The Washington herald., 1917-03-20
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column q, CITY.

The payment Of S each to postmasters
for every recruit secured has resulted in
adding S63 soldiers to Uncle Sans army
in the six months the system has been in
operation, the War Department an
nounced yesterday. Atlanta is the banner
city with 81 such recruits, Portland Oreg..
follows with So and Indianapolis is third
with 80. During February 35s recruits
were secured by postmasters against 30
last September
Figures shows that many regular re-
cruiting offices are producing more than
their quota of soldiers. The overpercent-
tages of the leaders are as follows: Fort
Wayne. PSI; San Francisco. 233: Portland,
Greg. ia; indianapolis, l73; Salt Lake
City. 159; Springfield. ILL.,. 145; Terre
Haute, 1873; Spokane. lis; Detroit, lis; Den
yer. Ill; Lexington, 10e; Chicago. 1O5, and
Harrisburg, 103.
Capt. William Mitchell. aviation section
Of the signal Corps. left for Havana yes
terday, whence he will sail for Europe
Capt Mitchell is going to observe avia-
ton behind the firing lines in accordance
to the invitation by France for this coun-
try to send officers to gain first hand in
formation.
Lieut.. johnson and Carberry are to
leave next Tuesday and join Capt Mitch
ell in Europe.
Secretary Daniels will today open bids
for construction of some 200 submarine
chasers'' to be used In the coast defense
service. He hopes that at least 100 manu-
featuring concerns will submit bids
These craft will be paid for from the
emergency cash authorized in the naval
bill.
Secretary Daniels will continue through
out this week endeavoring to get all OF
the steel mills in the country to agree to
set aside a large proportion OF their out
put for use by the navy in construction
Of battleships. battle cruisers and other
needed craft. Up to the present the
smaller mills have refused to make this
concession, although the big ones arc
willing to do so.
These are emergency times and It has
been great pleasure to me to be Of SER
vice in bringing together the telegraph
and telephone interests Of the nation to
serve the governments needs We are
all cooperating with the Council of Ma
tional Defense to the best of our ability.
and myself and my associates on this
committee stand ready to do anything
and everything that the army and navy.
or other government departments may
require of us to aid in the national de-
tense. Much has already been done
quietly between the wire companies in
dividually and the government and Their,
Is now no question but that the nation
and the government are amply equipped
with facilities for communications of all
sorts for whatever need may arrive"
The foregoing statement was made by
Theodore n. Vail. president of the
American Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany. after a committee of leading tele-
phone and telegraph executives had con-
ferred with Secretary of War Baker,
chairman of the Council of National De-
fense. and W. S: Clifford. director OF
the council. at the War Department yes
terday.
Mr. Vail continued: 1.-THE vital thing,
fully realized by both Federal officials
and the wire companies. has been to
perfect a coordination to ensure COM
plete cooperation not only between the
government and the companies. but be-
tween the companies themselves with re-
gard to communications and censorship
of communications. That has now all
been arranged for"
Secretary Baker expressed qualification
at the loyal and prompt action of the
wire companies. He particularly thank
ed Mr.. Vail and his committee for the
steps already taken voluntarily by them
to give the government right of way on
the wires in the event of war. Brigadie-
General Squier. chief signal officer OF the
army, and Commander Todd. director of
naval communications.
The telephone and telegraph heads
comprising the committee were Mr. VAN,
Newcomb Carlton, president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company;
Charles P. Bruch, vice president of the
Postal Telegraph-Cable Company: F. B.
McKinnon. vice president, of L. S. In
dependent Telephone Association, and n.
c. Kingsbury. vice president, American
Telephone and Telegraph Company.