Evening star., 1923-07-22
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
BY Nj. H. MCINTYRE

the canal. bringing in s1,071.574 in tolls.
This Is the greatest amount Of busi-
ness ever handled by the canal during
the first half Of any month, exceeding
June by about 100000.
The old 2sth Engineer Battalion has
been reconstructed at Fort Humphreys,
Va, and the 18th Battalion has been
discontinued. its personnel and records
being transferred to the 29th Battalion.
by order Of the Secretary OF War. The
18th was renamed the 18th after the
war, but through the appeal of old off,
Ger personnel has been given its origi-
nal designation.
Secretary Weeks has determined
that The young men in summer training
camps shall be protected from the So
ncltadons of "bootleggers" and the de-
livery OF their wares. Duplfcations of
the scheme of calling upon local au-
thorities. employed by Gen. Graves at
Camp DIX, to keep bootleggers away
from the vicinity Of military camps. will
be followed at al camps, it Is under
stood. The military authorities can, Of
course. handle the situation within the
bounds of the camp itself, but civil
authority is sometimes needed to pro-
tect the vicinity. Secretary Weeks
wants the young men at camps to have
better protection than they receive in
their own home towns, If it is in any
way possible.
Officers Of the air service. while
gladly cooperating with the Agri-
culture Department in the annual
forest fire patrol. are hopeful that
next year funds will be provided by
Congress In the appropriations for
the Agriculture Department instead
Of being taken from the lllotme mt s
OF the air service. as has been the
case. Although the costs IF the
aerial patrol work last year were not
more than 100000, this :mount cuts
the operations Of the air service in
more nearly military activities. Lieut.
Col. James i. Fechet. air service. has
been designated by the War Depart
ment as the representative of the de-
partment to confer with Roy Hea dIev
OF the Department Of Agriculture in
working out a plan relative to aerial
forest fire patrol. Officers Of the
Army hope that the ultimate arrange
ment VIII be for the Agriculture De
partment to provide the funds and
the air service to conduct tn. opera
tions.
Ships to be scrapped under the
terms Of the armaments conference
Will be offered for sale by the Navy
Department as soon as final ratifica-
tions Of the naval treaty are tx-
changed. Proposals by sealed bids will
be asked and work OF disposal of the
vessels Will be expedited as mucn as
possible.
In the service there has been wiIc
difference of opinion as 20 The best
method Of disposal Of the ships under
construction. but practical agreement
that the older ships. which can be
moved TO any yard for scrdpping,
should be offered for sale outright
Two plans are open for scrapping
the new ships-one by selling them
as they stand on the stocks and let
ting the purchasers do the work If
clutting them up; the other, which
applies particularly to the ones being
built in navy yards. IS for the a .tual
cutting up To be done by navy yard
workers and the salvage1 material
sold to the highest bidders.
While there are practical difficulties
in the way of both. the consensus of
opinion fayors disposal OF the ships
az they stand. The argument
chiefly made is that it would prove.
a costly process with government ia
Dor and no funds are available for It,
IL is pointed out that the work Of
scrapping is more of Strong hack"
job than one for skilled workmen, and
the high-grade labor employed in
the yard would make il more expen-
sive to the government than to pri-
vate concerns. who would DO it with
cheaper labor.
The other side of the argument ,s
that it would provide additional
work. enabling the Navy to keep It's
yard forces strengthened numerically.
and would avoid the confusion OF
having outside firms sending work
men and equipment into tine yards.
iSia
board following the conference with
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt and
commandants and managers Of the
yards this week leaves the matter
for future settlement; Optional bids
will be asked for the ships under
construction in navy yards. Bidders
can submit proposals for the ships
on the stocks or can make their
offers for the material after the gov
tEn Stms bids aas aa in mad in It cut - up After M
ance them one against the other,
figure on the cost Of cutting the
ships up and reach a decision then
as TO which offers the most ad-
Under orders from the department.
the commandant of the 18th naval
district has designated the Pidgeon
ers TO be commissioned to relieve the
Nillalobos and Quiros with the Yang
TIE patrol.
The Z. S. S. Langley. the Navy's
only aircraft carrier. left Hamnton
roads last Friday for a cruise that
VIII enable her to visit number of
cities on the North Atlantic coast.
She Will arrive in New York on july
80 and viii spend a week there carry
ing on flying operations in the North
/ river. 1t is expected that the public
VIII be unusually interested in the
unique craft. From there she will go
to Newport. and on her cruise will
visit Bar Harbor. Portland, Boston,
Portsmouth and Gloucester
The air sQuadrons of the feet.
tWenty-four planes. left New York
this week. for Newport. where they
VIII base for the summer. During the
next few months they will carry out
bombing and torpedo practice in
preparation for the extensive part
aviation Will play in the Joint maneu-
vers OF the fleet this winter in West
Indian waters.
Under orders from the department
SIX destroyers of Squadron IA left
| Gibraltar Friday headed for North
river. New York. The six others had
preceded them home. This squadron
was the one ordered to Turkish watars
last October. This leaves only the
eight destroyers on permanent detail
In the area where a year ago. on ac-
count of the disturbed conditions, a
| considerable force was centered
| Following a decision reached early.
In the week by departmental heads
upon the principles of a proposed
! plan for the equalization of promo
| tions between line and staff officers.
the judge advocate general OF the
| Navy has begun work on drafting a
| fall. 'iii'
While the details of the plan re-
main TO be worked out. the broad
principles have received Tho indorse-
| ment of all factions and there is