The Washington herald., 1916-07-13
The HeraId's Army and Navy Department
Latest and Most Complete News Service and Personnel Published
in Washington.

Senator Oliver, Of Pennsylvania, has re-
Gently introduced an amendment to the
naval appropriation bill which provides
that the Federal Trade Commission. I'M
medlate!y after the passage or that act
shall, upon the request OF the Secretary
OF the Navy, annually inventory and in
vestigate the armor plants of the United
States examine their books and estimate
the cost of producing armor from year
TO year
This investigation ii is provided. must
be carried out under the following con-
ditons: Plants running at full capacity.
plants running al two-thirds capacity
plants running at one-half capacity and
plants running at only one-thlrd capa-
city.
II is proposed. in this amendment. TO
hold the threat Of building government
armor plate plants over the private plants
in order to force them TO aid the Com
mission in this work. II the Commis-
sion IS able to prosecute its investigation
without trouble, the Commission will then
report TO Secretary Daniels the proper
amount that should be paid for armOr.
Congress seems destined to WELD to the
pressure brought to bear upon it for the
amendment Of the bill which authorizes
the appointment Of FIVE naval officers Of
:
upon navy yards on the Atlantic and
Pacific coast. This amendment. which
will probably be adopted, will permit the
appointment OF officers of the retired
list to this duty.
At the time the measure was first in
trodUCed. there was q storm of protest
over lis terms, which excluded the serv-
ices OF retired officers. Many of these
retired officers were navy yard experts
and it was the. opinion OF the Navy De-
partment that much valuable aid would
be lost II these men were disbarred The
amendment, which is apparently destined
! to pass, Will remedy this condition Of
affairs
A number Of Senators. it is said. are
opposed to the establishment OF a navy
ward on the east coast-one Of the ques-
tIonS the commission was ordered 10
solve. Instead. they favor the establish
ment Of submarine and aviation bases
along the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and
elsewhere on United States territory. II
would also be necessary for the board
OF Officers TO fix the cost OF these sta
| tlons.
mahoEany-f furniture fund Of $4,000
| will be required to I'LL reuuisitions for the
next fiscal year fled by various posts in
this country where rev quarters have
been built, and for posts in the Philip
pines, Haw ali and the Canal Zone.
Among the posts in this country where
mahogany furniture will be required in
the furnishing Of army quarters are Fort
Bliss. Fort Huachuca, the San Francisco
Preside and Fort Sam Houston. These
posts alone will require an expenditure
OF about $4,000, with another $1,000
needed for the Canal Zone Hawaii will
require about $1,000, while the Philippines
will need another 5000 This last item
| is a reduction from $4,000, as it became
possible to transfer 5000 from the item
Of rental in China to the item Of furni-
ture in the Philippines.
This furniture includes the standard
hea'y design which has been adopted By
the War Department for use in northern
! attitudes. while in the tropics, a variety
Of furniture more suitable to weather
and climatic conditions will he pur-
chased.
Secretary OF the Navy Daniels. in
recent statement. sets forth his obieC-
tions to the present system of retiring
naval officers at the age OF 50 years. and
/ IN his communication, which argues
strongly for legislation which will inforce
service Of officers for forty-one years
| from the date of their graduation from
Annapolis, the Secretary says:
Experience seems to show that two
! or three years difference in age of officers
OF the same date Of graduation from
the Naval Academy has little. II any
influence, upon their physical or mental
abilities after forty years or more SER
vice. In other words, given the same
length OF service. under the same general
conditions, the officer best fitted for high
command, both physically and mentally.
| is not necessarily the youngest one that
! graduated but is the one who has pre-
served his physical strength by sane
and sober living and industry, while at
the same time, he has taken the utmost
| advantage Of the opportunities for mental
development along the lines of the naval
profession.
Under present conditions, about eight
members Of a naval academy class reach
/ the rank of rear admiral, but. as a rule
about half of these are so near retire.
ment that the department is restricted
in its selection for flag commands, to
| the younger half. The enactment into
-aw OF the provision recommended would
| give the department wider range of
| selection, would increase the efficiency
of the service, and give an equal oppor-
tunity to every member of a class"
| The War Department is receiving in
| formation from retired officers of the
army, as to the length of time they have
had active duty since the dates of their
retirements. The department is gather
! ing this tnformati in an effort to de-
terrnine what retired officers shall re-
ceive the rank, pay and allowances of
the grade, not above that Of major, that