The Washington herald., 1916-08-25
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column in City.

! Gen. Bird w. Spencer, inspector-generaI
OF rifle practice, and commandant on the
state Rifle Range at Sea Girt, n. j., has
! completed arrangements for the first
I aeroplane rife practice ever held in this
country, so far he has been able to
learn.
1t will occur next Tuesday, the marks
men being members Of the aviation squad
| or the First Battalion. New Jersey Naval
! Reserve, with headquarters at Hoboken
! Nearly 100 members of the reserves are
! at Sea Girt this week for their annual
! rife practice. and the plan has been
worked out, following a suggestion by
| Lieut.. j. Homer Stover, who has charge
+ of the aviation squad of twenty-three
: men
J duo control biplane of the type used
at the front III the European war has
! peen procured from Garden City, and will
| De flown down to Sea Girt on Monday by
! Albert Heinrichs, a licensed aviator.
| The Albcrtson machine gun is to have
! further tests by officers of the United
! states army at Governors Island, and
later at Sandy Hook The gun has been
| remodeled and taken to Governors Is
land for the preliminary test.
/ Dr. Albert {. Albertson. inventor of
! the gun. says he believes he has so per-
fectod it that the range will be greatly
increased and that projectiles can be
| hurled at target with the utmost pre-
| cision and accuracy
i now have a machine that will do
! fearful execution with high explosive
| shells he is reported saying.
Ihe new machine gun is constructed
Iot composition of aluminium and cop
per and has a wheel. mounted on ball
| bearings. which revolves within a frame.
Projectiles are placed in grooves in this
Wheel which is driven by electricity or
! Iolher motive power, causing it to re-
INolNc. The projeCtiles are automatically
! released by mechanical device and hurI-
ed at the object at which they are
sighted
delegation Of naval officers Of the
grade OF Junior lieutenant recently Wis
lted the chairman of the House Naval
| committee and voiced their protest
against what they termed a gross dis
elimination against themselves and their
associates of corresponding rank by rea-
son OF the clause in the new naval per-
sonnet legislation which provides that
| hereafter lieutenants Of the junior grade
snail have had not less than three years
service In the grade before being eligible
Tor promotion to the grade OF lIeutena Mt.
| IL was pointed out that a number of
the junior lieutenants had been grad
uatcd from the Naval Academy as mid
! Shpmen and in that capacity had spent
two years before being commissioned as
I"nsigns: whereas now midshipmen are.
/ upon graduation, commissioned as en-
signs ana spend three years in that grade.
! nus, IN the case of the former, the
ofhcers will he required to put in eight
Years OF service after graduation before
they can be promoted 10 the grade Of
lieutenant; whereas those who became
I7r become ensigns upon graduation at
I ha
FIX Years in the grade Of junior Heuten-
ant before being eligible to advance
ment to the next higher grade
Ihis is an Inconsistency of the law.
~ Is pointed out, operating as an in
justice to individuals which will prob
ably constitute one OF the amendments
| destined to be made to the personnel
legislation at the next session OF Con-
gress.
1t Is unlikely that any efforts will
be made at this session to remedy any
! OF the unavoidable imperfections Of
| the navy personnel legislation, but
work will be commenced early in the
next session.
The army's new hospital train.
/ specially designed by Capt Percy L.
Jones. Of the Army Medical Corps. at
| the instance of the acting surgeon
! general Of the army. Col H. P. Bir-
| mlngham. has been completed and is
, now at san Antonio.
II Is composed OF ten cars. consti-
! tuting train 500 feet long The
| kitchen car is fitted for cooking. Diet
! for patients will be prepared by two
experts. All of the cars are painted
! dark green. and each bears the legend,
/ Medical Department, L. S. Army"
! The cars for patients have been
equipped with side doors, affording
| ample means for taking patients in
and out on litters. Beds are Of the
/ regular hospital pattern, of white ena-
, mel In some of the cars the upper
berths have been removed. while in
others they have been retained and
will be used for ambulance cases.
The standard coach. improved for its
new use. is provided for the medical
officers and the corps personnel The
end doors have been widened so as to
enable transfer of patients on litters
! from car to car.
/ Capt. H. H Daily, OF the Army Medf-
cal Corps, is in charge of the train.