The Washington herald., 1916-03-22
BY 4. II. JOHNS.

To ascertain definitely the capacity OF
private shlpysrds. the House Committee
on Naval Affairs yesterday decided TO
send ont circulars to all Of the ship
builders. The question has been raised
as to whether the program OF the ad-
mlnistrauon could be carried out at
private shipyards and TO settle Il the
House Committee on. Naval Affairs has
asked for a definite statement from the
shipbuilding concerns.
After this information is secured the
committee will take up the question as
to the enlargement OF the government
yards. There is an intimation in the
question submitted by the committee that
some legislation may be recommended
which would require the private yards
to lay aside other contracts and build
shics for the navy. At present. it is
stated, all Of the shipbuilders are over
stocked with orders from foreign con-
Germs and on this account are not anxious
TO build any ships for the navy.
Private concerns, are asked TO state 10
the committee how many battleshiEs,
battle cruisers and destroyers they can
lay down within six months First they
are requested to make a statement OF
their capacity taking into consideration
the material and labor market. In the
second series Of questions they are asked
TO state how many ships OF each class
they can undertake TO build within six
months by putting aside and disregard
ing private contracts. In their state
ment they are asked TO include their
present capacity and the capacity TO
which their yards can be increased. In
cdentally the committee indicates the
contemplated size OF the ships in the pro-
gram recommended by the department
BattleshiDs are TO be from GU to go
feet. battle cruisers from 800 to 800 feet,
scout cruisers so feet and destroyers
BIS feet.
In telegram to the War Department
the commanding officer OF the machine
gun troop Of the Thirteenth Cavalry
states that the 'jamming of a machine
gun during the fight at Columbus. y.
Mex, was not due to the failure OF the
mechanism Of the gun but to the fact
that the guns were not properly loaded.
He says. further. that the two guns which
were handled properly did not jam. and
the execution that they did showed the
value Of ms chine-gun fire.
No entirely satisfactory machine gun
has az yet been developed according to
the views expressed by ordnance officers
at the War Department. They say that
il should be remembered that these
weapons are machines. operating with
tremendous pressure and tremendous We
loCity of the moving parts. They will
always be subject to the Weaknesses and
infirmities OF all complicated machines
So far no machine gun has been deveI-
oped with the simplicity and perfection
which would insure their operation in
the hands of an ordinary soldier with the
certainty OF ordinary rife or pistol
Their inhrmitics have been accepted be
cause OF the large effective output which
can be had from them when they work
well
That the European powers are hav-
ing trouble with machine guns is evil
denccd by the fact that the British
army has found II necessary TO estab-
lish machine gun school Of instruc-
ton for its troops in France behind
the fighting line. Recently the War
Department opened . similar school a
Fort Sill. as it il now generally con-
ceded that it requires a specialist TO
handle machine guns.
Capt. Louis Van SchaiCk infantry
who has been assigned 10 temporary
duty at the War College. visited the
War Department and registered YES
terdsy.
ca blegram received hy Adj. Cen
Mccain yesterday announces that the
transport Logan sailed for Manila on
March q.
Norfolk Nav, Ward Notes.
Norfolk. Va. March 2l-Mrs. Charles
Laird OF Washington. is the guest OF
Mrs. Holt Page.
Mrs. H. b. Kelly has returned TO New
York.
Mrs W. H. Taylor and Mrs. X 4.
Wainwright have returned from a visit
to Annapolis