The Washington herald., 1916-11-25
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column In City.

The construction of a new island in
New York Harbor is part Of the scheme
which the Navy Department had laid out
IN the expenditure of the 100000 which
was appropriated at the last session Of
CONGRESS for enlargement Of the navy
YARDS at Boston. Philadelphia. Bremerton
Norfolk, Charleston, s. C.: Portsmouth
N. H., and New York.
The island will be built near the Statue
OF Liberty and will serve as a feet base
with storehouse, Stocking and repair IA
ciiities. The old yard probably will be
continued as an Industrial plant,
Inc exact way In which the appropria.
ton VIII be divided was not made known
In the formal announcement by the de-
partment OF the improvements which are
to be made.
The Norfolk and Philadelphia yards
have been selected for equipment with
shps TOT the construction Of capital ships;
the Boston and Bremerton yards will be
ENLARGED to build and repair vessels of Ut
TO lOOOO or 1900 tons, and those at
charleston and Portsmouth will be fitted
Tor handllng gunboats, destroyers, sub
marines and other small craft.
Wken work at the Norfolk and Philadel-
phia yards Is completed, the navy will
nave four plants prepared to turn out bat.
tieships. The New York and Mare Island
plants already are SO equipped.
The 100000 available Immediately rep.
resents only small part of the money tc
be spent ultimately in developing and en-.
larging the navy's shore stations.
Lieut. Gen. S. B. NJ Young, U. 8. A..
retired. president Of the Association fol
National Service. has Just received the
following letter from Theodore Roose.
veit:
L most cordially and emphatically ap-
prove your efforts as president OF the As
soclation Tor National Service to secure
the passage of law making It obligatory
upon every male American citizen be-
tween the ages OF IS and p to service st1
months or a year-as the case may de-
mand-in the field with the colora
There should be education toward mill.
tary training along the lines followed In
Australia, Argentina, Switzerland and
Japan
The Hay bill. which advocates the re-
crutting Of the regular army and tn.
militia to greater strength, Is not at al
satisfactory to President Wilson. accord
ing TO an editorial in the official publica
ton OF the Navy League, and II IL prob
able that he will advocate the abolish
ment OF the militia system, substituting
In It's place system Of universal mill.
tary training carrying with 1t universe
training as far as is necessary.
We feel justified in asserting" readi
the editorial, that the President knows
as well as do the army and militia thai
the Hay bill has proved a complete fail.
ure. The President believed in It to the
extent Of giving 1t a fair trial. He has
we believe. drawn his own conslusions
and he will, we think. recommend t.
Congress to do away with the militia
system and to substitute substantially
those measures which the friends Of pre-.
paredness have heretofore vainly urged
upon him"
The Bureau OF Ordnance Of the Raw
Department has awarded the du Pont
Company a sS,S50,o0O contract for furnish.
ing of nearly 100000 pounds of smoke,
less powder at so cents a pound. Tn,
powder will be delivered at Whining.
ton, Del.
There were two other bidders-tht
western Cartridge Company and the
Hercules Powder Company-but both
firms named prices in excess of the
du Pont figures.
The Guerin Spinning Company, Of
Woonsocket, r. l. has been awarded a
$4,000 contract for silk cartridee-bau
cloth and a $4,000 contract for cartridge.
bag lacing OF pure silk. The New Eng.
land firm has a monopoly of this product
ana no other bids were received.