The Washington herald., 1916-10-08
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS

The problem of additional dry docks
for the navy soon will be considered by
Secretary of the Navy Daniels. The
Navy Department is busy at work on
the annual estimates and Secretary DAN
iels soon will direct his attention TO the
annual report of the department
1t is predicted by naval officers that
recommendations will be made for en-
largement of the dry dock at Puget
Sound, the construction of a new dry dock
on San Francisco Bay, and the provision
of a new dry dock at New York
New docks at those places, of course,
cannot be built of the dimensions re-
auired at either Mare Island or Brook
lyn, and probably the matter of location
will be one of the subjects treated in the
report made by the special board on new
navy yards, of which Rear Admiral ].
NJ Helm is president.
II new dry dock for New York is
recommended. 1t is probable that arrange
ments will be made to establish a repair
base secondary to the New York Navy
Yard. II Congress approves of this pro-
ject there will eventually be three dry
docks on the Atlantic Coast, including
those authorized at Philadelphia and Nor
folk at the last session of Congress.
Army officials are intensely interested
In the results obtained recently when
Kansas regiments were moved from Eagle
Pass to San Antonio by army motor
trucks to ascertain the relative cost OF
troop transportation. The report on the
test states that the motor truck trans
portation was cheaper by S4,072.25 than
rail transportation would have been.
The total distance Travelled on the trip
was 30 miles, half Of which was with
the troops aboard. The time from the
hour of departure at Fort Sam Houston
to the hour Of return to that post was
approximately ninety-five hours.
Col. H. L. Rogers, chief quartermaster
of the department, rega rds the showing
In economy as an important event and as
calculated to revolutionize the movement
Of large bodies Of troops where the motor
truck can be employed.
The cost of moving the troops by rail
on the basis of 1.769 persons at $3.50 each
would have been $5,S37.7O. The cost Of
transportation by motor truck was
s., 1855.
Another important event in the eyes
Of army officers has been the divisional
march from Fort Sam Houston to Aus
tin. under command of Gen. H. A.
Greene. Connected with this movement
has been the solution of the problem of
supply as well as transportation.
The Army Medical School will open its
session here on October Is. Approximately
ly seventy student officers are expected
to attend. This will be the largest class
in the history of the school OF those
recently examined, seventy-one have
qualified, five OF whom have notified the
surgeon general that they canont attend
the school, while FIVE new candidates
have been accorded a special examina-
ton.
The faculty Of the institution has been
changed slightly. Capt. c. G. Snow has
been detailed as assistant professor Of
bacteriology: Capt. Harold w. Jones has
been assigned to the department of sani-
tary tactics, and Capt. Philip w. Hunt
ington has been detailed to X-ray work.
Suggestion that the new battle cruisers
OF the United States navy be named
after famous fighting vessels that upheld
American traditions in early wars was
made recently by the American Defense
Society at a meeting in New York City.
The idea was set forth in a letter from
the organization to Secretary OF the Navy
Daniels.
Among the names on the proposed list
are the Alliance, after the vessel COM
manded by Commander-in Chief John
Barry, of the American navy, in 1877; the
Intrepid. the Constellation, the United
States, the Constitution, the Congress, the
Essex, the Chesapeake. the Independence
and Bonhomme Richard.