The Washington herald., 1916-06-24
The Herald's Army and Navy Department
Published

! The destroyer Balch has been placed at
the disposal of the Seawanhaka-Corin
ian Yacht Club by the Navy Department.
1t is announced, to be used in connection
with the joint cruise on Long Island
Sound during the last week in June. The
destroyer will be used as a COMMITTEES
boat during the cruise.
Under the command of Lieut. Comdr.
David c. Hanrahan. a member Of the
New York Yacht Club. the Balch Will Join
the cruising feet at Its rendezvous at
IOyster Bay on June "a 1t will accom-
pany the yaohtsmen throughout the
cruise.
| It is planned to have the yachts visit
the Indian Harbor Yacht Club. the Hunt
iington Yacht Club. the Black Rock Yacht
Club and the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club.
In addition to sailing yachts, the cruising
| feet will include a squadron Of motor
boats, many of whose owners have en-
recently organized by yachtsmen as an
adjunct to the navy.
| The Comptroller OF the Treasury, in a
decision. has again reiterated his deter
limitation to protect the rights of enlist.
ed men under the Interpretation or modi-
Ifcation of the law indicated by the ap-
Ipropriations, and not to determine the
rights of enlisted men simply upon the
action of the War Department In decid-
ing in each case which of two men in the
same position shall be paid"
The decision referred to concerns the
claim of an enlisted man at Honolulu
who claimed extra-duty pay for 2s3 days
at IS cents a day. when he was verbally
ordered TO assume the duties Of telephone
switchboard operator.
A specific law provides extra pay fol
| such duties when the man detailed to
the work is given a written order. In
the case of the private who did switch
| board duty in Honolulu, the order given
was verbal. In his decision, the Comp
troller states that while he believes this
/ requirement should be enforced, he does
not believe the enlisted man should be
made to suffer because of the lack OF
this order
| II the present session of Congress au.
thorizes any increase in the number OF
| officers In the naval construction corps
| as seems to be the prospect I'm connection
with increases contemplated for the line
and staff of the navy generally, in the
naval appropriation bill, the Navy De
ditional officers as soon as possible, IN
stead OF waiting until next January, as
would ordinarily be the case.
By making this selection Immediately
| it would give the department an oppor-
| tunity to select five additional officers
! from the class of 1914 and perhaps as
many as ten from the class OF 1915. The
naval constructors who are now under
instruction number fourteen. four from
the 1912 class, five from the class of ls1;
and five from the class OF 1914
vitality interesting debate is promised
| in Congress when the army appropriation
bill-and more especially the $4,000 item
for citizen training camps-comes up for
discussion. The House Military Commit
tee pared the War Departments recon-.
mendation Of 50 10000 down to $500,
The original proposition was to have ar
appropriation sufficient to cover trans
portatIon. loans OF uniforms and sub,
sistence, for a period OF thirty days, fol
| 200, 900 men, but the Secretary OF Wal
sliced this figure TO 100000 enough fol
200, 900 men for thirty days. which the
Military Affairs Committee cut still fur,
ther.
The military officials behind the train
ing camp idea believe the estimate OF
$500, ,o0o-enough for only 1900 men for
thirty days-is much too low and that
the House should base its appropria ton
upon a prospective attendance Of much
larger proportions than 1000 On the
other hand. there is an element which
believes the department should place
some restriction upon the men who would
attend camps like Plattsburg. not only
as to numbers. but as to age and physi-
cal fitness
There is a wide difference Of opinion
among officers as to the liberty or re-
striction which should be extended 70
such potential students. as well as to
the aid the government should give to
the citizen soldier movement, but all are
agreed that governmental assistance
| should be confined to men who would be
OF actual value in time OF war.
The superintendent of the West Point
Military Academy has recommended a
clause that might be added to the Mill
tary Academy appropriation bill, whereby
any army oficer who now holds the po-
sition Of permanent instructor at that
school and who has served not less than
thirty-three years in the army with one
third OF his service as professor or in
structor at West Point, would be ac-