The Washington herald., 1916-09-30
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column I'm City.

A stir has been caused in local navy
circles by the sensational charges made
by commissioned officers of the Atlantic
Fleet to the effect that big gun shells
purchased of an alleged inexperienced
munitions manufacturer in Raleigh, N.
C., the home OF Secretary of the Navy
Daniels, were Of such inferior quality that
when fired in battle practice they broke
into hundreds of pieces and dropped over
the ships side, instead of carrying several
miles to the target The story is said TO
have come from not merely one ship, but
several.
Investigation at the Bureau of Ordnance
has disclosed the fact that despite the
alleged unsatisfactory results said to
have been obtained, Secretary of the Navy
Daniels gave the company in his home
city new contract for S40.500 in six and
eight inch shells as recently as last
month.
Secretary Daniels says he is well ac-
quainted with the officers of the COM
pany. He admits that it is a small con-
Germ and that the making Of munitions is
new thing with the company, but ex-
| plains that the contracts have been award
ed on account of the low bids offered. He
declines to discuss the results obtained
| from firing the shells supplied by the COM
| pany, but contends they were manufac-
tured as the law requires, under super
vision Of commissioned officer of the
navy.
Beginning next month practical tests
designed to show the individual effici-
ency Of naval officers qualifying for pro-
motion are to supersede the old system
of written examinations.
The new form of qualification will con-
tribute materially to the increased effici-
ency OF the individual officer and prove
a step toward improvement of the serv-
Ice, according to officers in charge OF the
work here.
| January 10 is the date for examinat ion
OF candidates to be admitted to the navy
from civil life as engineering officers, II
has been announced. Thirty ensign com.
missions for civilians who are to be given
engineering duties only are authorized by
the new law.
Two hundred marines have been order.
ed to proceed to Jacksonville Fla, to par
ticipate in the national rifle matches, to
\ begin there October 30
| 1t Is unlikely that the army will send
representative teams or will take any part
in the matches, owing to the presence
Of so many of the regular army troops
along the Mexican border
Col. Samuel w. Miller OF the infantry
arm. executive officer of the matches, Is
on his way to Washington from Panama
to consult Capt W. P. Harllee, U. S. NJ
! C, assistant executive officer and Of
fcials of the War and Navy departments
regarding arrangements for the matches
!
! The cost Of victualling the navy will
be from 20 to 40 per cent more this year
| than last year. This was indicated with
the opening Of bids for food supplies on
! " ednesday and became more apparent
with the filing of additional contract Of
| fers on Thursday
| On some OF the items called for In the
| contract specifications, many firms de-
clined to bid. None OF the companies
were able to supply even a small part of
| the order for string beans
| One of the largest items on the list
was canned peaches. amounting to $40,
900 pounds, or 1880 cases. Austin Mich
OILS & Co. were the lowest bidders, at
S51, 49, or about $50 a dozen cans. Fran
els H. Leggett & Co. bid S.. .62s; Lewis De
Croft & Sons, $54,377, and Kemp, Day &
Co, $5l,923, with an alternative bid OF
S54, sos.
Lima beans, amounting to 2S5, ,Oot
pounds, were on the order. String beans
are scarce this year. and the government
was unable to obtain bids for the full
quantity of half a million pounds.