The Washington herald., 1917-04-12
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column In City.

he Ordnance Department OF the army
is pushing preparations TO supply de-
ficiencies in field artillery that will be
needed for the national army.
Orders have been placed for the manu-
facture of forty-six 9.5-inch Howitzers
and transport vehicles, twenty-six OF
them having been given to the Bethle-
hem Steel Company and twenty to the
MidvaIe Steel Company. In addition. or
ders have been given 10 increase the
number of L7-inch field guns and 6-inch
field howitzers under manufacture by
contract and at the arsenals.
Production of field artillery material
will he pushed to the full extent Of the
government and private facilities avail
able. While il is not the present inten-
ton to abandon the competitive tests of
machine guns which were arranged
some time ago to be held next month.
the purchase of such guns will not be
delayed until the results of those tests
are made known.
In the meantime the War Department
will purchase all machine guns of the
different types that may be available and
that are in any way suitable for the
service. The War Department has on
hand practically all the equipment re-
quired for Quitting $4,000 mobile SOL
diers, with the exception that there is 4
large deficiency of field artillery and ma
chine guns. and 1t is for this reason that
the work on those classes Of material is
being pushed. Besides the 4.7-inch guns
and 6-inch and 96-inch Howitzers, work
also is being rushed on the production
of smaller caliber pieces, including the
standard 3-inch field guns and 3-inch
mountain gun outfits. 12-inch field
Howitzer already Is under manufacture,
and designs of other calibers OF mobile
artillery, but for transportation on road
vehicles and on railway cars, are being
rushed toward completion.
sss
The food problem is a big one aboard
Uncle SANS battleships, and officials of
the Navy Department constantly are on
the watch for suggestions to improve
methods and to minimize expenses.
An interesting report regarding the
messing system on board the U. S. S.
Michigan, with special reference to the
use Of combined food-serving pans and
carriers for the general mess, has been
submitted to the Navy Department by
Paymaster r. G. Pyne. U. s. N, supply
officer attached to the vessel
There were purchased sixty-eight sets
Of food-serving pans, and the system was
tried out for q month. The main purpose
Of the food server Is to carry the food
from the galley to the mess tables COW
cred up so that the food will be hot when
served. Each table Is considered unit
by itself, one food server is provided for
each unit, and one messman is in charge
of every two units. All the food required
for two tables can be carried from the
galley in one trip.
Paymaster Pyne says the scheme has
proved very successful. Food is served
more quickly, and hot portions are serv-
ed hot. The pans being placed on the
mess tables permits the men to help
themselves to the separate portions as de-
sired, without having to depend on the
Judgment or favor of the messman. About
twenty minutes is required to fill the pans
and carriers in the galley and less than
three minutes is necessary to serve out
to the messmen.
The call for seconds" is materially
less and probably will diminish further
as the cooks become more experienced in
serving. The pans being put on the
tables, food containers are kept of the
deck, and consequently the food Is more
sanitary and attractive to the men. An
additional advantage of the food servers
is their usefulness in serving hot and
clean food to working parties away from
the ship.
The results Of the trial Of this device
on the Michigan are considered satisfac-
tory and fully warrant the extension of
the messing system to other ships.
-. -s
| The Ford Automobile Machine Gun
Corps, to be formed by>Ford car own
ers who will offer their services and
cars to the United States government,
has been indorsed by the War Depart
'ment. Volunteers are registering rapidly