The Washington herald., 1916-07-03
The Herald's Army and Navy Department
Latest and Most Complete News Service and Personnel Published
In Washington

The use OF the army transport Sumner
by the State Department to bring Ameri-
can refugees out Of Mexico is the result
Of negotiations between the State and
War Departments.
The transport, it Is announced. is in
charge of Lieut.. Luther c. Booth. of the
Coast Artillery Corps. At the time the
Sumner was turned over to the State De-
partment, arrangements were made on
board to care for the accommodation
and subsistence Of 100 refugees at a
time.
1t was originally planned that the army
transport Fitzpatrick should be used for
this purpose. but the fitzpatrick was reg
ularly established on a schedule run
between New York and the Canal Zone
and the situation on the Isthnus IS such
that It was deemed iradvisable to use the
Sumner for the refugee work.
The Senate Appropriation Committee,
in agreeing to recommend only $4,000 for
test of the John Hays Hammond. jr.,
radio-controlled torpedo, apparently
checked the tendency OF the House to
appropriate over s., 10000 for a demon
stration of the Hammond device. With
the authorization OF this sum, tests will
be started with a view to eventually pur-
chase the torpedo, II It lives up TO its
claims.
The sum Of $4,000 for the test OF the
torpedo is in addition to another sum OF
$1,000 made by the Board Of Ordnance
and Fertilization for a test Of the Ham
mond torpedo with an aeroplane.
The apparently striking generosity OF
the House toward appropriating funds for
the test of the Hammond device, IS in
sharp contrast to the customary niggard-
ness of Congress in appropriating sums for
like purposes to other inventors, and il
has been the subject of a great deal o,
comment, both on Capitol Hill and
throughout the country.
A number of naval officers who were
consulted concerning the pracucabllity OF
the Hammond idea failed to share the
optimism OF the army men over the value
Of the invention and IT was this opinion
Of the navy men. it is said. which caused
the Senate conferees to withhold a large
appropriation for the tests.
If Mr.. Hammond's invention Is all that
is claimed for it. he will certainly re-
ceive a more than ordinary reward 1Iom
the government. as the pending legisla-
ton is said to give Hammond and his as
sociates the utmost protection of patents.
even to the locking OF these patent pa
pers in the secret archives of the Patent
Office. where they would not be disclosed.
even in cases OF interference.
The War Department IS beginning 10
receive recommendations from army Of
ficers in Mexico. enclosing reports on
service conditions there. and perhaps no
report is more instructive than the one
made by Capt. c. def. Chandler, signal
officer of the punitive expedition under
Gen. Pershing. who has reported in re-
gard to the employment Of motor vehicles
Tor the transportation Of field line con-
struction and radio apparatus.
According to Capt. Chandler's report
the use Of horse-drawn vehicles for Sig
nal Corps work in Mexico would amount
to nothing less than A pronounced re-
Progressive step and would be an act
which would place the Signal Corps.
which has control Of the communication
line, at decided disadvantage. Capt.