The Washington herald., 1916-11-11
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best service Column 4. city.

War Department officials are preparing
Tor the purchase of a large supply OF
nitrate from the Chilean fields. This i'm
Portant product will be stored at arsenals.
mostly at Rock Island. as a reserve stock.
The problem has been to obtain the
shipment OF the nitrate without incurring
the greatly advanced cost which now pre-
walls In ocean transportation. 1t Is pro-
posed to utilize in this connection three,
and possibly four. army transports that
are available. These transports are the
Sumner, Buford, Sherman, and. IL q
fourth Is 30 employed, the Meade.
1t has been found that there will be a
saving Of about so a ton by using the
army transports instead of chartering
reduce the cost of transportation to one
third.
The Alaskan Engineering Commission.
in charge Of the construction OF the rail-
road in that territory under the Interior
Department, will utilize the army trans
rort Crook for another year in the ship
ment OF railroad supplies and in the trans
portation Of laborers and other passengers
from Seattle.
Another example Of economy possible
by the employment of the army trans
port is furnished by an interesting situ-
alton that has arisen in Manila. Ger
tain military supplies, to be purchased in
China, can be brought from the port of
shipment to Manila on board the army
transport Warren, thus saving more than
$4,000 a year as compared with the cost
OF contracting for the delivery Of these
supplies at Manila
Capt H. r. Richmond, senior instructor
In equitation at the mounted-service
school at Fort Riley. has recommended
to the War Department the detail during
the next few years of Junior captains
and senior first lieutenants to the in
stitution for instruction.
Experience" he says. has shown that
they are equally proficient physically and
that they absorb and retain far more Of
the theory of the course, and due to their
experience have far superior ideas as to
the proper application to troops OF the
methods taught than do very young Of
ficers OF short service and immature judg-
ment.
Their future detail. at least for fve
years. Is deemed of great importance IL
the course at the school is ever to be re-
hected in the service by established stand
ards and methods Of training recruits and
recounts, for 1t is they who command the
organizations and they will not and
young subalterns the supervision OF and
responsibility for this individual train
ing OF the men and horses. upon the
thoroughness of which rests the efficiency
Of the organization"
The Navy Department is puzzled over
the question whether American citizens
returning to this country after fighting
In the European war can be enlisted in
the United States navy. Decision has
been reserved pending decisions by the
Department of Justice, Department OF
Commerce. and State Department, all Of
which have the question under considera-
ton,
The assumption Is that an American
citizen retains his citizenship unless he
specifically pledges allegiance to another
country. It is questionable whether the
Americanss in question pledged such allie
glance upon enlisting in the service OF
the belligerent powers.
Lieut.. Col Charles B. Hatch. L. s. N.
who has just been placed on the retired
list. served a volunteer in the Spanish
American war. and was appointed a first
He served in the Boxer uprising in China
in 1900, in the Intervention in Cuba in
1903, and also in the revolutions In Santo
Domingo. Recently he had been on duty
at the marine recruiting station in Bos-
ton
Lieut.. Col. Hatch went to England
three years ago to make a study Of the
detention system for the punishment OF
minor offenders In the British militia and
naval services.