Evening star., 1919-04-20

SsT>seksSJVS1R-
ii
time: but ie leaving the initiative to
the states. II feels impelled to this
course because it is anwillinx 70 AN
ticipate the action Of Congress in the
formulation Of q national military
policy. Nor does the militia bureau
deem il wise to oudertake Q genera
reor "a nisAtion of the guard until the
demobiiisation Of the National Guard
troops now or lately in the United
Slater armies makes them free agents
to be heard on such reorga nixatiOn.
The various units that may be pro-
posed under this scheme will be rec
oxnised il offered at minimum
strength. The bureau viii use its
funds 10 furnish equipment to the
state units in the order in which the
War Department recognises them.
i. e. when they show that they have
met the requirements. Equipment or
National Guard troops viii be defer
red after the funds are exhausted un,
til after Congress enscts the legisla
tion that will give either the neces =
sary FUNDS or authorize the War De-
partment to transfer to the states for
OF which II possesses sufficient to pro-
vide for q few million men.
Zach state seeking present aid from.
the war Department under this pol
icy viii be required 10 state whe ther
1t proposes 10 go ahead with the or
ganization al once and il il does IL
will be asked to state fully its res
sons for wishing so prompt organi-
Ia ton. This bureau will require SUCH
Information so that il may recognise
first those states which have most
urgent need OF their units for the
purpose of maintaining order in their
territories.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Roos.-
welt the other day announced a br.ef
ra diogrAm
Floating Mines that the
Navigation Menace. M rchap,-
floating mine.
The mine was found about midway
between the two continents AT a poini
almost east Of Charleston. s. G.. and
there was nothing about ii TO tel
whence il had come. Secretary Roose
welt said that the Germans after the
signing of the armistice had given
an account of ALI mines that their
submarine planters had deposited
along the Atlantic coast Of the
United States and that Navy mine
sweepers had gone over the grounds.
way beyond the danger zone. and il
was believed had removed all the
eggs" that the U-boAts had laid.
Capt. A. W. Marshall, q. S. N, who
had deaigned the mines and heiped
TO plant them In the mine barage 81
the North sea says that there is no
telling whence this mine had broken
loose: Most likely from it's position
it had come from Europe rather
than from the American coast, since
most hctsaM in the eastern Atlantis
nnds its way easterwardiv into the
gulf stream, and thence Ia carried
m much@4urther north than the place
Where(ehis mine was found. He said
that = was not singular that the
mine$B not recognized. for q m inc
withS5GBsthreS hundred pounds of T.
n. T. 10 like the ''clliud mans" mule
something to. be treated with greai
respect and .leH At q con sidera BILE dis
tance- The rnies adopted at The
Hague convention require that ali
mines. il anchored. shall contain a
device that will make them dead"
within one hour after reaching the
surface and that mineG. except in
special cases. shall not be dropped
loose, and Dot then without spch u
device. Hence 1t is rather more than
probable that the mine in question
was hArxnleSs. but it 10 unwise to take
any. chances.
A*ballet from .n ordinary military
ride. IL it strikes sQuarely, will peae-
trats the she'll Of the mine and IL h
does not oetoaAte the charge it lets
the water ia, and then the miue sinks
However. to make sure. 4 Navy YES >
sel.usuaafy. turns loose q one pounder
on q mine. and that ordinarily pro-
dNces some fireworks
:. since there were more than 81, 90"
!ssAineGsib the North Sea barrAge alone
(se 80 of them American). and the
0ermAns WereS trying to make away
with them. Andsthe allies were sweep
| ing out all the German mines tina t
they coatdkget At. it is not singular
/ that there are many mines floating
around in the Atlantic. The action OF
the ever-moving ocean works upor
some Of them are bound to work
free. But toeee wanderers. although
they contain 4 charge capa BILE Of
destroying q pattleship. are not =
very great menace. Most OF them
are dead and. therefore. harmless
not go or even il alive. The tendency
OF moving vessel is through wave
action to throw Off a floating object
and mine or other floating object
may run along the whole length Of
moving ahip without contact.
Still. these mines contain so much
concentrated destruction that the
Navy takes no chances. IL places
double lookout for mineH whenever
near suspected location, and it never
leaves q mine. once il is spotted;
without putting it out of commission.
! II ie fact that no matter how abb
sard sailors story may be. a mar
in
Navy Hospital Slams Jacket viii
Sailors Fairy Tales. on. =, ,,s,.n -
to it, il the tale contains wild yarn
that reflects hard enough upon his su
periors.
One Of those fairy taies that found
Its way into print was to the ehect
that this wearsr of the blue jacket and
drawer of the long bow had been
in navy hospitals in this country
where contagious cases were placed in
the same wards with other patients
where the food was poorly cooked
and beans were the chief article on
the daily menu. the dishes we're dirty
and the nurses. well trained in civilian
hospitals, were not permitted to do
things properly. The merry romance
oven located these badly conducte =