The Washington herald., 1917-01-03
Army and Navy News
Best service Column in city.

Through a device now being used on
board six battleships in the New York
Navy Yard the range OF the main bat
teries of fourteen-inch guns has been in
creased from 1000 to 1000 yards. The
device, concerning which much secrecy
is being observed. places the guns of
the American battleships on footing
with those of the English navy, II Is
said.
The vessels which are equipped with
the device are the New York. the Penn
sylanvia, the Wyoming, the Arkansas,
the Texas, and the Arizona. These bat
tleships will steam from the navy yard
next Monday.
| Ever since the Pennsylvania. Wyoming.
Arkansas, New York, Texas. and Arizona
dropped in to spend the holidays me-
chanics, working under the direction of
Lieut.. Rensselaer, Weston Clark, have
been mysteriously occupied on board.
A range finder has been developed
which will overcome the curvature of
the earth. It is said. and permit the
/ big guns to pick at their target twenty
miles or more away. A modification of
the fire control system has been made
so that in case of necessity one man
in any turret. having been informed au-
Dramatically that every breech block was
closed, could fire broadside from the
main battery.
Some enthusiasts have hinted that al
though tests have proved the practical
! bility of the invention, its ultimate pos
sibilities might be still more surprising.
1t is said that the range of the guns
may be limited only by their elevation
| and that the range finder will indicate
| the target as far as the shell will carry.
! Through recent adjustment Of the main
battery guns on the Nevada. Pennsyl-
vania, Arizona and Oklahoma the eleva-
ton was increased and a theoretical
range of 5000 yards established, but the
effectiveness of fire at such a distance
is doubted. as the curvature of the earth
! would intervene.
| The recent request of the Army Quar-
| termaster Corps for a deficiency appro-
priation OF 81. AIS, ,77O75 in addition to the
| 81, ,0o0. 900 appropriated in the last army
appropriation bill for the present fiscal
year Is an indication of the enormous
expense involved in the operation of mo-
| tor trucks for transportation for the
army and its supplies.
great number OF trucks was pur-
| chased for use on the border in connec-
| ton with the operations of the regular
army and to National Guard troops in
| the Federal service. The trucks have
| been divided into seventy-seven truck
companies. some of twenty-scven and
| others OF thirty-three trucks each
| a large number of the trucks have been
stored at Fort Sam Houston, Fort Bliss.
and FL Paso and will be put in use as
occasion demands.
The Navy Department has refused u
agree to the compromise proposals of the
| joint subcommittee OF the Senate and
| House Committees on Public Lands for
the relief of oil operators who prospected
for oil and located claims in naval oil
| reserves in California. The joint sub
committee has been holding meetings with
representatives Of the Navy Dearptment,
Interior Department. and the Department
| Of Justice attempting to devise some plan
of remedial legislation which would meet
the approval of both branches of Con-
gress and of the departments.
| Secretary Daniels stands on what he
considers the strict legal rights OF the
Navy Department In the matter and is
opposed to any legislation for claimants
to unpatented lands within the naval re-
serves. Senator Pittman, OF Nevada, a
member of the joint committee, has made
the following statement:
THE proposal of the committee was for
the least possible remedial legisla tior
| for private claimants. The position OF
the Navy Department has been that tc
| give this relief would cripple the navy,
| do not think that il would. AS
sistant Secretary Roosevelt said the navy
| requirement at the present time was
| 100000 barrels a year; that in ten or
twelve years the requirement would be
l. 900 900 barrels annually, and that there
always should be about 100000 barrels
| in reserve for war emergencies. In the
three big naval oil reserves there are
estimated to be $39.0o0.ooo barrels Of oil,
and the government has shale land with
| drawals in which there are reported TO
! be COO O,OO0O00 barrels of oil"