Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-09
NeWs of the Army and Navy

bodies; in England much the same
method sprang up; but in both these
| countries the government has come
with it's aid. In Canada the patriotic
societies assumed the care Ct the TO-
have found the task SO great that they
have asked the government to take 1t
over. and it is now carried on by the
| state.
Proper Burden for State.
1t is proper burden for the state
rather than for charitable societies
just as war risk insurance of the sol
diers and sailors is for the government
surgeon generals Office is the logical
division to conduct this reconstruction
| work. for it holds the men under the
military discipline they will have
learned and protects them while under
treatment. 1t is extremely difficult to
arouse the unfortunate to their new
lives: they must learn anew to use their
wills under the changed conditions. and
/, the continuance Of the military control
is iife-saver for them in the crucial
time. The Army has them at the outset.
when they come from the hospitals and
! find that life has been changed for
them. and during this period can give
( them the attention they need.
1 The work, both on this side of the
Atlantic and the other, is we'll along;
| the Army. thanks to the devotion OF the
| profession. can call upon the ablest
specialists of the country to conduct
the hospitals or schools, and there is
| littie to fear that all that can be done
| will not be done for the restoration of
those who have suffered the blows.
| Who Are Entitled to Longevity Payp
"A decision of the controller of the
Treasury affecting the pay of officers in
the Regular Army under the provisions
for longevity and continuous service
again stimulates interest in that ever
personal question of pay.
me controller holds that only those
officers and enlisted men who were
drafted with their organizations or as
individuals on August 5, 1917. or who
may have been drafted individually after
that date into the federal service as the
National Guard of the United States will
be allowed to count prior service in the
National Guard while not in the federal
service for the purpose of longevity or
continuous service increase in pay
TINS decision cuts out from the benefit
or the legislation those officers of the
Regular Army who were commissioned
prior to August 5, 1917, although they
had had service in the guard before they
became officers in the Regular Army
The decision was given on the applica-
/ ton of Regular Army officer who had
served in the guard before entering the
regular service at a date prior to Au-
gust 5. 1917. to have the time he had
spent in the guard counted in a claim
for longevity pay. basing his claim upon
the language of the act of May IS. 1917
tthe Selective draft act1: "All officers
and enlisted men of the forces herein
provided for other than the Regular
Army shall be in all RESPECTS on the
same footing as to pay. allowances and
pensions as officers and enlisted men of
corresponding grades and length OF serv-
ice IN the Regular Army"
Does Not Disturb Prior Laws.
But the controller said: This pro-
vision does not disturb prior laws re-
lating to the prior service to be count
ed In computing longevity pay. and the
question must be answered in the
negative
The pay officers of the Army had been
of the opinion that such regular off,
GERS were not entitled to the addi-
no payments under such conditions;
but they have already begun the pay
ments on this basis to those coming
under the rule.
New Navy Proving Ground.
preparation of million dollars to
be used to secure an adequate prov
! ing ground for its guns and ammuni-
| tion.
- HAS SOuknL LHlSf Improvement Tor
number of years during the time of
peace; but now that the guns and pro-
! Jectiles must be used in actual war con-
tact. the need is imperative. The idea
| is 10 secure additional land adjacent
TO the present site at Indian Head.
| Nd. to extend the present proving
| ground and to acquire another tract
where guns of the greatest range may
be tested with safety under service
conditions.
| The United States Navy Department
is now being called upon to provide
modern ordnance and ammunition in
unprecedented quantities and of q DOW
er hitherto unheard of; and it is the
| only navy whose ordnance bureau has
| not first-rate ground to test it's pro-
/ duction The present handicap is ex-
held responsible IL its output is not
| up to the standard.
Range Is Uncertain.
! Although the maximum range of a
/ sixteen-inch gun, according to tho
tables. is not $4,000 yards, experts hold
that no one can tell without actual
| trial how far its vast projectile will
range when hurled up in the rarified
air ten miles above the earth. and it
! does attain that elevation when the
/ gun is pointed at an angle of 80 de-
| grees.
| The Jugs and springs of the car
/ :iages and the platforms for the guns
.annot be tested adequately on the
| present grounds, and our ships must
put to sea without the last touch Of
certainty in these respects unless more
space Is given for this purpose. The
fuses of the shells must be put to the
fullest test to insure their bursting at
/ the proper time TO do the damage for
which they were designed.
1t is an axiom In ordnance that guns
| should be fired only al tested condi-
| lions. and without an adequate proving
| ground this is an impossibiIity, for
| neither the gun nor it's ammunition
| can be determined to the last degree
| of accuracy.
The awful explosion last Friday at
Halifax did not result from a defective
shell, but an imperfectly tested lot of
| ammunition might. under the right
| conditions. produce similar result
No such ammunition has gone out of
| the navy arsenals. but the navy is en-
! titled to have every safeguard that the
| government can throw about its ef-
!, forts.
| ATnNN TUT nYvYrn ~ n~ynr