Evening star., 1924-01-20

In support of his CfSo os3S&@,Es1
bill, which would
appointees to each
member of Congress to three In a
letter to the committee, Secretary of
the Navy DENLY proposed that a
compromise of four midshipmen be
authorized for each member of Con
greSs.
1T was strongly urged by both
ADMIRAL Long and Admiral Wilson
that no reduction be made in the
present number of midshipmen and
declaring that the Annapolis plant
was large enough to take care Of the
present corps and that there would
be no material reduction in the over
Eeaa expenses of the academy even
though the Madden bill was enacted
into law. They also stated that the
staff corps could be filled from the
aeademy with the exception of the
Medical Corps. In his arguments
to take into consideration the change
in conditions in the Navy since the
per cent basis for commissioned
officers was established.
expert cooks and bakers may be
built up throughout the service, the
Marine Corps Is planning to open a
school for cooks and bakers at marine
-. u.
February 1. According to the present
plans. the school will be a separate
administrative unit under the COM
1nand of First Lieut.. E. 1. Bird, with
Marine Gunner j. W. kirkey as
executive officer.
Although the view has been held
In the Navy Department that a light
sentence was given the officers of the
seven wrecked destroyers. consider
Ia y,-fey 4 II
circles at the dismissal from the
service of Lieut.. Commander George
IT. Swassy. L. S. N, who was convict
ed OF conduct contrary to good order
nine cases to be disposed of in ths
destroyer disaster. The judge ad-
vocate general of the Navy and the
bureau of navigation have reviewed
the papers, and comments from the
Secretary of the Navy, the judge
advocate general and the bureau OF
navigation, it is expected, will be
given out shortly.
From July /, last, up to and in
cluding January IL, the Navy OBJ
tained 1928 first enlistments. Due
to under age and physical disability
discharges, 2S7 men were discharged
making the net first enlistments Sc
cured during the aforementioned
period 1905. The four recruiting
stations obtaining the largest num-
ber of net first enlistments are Kan
sas City. 1860: Philadelphia, 913;
Los Angeles, S22. and Atlanta, SOC.
Four submarines, the $40, Sill,
S-12 and S-13. which were recently
completed at the Portsmouth. n. H,
navy yard, are now operating with
the feet. These submarines which
are equipped with two 6-cylinder en-
gines designed by the bureau of en-
gineering of the Navy Department.
are modelled after the ex-German
submarine engines. AT the present
time, there are now building at the
New York navy yard six 6-cylinder
bureautypex engines, which develop
1000 brake horsepower at 425 revo-
lutions per minute, for driving gen
orators. electric drive units: for fleet
submarines Vi to Va, and in ad-
of the aircraft carriers Lexington
and Saratoga for auxiliary power.
Plans are now being prepared in
the Navy Department for the mid
shipmen's practice cruise. The ves-
sells which will probably be used for
the cruise are the U. S. S. Wyoming
and the U. S. S. Utah and the L. S.
S Florida.
A plan was proposed last year by
which the cruise this year would
take the midshipmen in South Amer
ican waters and probably up the Pa
ciflc coast. and 1t was even suggested
that cruise to Asiatic waters would
that these have not been given ia
vorable consideration by the Navy
Department and that this years
cruise will be similar to that of last
year, which will give the midship-
men an opportunity to see the west
coast of Europe.
Differences of opinion exist among
naval officers as to how far the
department should go. in relieving
the regular crews of the ships by
midshipmen. While it is admitted
that midshipmen should be given
practical instruction both above and
below deck, others point out that
there should be sufficient number
of veteran enlisted members of the
crew present for instruction pur-
poses.
Rejection of candidates from the
enlisted force for admission to the
Naval Academy on their arrival at
the training stations at Norfolk, Va,
and San Diego, Calf, has caused
the bureau of navigation to direct
the attention of commanding and
medical officers to the manual for
the medical department in which is
prescribed the qualifications which
must be met by candidates.
Defects are frequently waived for
four-year enlistments (which would
disqualify candidates for admission
TO the academy: The bureau is of the
nation Is carried out in conformity
with the provisions laid down in the
manual for the medical department
relating to midshipmen, these cir
cumstances would not occur. All
medical officers have been notified
that great care should be exercised
in the physical examination of all
enlisted men who desire to undergo
the preparatory course of instruc-
ton
Due to a number of defects that
have developed in her turbines, the
cruiser Detroit will probably be laid
up at Philadelphia for three or four
disclosed the fact that the blades OF
Il number of the turbines have been
broken during the shake-down
cruises.
enced similar trouble before, and II
IS known that If the blades are not
properly adjusted or they are not of
the right metal or tmper, they will
which is always given new naval ves-
sells, or for that matter ordinary crui-
ses which naval veseis make. An at
tempt was made to straighten out
meet with success. Some of the blades
will probably be sent to Annapolis
for test to determine whether the
metal Is defective
An investigation is being conduct
ed by the Navy Department in order
to obtain satisfactory oil for Diesel
engines. The present grade of oil
which is being used in this type of
engine Is not proving satisfactory to
the Navy Department authorities, as
there appears to be too large a con-
ten of sulphur. which Is corroding
the engines. The proposal has been
made to develop test for Diesel oil
which must be complied with by the
firms who engage in business with