The Washington herald., 1917-01-07
Army and Navy News
best Services Coisns is CITY.

Ten applicants for admission to the
United states Aviation School have
passed the required examination and will
oe sent to the winter quarters Of the
scsooi at Memphis. Tenn, where they
VIII take a course OF instruction, ae-
eordins to advfces received at the War
Department from Chicago.
While training they win have the rank
OF sergeant md receive ss5 a month
After they have completed their course
they VIII be given commissions in the
aviation section OF the Officers Reserve
Corps
Additional statistics concerning the
number of railroad cars in the United
states that might be avilable for mill
tary movements on an extensive scale In
the event OF war are being compiled by
The War Department. II is found there
are 5000 locomotives. 5000 passenger
cars, and 2.421.O0o freight cars In this
country. To move a field army II would
take seven-tenths of one per cent Of the
number of locomotives in the United
states, ~ per cent of the passenger
equipment. and two-tenths Of / per cent
of the freight equipment.
Expressed in other words, the move
ment OF a field army would require
2.ll5 passenger cars. 3S baggage cars,
cars, or. a total of s.22s cars, which woulc
make about $50 railroad trains. requiring
that number of locomotives.
1t is believed that cooperation on the
part Of the War and Navy Departments
with railroad officials, with a view to CO.
ordination Of the railroads and military
authorities for military purposes woult
produce results much more satisfactory
than could be accomplished by any other
means. Authority of law should be given
the Secretary of War to call upon Of
flcials Of transportation lines to meet Of
icials OF the War Department now
charged by existing law with the duty
of furnishing transportation OF the army,
in conferences to be held from time to
time to work out plans and procedure
as to use and control Of transportation
lines for military purposes in time Of war
and to pay such transportation officials a
suitable per diem allowance while at
tending, In the opinion Of prominent army
officers here.
Storage facilities are greatly needed at
Benicia Arsenal, and the War Department
is desirous of getting an appropriation
Of 500 900 for the construction and equip
ment of a storehouse on the reservation.
The arsenal is the only one in the far
western part OF the country. and II is the
depot Of supplies for troops stationed on
the west coast, in Hawaii, and the Philip
pines
For this reason II is certain TO con-
tinue TO be an important place Of storaEe
and issue both in peace and war. The
department, however. is not in favor OF
the pending bill, which contemplates the
appropriation OF 10000 for the construc-
ton OF an ammunition factory at Be
nicia While there is sufficient land there
for that purpose and good shipping IA
cflitiee and while there is no ammuni-
ton manufacturing plant In that part OF
the country, on the other hand there is
no large Industrial community available
as a market in the immediate vicinity
and the raw materials needed are not
produced in large quantities in that
region.
But the principal objection to Benicia
as a site for a large factory for the
production of war material is its proI-
unity to the seacoast and its subsequent
liability to capture by an enemy. This
is regarded as a disadvantage from which
many of the munition manufacturing
plants now suffer and which II would De
undesirable to perpetuate.