The Washington herald., 1917-04-28
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column In City

war the Bethlehem Steel Company has
received orders for LOO small guns for
the United States army and navy. BY
small guns is meant rifles from three
to five inch bore. A majority of them
are three-inch army field pieces, but
there also are orders for hundreds of
anti-aircraft guns, guns for submarine
chasers and to arm American merchant
men.
Work in the shops has been speeded
up to such an extent that the weapons
are being forged at the rate of u to II
day. and the machining and finishing
are progressing at a rate that Is keep
ing pace with the hammers.
While orders from the United States
receive preference, orders from France,
England and Russia are not being neg
lected These orders total several thou
sand, in addition to the thousands al
ready made.
The Bethlehem Steel Company, Ike
other concerns that have both American
and foreign orders, is able to sandwich
In lot OF work for the allies, although
legally working full time for the United
States. The legal eight hours having
expired under which Uncle Sam allows
his citizens to work for him, these same
citizens work for the Lion, the Tricolor
or the Bear, thereby making wages they
much desire, plus nice bonuses. which
last year amounted to Ss,OO0.0oo.
The ,status is such that during the last
year the largest customer of the COM
psny has been the British war office,
which acts both for itself and as agent
for France and Russia, and the second
mlralty. The third best customer has
been the Italian government. All these
are good cash customers.
1t Is said that the largest check that
has come at any one time was from
firm representing the British war office
for more than Sls,0oo.oo0. The second
largest was for more than 100000.
How swiftly things are moving nova
days was demonstrated this week by an
incident that interests machinists as a
matter of pride In their vocation. Among
the more than 800 guns captured from
the Germans in the successful drive now
being made by the armies of Gen. Haig
and Gen. Nivelle were many four-inch
field pieces with a marvellous breech
mechanism, admittedly superior to any
thing ever In the possession Of the Amer
lean, British or French armies.
The English war office has sent one of
these captured guns to Bethlehem in
tact. with instructions to duplicate the
United States War Department also has
adopted this mechanism. of which no de-
scription is given. but II is said to be very
fine and very effective.
While various cities are. endeavoring
to obtain visitations from the British
and French commissions now In Wash
ington. the one town most likely TO see
them in Bethlehem.
So rapidly is work being pressed at
Bethlehem that majority Of the great
l4-inch guns ordered by the navy two
nnnfha have ~
rations are well advanced to forge an
equal number of 16-inch rifles.
Six majors and a score of captains
In the newly created quartermaster
officers reserve corps have been sum-
moned to active duty and will be as
signed under the direction of the depot
quartermaster at Chicago. Kansas City,
Seattle, San Francisco, New Orleans,
Portland, Ore, Boston or Of the COM
manders of the military departments
to which they are directed to report.
The War Department has made the
following assignments of officers to
command coast artillery districts ef-
fective May 1: Col Charles Phillips.
North Atlantic district, Boston; Brig.
Gen. Harry F. Hodges, Middle Atlantic
district. Fort Totten. N. Y: Brig. Gen.
Clarence P. Townsley. South Atlantic
l. Hayden, North Pacific district,
Seattle; Brig. Gen. William L. Sibert,
South Pacific district, Fort Miley, Cali
fornia-
Measures to cope with the destruction
Of hospital ships by German submarines
will be among the FIRST questions taken
up by the British and French commits
sions.
The only means open to France and
Great Britain Is to decrease the num-
Der of hospital ships and thus mini
nize the risk. In order to do that It
will be necessary to establish greater
facilities for, caring for greater guam
titles of allied wounded IN France in
stead of caring for them across the
channel.
American surgeons and nurses will
have to be added to the hospital units
now in France as well as larger guam
titles of hospital material. Plans for ac-
compiishing this will be taken up at
0nCa