The Washington herald., 1916-11-13
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Rest service Column On city.

Realizing that the European war has
demonstrated the great value of
machine guns, the War Department
has taken steps toward equipping the
United States army along this line.
"A special board has Just reported q
recommendation OF s10,o0o,o00 for 400
machine guns of the vickers 80 type.
The board is composed of army. navy
and Marine Corps officers and ciyi-
lians.
1t is estimated that machine guns
can be turned out at the present capa-
city at the rate of $500 a month,
which Is faster than troops could be
provided to operate them.
The machine guns are divided into
two types by the board. They are
designated as light and heavy, and
each has definite sphere of action in
war time. The Vickers gun. the board
holds. meets every requirement for
heavy guns. but a lighter rifle will not
be recommended without additional
tests.
The report of the board shows that
S,015 heavy and 9.26S light guns will be
necessary to equip fully the regulars
and the National Guard. on a basis
Of six rifles to a regiment, and with
adequate reserves. 1t is recommended
that Congress be asked to supply funds
for the purchase each year of enough
guns to equip new units Of either
service added under the national de-
fense act. Tests of the light guns will
be held at the Springfield Arsenal. and
inventors haves been urged to enter
their weapons for the competition.
The board contends that the light
machine gun backs up the most ad-
vanced line in modern warfare. and
is invaluable for duty which the
heavier, water-cooled guns could not
perform.
The battleship Arizona, which went
into commission October Z, has left
the New York Navy Yard on her first
trial trip. The immense fighting craft
was pulled from her pier by the tugs
Crescent and Edwin Brandow. Five
smaller tugs pushed on the port side
of the warship.
The Arizona will be tried out thoro-
ughly along the coast and then VIII
Join the Atlantic Fleet. She will re-
turn with the fleet to the North River
on November "a in time for the Army
Navy football game at the Polo
grounds.
As the Arizona left the navy yard she
passed the battleships New York and
Texas, which are there temporarily.
Bugles were sounded from the two bat
tleships and the bands played THE Star
Spangled Baner." as the arizona passed
The New York has left New York for
Hampton Roads on a speed run.
The Arizona is COMMANDED by Capt
John d. Mcdonald. She has compile
ment Of 1000 officers and men and is
battleship of the first line. The Arizona
has "a guns and a displacement of a.4o
tons.
The Paris correspondent Of the Naval
and Military Record, in a recent article,
declared that the American claim that
the new United States submarine MI is
In advance of European construction is
not entertained in France.
The British Fs and the French Zedes
are held in Paris to have no rivals any
where in the world" he continued In
contrast with the policy Of the English
Navy, which has increased the size and
speed with every successive series. the
French admiralty is yet experimenting
with four different types Of submarines,
all Of remarkable design and possessed OF
a higher degree OF buoyancy than all
English boats up to the series, but dif-
fering considerably in size, speed and
radius OF action
Commanders have been officially ap-
pointed for several OF these. ordered in
1912, and the vessels will prove highly
efficient as an addition to the French
flotillas and as no mean asset on the side
of the allies"