The Washington herald., 1916-10-04
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column I'm City.

The army ordnance ONCE has opened
bids for the delivery OF twenty-seven
caterpillar tractors intended for use by
the Ninth Heavy Field Artillery. The
Holt Company, of Peoria, Ill, was the
only bidder. This firm supplied the Brit
ish army with the foundations for the
larmored-hghting monsters now used on
the Somme front One thousand of these
machines have been sold to the British
government.
The Holt Company however, had moth
ing TO do with the fitting out Of the Brit
ish tractors with armor and machine
guns. These armored British tractors.
commonly known as Tanks" have fur
nished one Of the spectacular features In
the nghtins along the Somme.
Some Of the caterpillar tractors, iden-
ticsl with the twenty-seven now to be
bought, already are possessed by the
United States army. Five Of them are In
the Hawaiian Department at Honolulu
ana several are on the Texas border.
They were bought for experimental pur-
poses and are declared TO have worked
with remarkable success. Three Of the
hve now in the Hawaiian Department
have been assigned TO the new Ninth
Heavy Field Artillery
Besides the three caterpillaru In the
I
the Ninth Field Artillery, there are two
other caterpillars in that department,
being used experlmentally. These are not
intended for gun-hauling. They have been
armed and armored and are being put
through t13ts similar to the work done
by the British Tanks"
The cam pat FL Paso, Tex, occupied by
troops OF the Tenth Provisional Division,
has, by order OF Brig. Gen. Bell, been
named Camp owen Biene." after q
sergeant Of that name belonging to the
Twenty-third Infantry. who was killed
in saloon recently in performance Of
his duty with the provost guard. A Texas
ranger is In Jail charged with the murder
The naming Of the camp was most
unique, for usually army camps are
named after Presidents and generals.
After stating that the army felt deeply
the outrage Of the dastardly deed. Gen.
Bell said
Both during his life and death this
splendid soldier exemplihed the best ira
ditions of the army. It was not for him
to question why nor TO reason why. He
simply obeyed orders and died. No loftier
virtue than this can be attained by any
man"
sergt. Bierne had completed nearly
| thirty years in the army. He served
[ win Nle1I4lSNlJu III l4lc NUDdn anu
pine campaigns and the Boxer uprising
Camp Owen Bierne contains about 2s, ,oOC
men.
1T is to be hoped that Senator Shep-
pard. Of Texas, has no such intention
as has been attributed to him recently,
Of introducing a bill at the next session
OF the Senate requiring the War and
Navy departments to furnish Congress
with a statistical record OF the religious
beliefs entertained by commissioned ON
GERS and enlisted men Of the military
naval establishments" says the Army
and Navy Register editorially
IF he really contemplates such an ex-
traordinary quest, II is TO be hoped that
his better Judgment will assert itself and
that he will abandon his project; and Il
he persists in his purpose. It Is TO be
hoped that his associates in the Senate
who are serving on the military committee
of that body will permanently shelve the
measure
There could be nothing more unprofta'
| BILE, unfortunate, and unwise than drag
gtng into view. for the object Of ohacial
record. the religious belief OF members
OF the military naval personnel, who
might very properly exercise the right OF
silence in the presence OF such an inqui-
CONTINUED on PAGE EIGHT.