Evening star., 1924-03-09

For the benefit of Capt. A. W..
Marshall, commander, aircraft squad
ron battle fleet, aid sorne thirty offi-
GERS Of that organisation, a demon
stration Of flying on and of the deck
ri pier, @ wa. held recently At culebra,
2. X. After the flights lecture was
given on aircraft. CRrriers" in the
wardroom OF the Langley by Com
inander Kenneth Whiting.
AS a result Of the second ballot of
the international photographic Blu.
reau in Monaco. which was held
March 8, Rear Admiral A. P. Niblack.
u. s. n. retired. the American candi-
election at the first ballot. which was
held some time ago. Admiral Niblack
sailed for Monaco from New York
% Niblaek. 5s; Rsinus (sweden5. a.;
BeIIot do pIsle tFrench), %, and
Scott-Ransan Norway, l.
The bureau Of navigation Of the
Navy Department has changed the
limiting date for transfer OF rating
from yeoman to stOrekeeper without
prior reference to tho bureau from
March 1, 1924. to May l. 1924. This
includes the Astatic station: II rs Is
promotion Of storek eepers and yeo-
men until the two branches are sta
6ili3ed under the new qualifications.
In line with this policy. any yeoman
who may be on the bureaus eligibil-
fly list for advancement in the yeo-
man branch will be placed on the
corresponding eligibility list for
by his original date OF examination,
provided he reduplifies by examina-
ton under the revised qualifications.
The 5sth Company. United States
Marines, First Lieut.. Howard N.
Stent commanding. has been awarded
the Franklin Wharton cup for pro-
f1cisncy in small arms firing for tho
target year 1898. This cup is pre-
.'ented annually to that Marine num-
strength Of Seventy-fve or more
which attains the highest figure OF
merit. based on the small arms quali-
ficnttons Of not less than 80 per cent
course in the given target year.
Out Of a total of 2s1 deserters from
the Navy who SUP dered or were
mary Of the causes these men gave
for desertion: Thirty-nine. lack of
pay: f1fty-six complained that treat
ment was unfair; forty-six stated the
conditions under which the men work,
kind OF work and hour; twenty-six
experienced trouble with other men
twenty-five had trouble with officers
twenty-four had trouble with c. p.
O.'s; forty-five gave that their serv-
ices at home were needed; fifteen
claimed that they were homesick: eight
gave drunkenness az their a1ib. while
seven gave seasickness as their cause
for desertins.
Advertisement has been made by
the bureau OF navigation, Navy De-
partment, that the petty officer stu
alton for the month Of January has
greatly improved, which can be partly
attributed to the revised distribu-
ton by ratings as determined from
the census which was taken in Sep
tember. At the end of last August
the shortage in petty officer ratings
totaled S.15S, but during the subse-
quent fve months this shortage had
been reduced by more than $500. On
January 81, 1924. the net shortage in
the petty officer groups of ratings
1t is viewed with much concern by
the bureau, however. of the building
up OF large eligibility list in GER
ings boyond any normal requirements.
whereas in other ratings the depart
n,ent has be>n unable to qualify n en-
IN sufficient numbers to take care of
taken. IL is pointed out, to restrict
the number of men who are recon-
mended for advancement to petty Off
GER ratings which are in excess, mad
it IS contemplated by the bureau to
assign to each fleet a quota of men
who will be placed on tho eligibility
lists In ratings where no vacancies
exist. 1t is anticipated by the Navy
DEPARTMENT that by the close Of the
present fiscal year, by encouraging
training in the proper direction, this
abnormal shortage which exists in
certain groups will be overcome.
Announcement was made by the
Navy Department Thursday that the
practice cruise squadron of the mid
shirmen would consist of the battle
ships New York, Arkansas. Texas and
will be under the command of Vice
Admiral Newton A. McCully, com
Eander of the scouting fleet The
squadron will arrive at Annapolis
May 30, and will be anchored at An
napolis roads during June week.
from Annapolis June ). and will go
by way Of Weymouth. England. Two
of the ships will call at Rotterdam.
Holland. while the ether two will
touch at Antwerp Belgium Com
Guiding these visits, the squadron will
Tarda, Azores. Prior to their arrival
at Annapolis on August 2S. the mid
shipmen will hold target pra ctice OFF
the Chesapeake capes. On this date
those midshipmen of the first, second
and third classes who have made the
for the month of September.
Capt. Charles n. De valin, NJ. c., L.