with the work
that was done at the Washington
gun factory last year. The most not
table Improvement" he said, 'is in
the output obtained in the cartridge
case department. new methods have
been introduced by which the number
Of successful cartridge cases produced
from the cast material has been in
creased by about so per cent. The
saving in cost and time OF production
has been most valuable.
-Four large Iathes have been added
to the facilities of the gun shop. The
facilities in the cast gun carriage
shop, erecting shop, and in the west
gun carriage shop, have been substan-
TALLY increased. 1t has been found
necessary to expand the equipment in
the optical shop. A great number of
optical instruments are now being sent
to the gun factory for overhauling
and repairing. This work. otherwise
would be done by private contract at
q greater cost and delay"
Admiral Strauss says that estimates
have been submitted for increasing the
general facilities OF the Washington gun
factory so that a large number of heavy
guns can be produced there.
The board appointed by Mai Gen. Hugh
[. Scott, chief of staff. for the reorgani-
zation of the cavalry is now in session
at the Army War College going over the
reports of the American officers who act
ed as observers in the European war. 1t
is stated that about the only change in
the organization OF the mounted service
that may result from the European war
is the creation OF a machine gun troop.
At present each regiment of cavalry has
n machine gun platoon with four guns.
but this is not authorized by law. Ma
chine gun platoons are created only by
the detail OF officers and men from the
troops OF the regiment.
Before the war there was a great deal
of discussion throughout the mounted
service as to the advisability Of reorgan-
Izing the cavalry to conform with the
European cavalry. Most OF the nations
light cavalry which was
usually armed with lances and did not
carry rifles. In this cavalry emphasis
was placed on mounted or shock action
and some OF the ablest officers in the
American mounted service were Of the
opinion that the United States army
should dispense with the rifle in the or
ganization of its mounted troops.
But the experience OF the belligerents
on the Western frontier demonstrated
that cavalry should be so organized that
1t could be transformed into infantry
Both the Allies and Germany have dis
mounted their cavalry on the Western
frontier and sent II into the trenches.
At the same time II Is recognized that
cavalry was Of vital Importance in the
early stages OF the conflict on the West
ern frontier and 1t is believed that the
Russian army escaped in the East
sufficient cavalry to cut IL on. after IL
had been defeated at Warsaw. In Its
present organization the United States
cavalry is better equipped and trained
to fight either mounted or dismonnted
than the European mounted troops and
on this account there Is not apt to be
much change made in the mounted SER
vice of the regular army.
The board consists OF Col. w. d.
Beach. Mai. s. III. Elliott and Capt. F.
Lei. Parker. Twelfth Cavalry.
The Adjutant General OF the army has
received the following telegram from
Mai. Gen. Arthur Murray. Commander Of