Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-13
Army and Navy News

question. There may--to use an easy
illustration-be 10000 overcoats at
that camp, while at Pike there may
be 10000 men and only 10000 over
coats. 1t seems easy to give every
man an overcoat by sending the Bowie
surplus to the Pike deficiency, but the
Quartermaster general cannot be as
be in either of these camps at given
time. for the department keeps them
in motion to keep UP the flow Of men
to the points of embarkation, and so
he does not know where to send his
overcoats.
Reports indicate that there is little
fear of shortage of wooden clothing
or Of leather goods, including shoes.
but the problem of sending suthcient
supply to the right place at the right
time is the present trial Of the
quartermaster general. The existing
epidemic of influenza complexities the
situation and makes all sorts OF
changes in the transportation scheme
necessary overnight.
* !:
THE idea recently published that
= the German navy might attempt to
break through the strangle-hold OF
the allied fleet makes timely the re-
port that the New Mexico, the great
est of dreadnaughts, has completed
the test OF engines and proved once
for all the success of the electric
drive as applied to big ships. The de-
tails of this trial cannot be told, but
it put beyond doubt the practica bill
ity of the electric drive in vessels of
the highest power and great tonnage.
The principle of the drive is simple
turbines supply volumes OF steam 70
the operation of dynamos and electric
motors by system of gearings that
drive the shafts of the propeilers. The
gain is in the even distribution or
power and it's perfect regulation, in
economy of space and ease of con-
troll
The success of the trial did not lie
in the fact that the vessel did or did
not make it's required speed, although
there is no need for anxiety on that
score, but in that the engines and ma
chinery functioned perfectly and did
even more than was expected except
by the naval optimists or the ablest
engineers. The test is particularly
gratifying to the officers who adopted
the new drive, for they had been ex-
posed to good deal of severe criti-
ment of this dreadn> sight ought not
to be published, butit is we'll known
that her twelve heavy guns surpass in
effectiveness any corresponding num-
DER OF guns In any OF the Dell1Serent
navies. If the German fleet should
attempt to break out the New Mexico
could probably smash any two dread
naughts in that navy
X
\, X
T>HE Dyer bill for the increase of
pay for Army officers is under
consideration by the War Departm ent.
and Congress will not take action on
the bill until it receives the report,
which is expected at no distant day.
1t Is said that the question has been
referred to the War College for study,
and while that body has given no in
timation of the nature of its report, it
is known that some of the department
officials are of the opinion that the
bill as drawn does not meet the sit
uation fairly They realize that the
majority of the officers Of the old
Regular Army have received rapid
promotion with increased pay and al
Observation-Disclosures which ordinarily
they would not have had for many
years. They observe that the vast
bulk Of the younger officers are I'M
married and. while their pay and al
lowances do not equal what they
might be earning il not in the Army,
they are receiving at least enough to
be comfortable, unless they have de-
pendents. They are aware that top
eergeants" who are married. Of first
rate oflicer quality, are declining com
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