The Washington herald., 1917-01-06
Army and Navy News
Best Service CeIulnn IL cry

The high cost of warships Win peSvsut
the Navy Department from construct1nS
three scout cruisers unless Congress ap-
propriates more money.
Only one shipbuilding concern respond
ed tosbids called for by the department.
The Fore River shipbuilding Company
was the one bidder. and Its offer ex-
ceedet by nearly 100000 the amount
authorized by Congress for the construc-
tion OF the cruisers. The company offered
10 build two vessels at g, 9o0. 900 each. or
agreed to construct the vessels at cost,
nxed profit to be agreed upon. No
proposals for the ammunition ship. the
UNIT OF cost Of which was nxed at $780,
goo, was submitted.
William Cramp Sons. Of Philadelphia,
refused to bid on the ammunition ship
because Of unsettled labor conditions in
tne iaoor and Industrial markets. They
estimated the cost of the ship at $3,0oo-
w. The company stated that It would
reoeive iavorabiy an offer from the de-
partpent to construct the ship at cost,
Win percentage of profit. The Seattle
construction and Drydock Company re-
tused to bid on the cruisers.
secretary of the Navy Daniels prob
apiy VIII appear before Congress to ask
TOT additional money for the construc-
tion OF the ships
Inc army feud over the Lewis machine
guns merits received another Congress
sionai airing on Thursday, and the dis
cussion was ths principal topic Of con-
day.
Secretary Of War Baker, occupying the
spoengnt,n N spirited quiz conducted by
.ne rouse Military Affairs Committee
ChapaCterZad Nat
comments in the controversy a. '.un-
fortunate" The Secretary informed the
eommittee tina. he had directed all army
ofncers hereafter to direct THAR COM
ments to the department.
Dsputing the oft-repeated ciatxu by
high army officials that the Levin ma
ehine gun had been offered to the United
states government by its inventor free
OF cnarse, Secretary Baker referred again
saying: -
Col. Lewis may have offered his ma
chlhA gun to Ger. Wood when he was
Chief of. stafr, but there Is not the
shghtest record of such an offer"
Gen. Crozier Chief of Ordnarea WAS
enurely exonerated of any biased at
titude toward the Lewis invention after
rigid Investigation, he said. Baker
further observed that there never yet
mas oeeh made Lewis gun chambered for
american ammunition that would shoot"
FINALLY he declared that Judgment on the
merits OF the machine gun would not be
given until next summer.
fne Secretary Of the Navy desires to
make use Of the larger area occupied
oy the marine quarters at the Naval
ACADEMY and proposes to quarter the
marines somewhere else. using the build
ing Tor Postgraduate school
II rs understood that General Barnett
con-nandant of the Marine Corps, ia
Vors removing the marines, II proper
quarters are provided elsewhere. He does
not wish the Marine Corps to suffer by
reason Of the change, and Secretary
Daniels has In mind making use of the
prison at Portsmouth, N. II. There are
out a handful of prisoners there at the
present time. and It Is believed that they
could be Accommodated on the prison ships.
secretary Daniels terms the building at
portsmouth the handsomest building the
navy has outside Of Annapolis. II IN n
fine piece of architecture and Is parsicu-
iariy wen arranged. II is proposed to
appropriate money enough to At II up as
marine barracks. There Is q splendid
drih room, mers hall. administration Of
hces and a small expenditure would At
UP the quarters for 1000 marines