The Washington herald., 1916-12-02
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column In City.

A total expenditure Of more than SIS,
100000 Is provided for in the contracts
awarded by Secretary Of the Navy Dan
leis FOR the construction Of the four bat
| tleships included in the new naval pro-
gram.
The Newport News shipbuilding and
Dry Dock Company, which has been
awarded the contract to build two of the
ships, promises delivery within thirty
nine months. and the New York Ship
building Company. which is to build the
other two vessels, promises delivery
within forty months
The price named in the award, which
provides only for hull and machinery, is
very close to the maximum amount for
the work authorized by Congress-$11, 900,
ooo That will make the total cost OF
each snip close to the maximum allot-
ment of s2oOoO,0o0.
The new battleships will be sister ships
to the California and the Tennessee, now
! under construction, except that they will
be htted to carry eight 16-inch rifles In
stead OF twelve l4-inch guns. They will
| displace about 1900 tons. The depart
ment now is considering plans for the 1915
ships. three in number, with indications
that they will be of 10000 tons diplace-
ment, carry twelve l6-inch guns. and
make twenty-three to twenty-four knots
instead of twenty-one knots, the present
battleship standard of the navy
The contracts just awarded provide
for the expenditure Of more than s65, ,0Oo.-
| 900 and the vessels comprise the bulk OF
| the great building program Of sixty-six
craft OF various types. appropriated fol
by the last session of Congress. Bids
for four battle cruisers will be received
December and for three scout cruisers
on January 3. with the hope Of complet.
Ing the task Of getting all the ships
under contract within the six months
limit set by Congress.
Persons who have been appointed pro
visional second lieutenants to I'LL vacan.
cies created or caused by the act OF
| June 8 and who have had commissioned
| service in the National Guard, in the
service of the United States. or in the
Philippine Scouts are entitled to have the
| time so served taken into account in FIX.
ing their relative and lineal rank. &C.
| cording to decision OF the War De-
partment
The national defense act prescribes the
| order of preference in which appoint
ments shall be made from the various
sources named-six in all, beginning with
the graduates of the Military Academy
and ending with candidates from civil
I
ing consequent order of rank among
! these different classes.
| The questions as to the right Of ap
| pointees to preference in rank amonI
| themselves appointed upon the same dat,
regardless Of the classes from which ap
pointed may be obvisted by making the
appointments from the different classe.
| named on different dates. 1t is sug
gested to the adjutsnt general of tn,
army that this would also constitute al
administrative convenience in indicaI
| ing by date of commission the classei
from which officers were appointed.
| Therefore, the successful candidates O.
| the examination held in August ar,
likely to have different dates of com
mission indicating the various classes
10 which they belong with precedenc,
as to classes in accordance with th'
order set forth in the national defens,
| act.
Capt. Roy C. Smith. U. s. N. governor
of Guam, in his annual report recon-
mends that the U. S. s. Supply. station
ship, combine its quarterly Commercial
trip with a health trip for the personne
of the station in place of the annua
health trip. which has not been con
Quoted for nearly three years.
| Under the proposed arrangement. I
quarterly trip can be made to Japan
China, and the Philippines for three Of
| the four quarters, the fourth trip beint
a docking and overhaul trip to eithel
| Olongapo or San Francisco. By this plar
1t Is stated that all the personnel woult
receive the benefits OF the change o.
! climate and scenery at sufficiently
| frequent intervals.