Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-28
Army and Navy News
By NJ. II. Mcintyre.

campaign in 1891, and citations for
gallantry in action at Santiago, Cuba,
during the Spanish war. Gen. Howe
Is graduate OF the United States
Military Academy, class of 1888.
At the annual meeting of the Wash
ington Chapter of the Sojourners'
Club. held in Washington recently
the following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: Brig. Gen. Amos
A. Fries, chief of Chemical Warfare
Service, president; Maj. Gen. M. w.
Ireland, Surgeon General of the Army
Admiral r. E. Coontz, commander
in-chief. United States fleet; Asst
Surg. Gen. B. J. Lloyd, p II. s.;
Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune, COM
mandant, United States Marine Corps,
and Capt. A. J. Henderson, United
States Coast Guard. vice presidents:
Lieut.. Comdr. S. S. Yeandle, United
States Coast Guard, secretary: Capt.
Nathan Williams, U. S. A, assistant
secretary; Capt. Carl Halla, f. D.,
q. S. A, treasurer, and Lieut.. Col
Julian Z. Yates, Chaplain Corps
U. S. A.
Announcement has just been made
by the War Department that in tie
future the Infantry will be equipped
with a new accompanying gun--a
75-mm. mortar. This weapon has
passed severe tests at Fort Benning
and will be subjected to another COM
plete test as soon as certain modifi
cations have been made. 1t will not
be placed in manufacture or issued
for field trials until this second test
is completed.
The weapon has the plunging fire
of the mortar. but far more accuracy
than the Stokes mortar, and is the
result of six years of effort to pro-
duce such a gun. 1t fires a 12pound
projectile and has range of from 500
to 1900 yards. 1t also has telescope
sights, is very accurate up to its
greatest range of 1900 yards. and
will replace the Stokes mortar which
was used during the World War.
This mortar, which is light enough
to be drawn by one mule or four men,
has the following weights: Weight
of mortar, 80 pounds; weight of era
die, trail, wheels, axle, etc, ESQ
pounds: weight of caisson and timber
900 pounds.
In addition to this gun, the Infan-
try is concentrating their efforts upon
the perfecting of a S7-mm. gun and
carriage, which model at its present
stage of development has the follow
ing weights: Gun, 80 pounds; cradle,
trail, wheels, axle, 279 pounds; Gals
son and timber, 800 pounds; propel-
lent charge, 1900 grains smokeless pow
der; projectile, 1 pound ounces.
Both OF these new designed weap-
ons are for use against machine gun
emplacements, strong points and in
trenchments. The 37-mm. gun has
very fiat trajectory and small disper-
sion, while the 75-mm. mortar will
have a high angle, plunging fire, and
w lie dispersion.
Or, nance tests of the 3-inch anti
aircrs It gun on mobile mounts have
been practically completed, and as
soon a some minor alterations have
been ade it will be sent to Fort
Monroe, Va, for a service test. A rate
of fire # 10 shots a minute can be
secured With this gun with a projec-
tile weig hing Is pounds. The car
rage allie VS. full 360-degree traverse
to enable the gunner to follow his
target in any direction and the gun
can be elevated to 80 degrees, max
ing it effective at attitudes up to 21,-
600 feet AS soon as the service tests
indicate this to be a satisfactory
model. a project will be initiated for
its manufacture and issue to the anti
aircraft service.
The problem of procurement plan
ming, as it presented itself to the
Signal Corps, is divided into three
general phases:
% A determination of require
ments.
90 The building up of a reserve
organization in time Of peace which
would function in time of war for the
procurement of supplies.
ca A survey of the production of
the Nation in military supplies and an
apportionment of requirements to
facilities for production in time of
war.
AS an example of the quantities
needed to equip and maintain six
armies in the field, the Signal Corps
would need $1,000 miles of insulated
wire per month, 10000 miles Of gal
vanized iron wire per month, 1000
radio sets per month, 100000 dry bat
teries per month. 10000 storage bat
teries per month, $4,000 telephones
per month, 1000 switchboards per
month, and $4,000 pounds pigeon feed
per month to feed the 5000 birds
which would be used at all times.
The approximate cost of this pro-
gram would amount to about $165,.
100000 at the end of the twelfth
month.
In order that a supply of raw ma
tertals may be assured, plans are be-
ing made to control certain raw ma
terials in which shortage would
probably occur in case of war. The
Signal Corps plans contemplate de-
centralized procurement in three pro-
curement districts with centralized
control in the Office of the Chief Sig
nal officer, at Washington.
At the present time three districts
have been organized with headquar-
ters at New York, Chicago and San
Francisco. To each district head
quarters one or more Regular off,
GERS have been detailed as planning
agents to organize the district and
survey resources in time Of peace and
to serve as executive officers to the
district chief in time of emergency.
With the exception of these officers
the entire commissioned personnel of
the districts will be composed of Re-
serve officers. According to the pres
emit plans the procurement organiza-
ton will contain 70 officers, to which
there have already been assigned 81
Reserve officers, which Is an excellent
start toward the assembling of
procurement organization.