The Washington herald., 1917-01-05
Army and Navy News
1est service CeIunn in CITY.


Army officers here are interested in
the proposal of Lieut.. Col. Charles ID.
Rhodes. U. g. A., commandant Of the
Mounted Service School at Fort Riley,
Kan, that universal military training be
put INTO enect as a means of reforming
the American people. The proposal was
made at hearing on Wednesday before
the Senate Military Affairs Committee.
This is country notorious for its
nnpunished criminals. its lawiessness.
and its 'disrespect for. authority" Cot
Rhodes declared. Universal military
training would provide habits of discipline
and obedience to law. The bogey of mill
tarism can have no place in a sys-
tenn SO democratic as universal military
training"
He praised the scheme as the only
remedy for the failure of the smilitia
system as exemplified by the experience
on the Mexican border" Col. Rhodes
believed the time is ripe and the people
ready for the Inauguration of a system
and sense Of responsibility on the part
OF every citizen to the nation.
Col, Stephen NJ. Foote, commandant of
the Artillery School al" Fortress Monroe,
proposed a plan Of universal training. to
be organized by Congressional districts.
and to cover three months annually for
four years for boys reaching the age of
II. Under this plan 100000 boys would
be enrolled annually.
When the big feet of Dreadnoughts
leaves the New York Navy Yard be-
tween January and 10 every ship will
be equipped with directorscopes made
In the navy yard. The directorscopes are
instruments enabline the gunner officers
of ships to fire the whole broadside of
hiar from he hria Thav
pected to about double the effectiveness
of the guns
The directorscope has been in use in
the British navy for some time" said
an officer here yesterday. I'VE our
selves have been experimenting with IT
for several years, correcting some feature
! and introducing others; until now we
think it about perfect"
What about the claim that it will
double the range of the guns?' he was
asked.
Absurd! The increase in effectiveness
of fire comes not from increased range;
but from better fire control"
Directorscopes have been in use on
some of the navy's vessels for a long
| time. In fact. the experiments with them
while they were being brought to a state
of perfection have been made by testing
them out at practical maneuvers.
OTIy OF IneIn nave Detn recently COTl-
pleted at the New York Navy Yard and
are now being installed on board the
Pennsylvania, New York. Arkansas.
Texas, Wyoming, and Arizona. The olG
receiving ship New Jersey and the
Kentucky are also to be equipped with
them, II is said.
The contract for making the forty di-
.rectorscopes was given to the New York
Navy Yard after a bid from the Wash
ington Navy Yard had been rejected by
the Navy Department. The New York
yard bid almost third lower in time and
30 per cent lower in price.
Estimates for a new marine barracks
building at Pekin, China, to cost $50 900
and for a laundry. including machinery.
TO cost $4,000, have been approved by
the Navy Department
The legation guard now is being quar-
tered in buildings which were constructed
fifteen years ago for temporary shelter
for the legation guard ThBy are in such
bad repair as to make them unfit for
occupancy by troops
The House Naval Committee recently
was informed that the present plans Of
the government are such as to make it
most probable that the legation guard
Will remain at Pekin for a number OF
years. 1t is necessary, therefore, that
suitable accommodation should be pro-
vided for the men.
Secretary OF War Baker has commend
ed the following Army officers for field
work in connection with flood relief
operations lat summer and fall Mai
MILAN l. Guthrie, in charge N the
Mobile engineer district; Mai Lytle
Brown, in charge of the Montgomery
engineer district: G. 4 Youngberg. in
charge Of the Charleston engineer dis
trict; and Col. John Mills. in charge of
the Savannah engineer district and d.
vision engineer OF the southeast division.
The greater part Of the flood relief
work was within the limits of the south
east division, the headquarters of which
are at Savannah.