The Washington herald., 1916-11-30
Army and Navy News
Hest Service Column q. CITY.


Several thousand spectators witnessed
the launching of the submarine Ma at
the Lake Submarine Boat Company's
shipyard at Bridgeport, Conn. on Mon
day. Miss Dorothy Elliott, of Reynolds
Vile, Pa, christened the craft, smashing
bottle of champagne against the hull.
The groundways sawed, the Ma slid
gracefully from her cradle into the
water. travelling by her own momentum
considerable distance from the shore
line.
The N-4 was sandYiched between the
N-5 and Nc, which are we'll on their
way to completion. She is said to repre-
sent the last word In submarine construc-
ton. Although no larger than the most
modern OF the submarines now in use.
she. embodies all the latest submersible
devices. the latest inventions in gunnery
and projectiles. The experience taught
in the present war went into the sub
marines making. the builders having
made thorough, investigation with a
view to making the craft superior to any
now in use.
A. w, Frank assistant naval construc-
, tor of New York City; Lieutenant
nunior Gradc). d. C. Laizure. resident
/ inspector; Lieutenant Gunior grade),
I Joseph NJ. Deem. of the LIS; Lieutenant
r. A. White, commander of the G-2, and
Lieutenant Commander Clarence A.
Adele, OF the Navy. represented the
! United States Government
. -
Tentage and other equipment belong
Ing to the Fourth Regiment of Marines,
which formerly was stationed at San
Diego. Cal, will be shipped to Port au
! Prince. Haiti, on the naval collier Nereus
this week. according TO announcement at
the headquarters OF the Marine Corps.
The Nereus, which arrived from San
Francisco to load the equipment will
proceed by the way of the Panama
| Canal.
| With membership of 465 students, the
University OF Pennsylvania's elective
military science course has Just been
| inaugurated.
| The body's first drill practice was par
! ticipated In by 275 men. The course OF
training Will consist Of active instruc-
| ton and also the theory of military
science. 1t is under the direction of Mai
! William Kelly, jr
An armory >wilI be provided by the
| United states government, which will
also furnish the student military body
uniforms and equipment. Graduates of
| the course will be given opportunity to
! pass competitive examinations for COM
missions as second lieutenants in the
| regular army.
/ Publication of the ratings given by the
War Department Of the standing of the
+ field artillery units of the country has
caused indignant protests. The New
York City batteries of the two regiments
in New York State. equipped with three
inch field pieces. are all well down the
j list. Battery A. of the First FIELD
! Artillery. the crack battery of the State.
and declared by the militiamen to be
about the best battery in the country. is
thirteenth on the official list. with Bat
! terry F and Battery f, of the same
regiment still lower in the War Depart
ments ratings.
! The basis Of the ratings announced by
the War Department is largely the num-
ber OF men who have passed first and
second class gunners' examinations and
! 1t is declared that in the batteries de-
clared to stand 'higher than the New
! York batteries there were plenty OF men
who passed the paper examinations and
| got their gunners' ratings who could not
approach the New York artillerymen in
serving a gun in the field or handling
| battery on the road.
A retired officer OF a New York field
} artillery regiment has told, according
/ to New York advices. how he had chal-
/ Ienged the Massachusetts, batteries. man
ned largely by college students and
graduates. and placed ahead Of the New
York batteries in the War Departments
ratings, to a contest in efficiency while
they were down in Texas, especially at
! the range at La Gloria. His men, he
declared, knew how to serve their guns
and had a wider knowledge Of practical
mechanics than any OF the New England
militiamen.
Down on the border" he declared. Il
told them that l would be perfectly will
ing to take any Of my batteries and prove
they could Outright. Outshoot. and out
man all the Massachusetts organizations,
/ but my challenge was not taken up. The
| Boston batteries were made up OF COL
lege men who passed gunners examina-
tions easily but there are plenty of men
who could get away with that test and
still be unable to handle a gun properly
in the field