Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02
Ne,us of the Army and Navy

- iii
ceived appeals from governors OF more
than one state to provide military pro-
| lection for war industries within their
Jurisdiction. They give this epplica-
| ton some appearance OF right by say
Ing that the federal government mas
national use, and It Is, therefore. the
duty of the whole nation to guard the
danger points within the states.
New Duty Of Militia Bureau.
Already national troops are employed
in protecting some of the industries In
Texas, and now the Governor of Kan
sas has asked the bureau of militia, OF
which Gen. Jesse Mel. Carter Is the
newly APPOINTED chief, to send troops to
guard the oilfelds. pipe lines and re-
fineries of the state. Following the re-
cent instruction of the Secretary OF
War, orders have been given through
the adjutant general to send such force
as NAV be necessary to protect life and
property in those industries, but with
the further instruction that. under no
consideration are they to take part IN
any factional differences or any OF the
states internal interests.
The governors of the more thfckly
settled states along the Atlantic sea-
board have taken different attitude
about such matters. They say tnat
within their jurisdictions. and that
the federal government can make bet
ter use of the National Guard by keep.
ing 1t under intense training 70 nj
it for its real DUTY, Whiin a. 70 70
fight Germans, rather than to send
IL out on police duty over local In
terests. In fact. they rather resent
the idea that their states are not quite
we'll able to maintain law and order
In spite of the efforts Of the pro-Ger-
man sympathiZers.
The interference with the training
of the soldiers thus taken from the
cantonment or camps is serious and
NOT only for them, but for those who
remain, for those on the duty lose
their camp training. but those le1t
behind are out of touch with the or
ganization. and it breaks up the d,t
visiona1 unit at most important
stage of its development.
The Loss Of the Chauncey.
The reports of the loss Of the
Chauncey are meager in detail. but 1t
is accepted that Ia bad weather she
collided with a craft not hostile and
went down. with a loss OF at least
The news of her end was the nrst
intimation that she was on duty In
European waters. for at the outbreak
of the war she was in the Philippines
AS she was rated as a coast torpedo
boat destroyer 1t was hardly to be ex-
pected that she would be sent on so
long a sea trip. and whether she went
by way Of the Suez or the Panama ca
craft of 420 tons displacement made its
way to the scene of action.
The Chauncey was one of the sixteen
destroyers authorized in a burst Of en-
thusiasm after the Spanish-American
war in 1898. and. just to show how
things military have changed. 1t is
worthy of notice that the contracts for
the construction of these sixteen de-
stroyers were not made until five
authorization and that the time Of
their construction varied from three to
five years. The last lot of destroyers
was contracted for within one week
after Congress said the word, and
cannot be told. the shortness of the
time 1T will take to complete the lot,
said to number over hundred, seems,
in view of their size-more than dou-
Bile that of the Chauncey-almost In
credible. It would not be possible ex-
cept by the adoption of the method of
construction by Standardization.
The Chauncey was of a class that
first had the forecastle bow-a practice
followed by all other nav;es-to en-
able 1t to pass through heavy seas, and
the new boats and their immediate
predecessors were the first to discard
these high bows and show up as the
flush deck class" The new ships are
a good seaboat, and they have a speed
OF th1rty-hve knots. and no one outside
the Navy knows how much more.
Oversight Of Home Defense.
The War Department has taken the
preliminary steps to support the states
In enforcing the provisions of the alien
enemy act In accordance with the
Presidents proclamation. and in fur
therance thereof has designated the
present acting chief pf the military bu-
reau' COL Jesse Mel. Carter, to formu-
late the orders that will put ali the
state machines in cooperation.
The bureau gives the utmost en-
pnasfs TO the fact that the War Depart
ment Is not seeking to direct the states
10 form new units. but that it is seek
ing to aid them in strengthening what
they nave. and urging upon them the
solemn Qutv of 1v hor