Evening star., 1925-03-08

DSin8 0eclGneds ana IN this Uue Atto"e.oa
Is being given to the question OF provia-
ing q satisfactory traversing gear.
Recommendation has been made by
the Ordnance Department that the
Browning machine gun. cahber .be.
model 1921, water-cooled (without
tripod or mount), be adopted as the
standard anti aircraft machine gun
for manufacture and issue to the
Army. This gun has undergone ex-
tensive tests and Is regarded as q
satisfactory weapon for anti-aircTaft
aircraft sight for this weapon mas
been under way for several months,
as will be recalled from report pub
lished in these columns some
time ago.
The first class OF West Point Ca
dets. 247 strong, under the command
of Maj. Earl Mcfarland, U. s. A.. VIII
leave West Point on April Is for
four-day visit at Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Nd; Edgewood Arsenal, Mo;
Fort Hoyle. Nd. and Frankford Ar
senal at Philadelphia.
NAVY.
According to reliable sources. upon
completion of the maneuvers in Ha-
3,
manding officers of 7 out OF the
IL battIeships of the battle fleet
win be relieved. Speculation has been
rife for some time among Navy ofh-
GERS, not only as to who will be
named as the new reliefs in the battle
fleet, but also as to who will succeed
Admiral Robert E. Coontz. COM
mander lin chief of the United States
neet, when IT returns from the cruise
to Australia. Other important
changes in naval assignments VIII
be the expiring four-year terms of
the chiefs of four Navy Department
bureaus. as follows: Rear Admiral
David Potter, paymaster general of
the Navy and chief of the Bureau of
Supplies and Accounts. and Rear Ad-
miral Julian L. Latimer, judge ad-
vocate general of the Navy. both of
whose terms will expire April 3: Rear
Admiral william A. Moffett, chief of
the Bureau of Aeronautics, July rs,
and Rear Admiral John X. Robson,
of the Navy and
chief of the Bureau of Engineering
September 80.
The following changes, 1t is ex-
pected, will be made in the COM
manding officers of the seven battle
ships of the battle feet: Capt. j. t.
Tompkins to relieve Capt. G. c. Day,
in command of the subm a rine divi-
sions of the Pacific feet; Capt. T. d.
Harms to relieve Capt. r. r. Belknap,
in command of the Z. S. S. Colorado.
Capt. T. j. Sem, now in command OF
the u. s. S. West Virginia, will be
relieved by Capt. A. j. Hepburn, while
Capt. r. r. Craven Is slated to relieve
Capt. Frank II. Clark, in command OF
the u. S. S. Maryland: Capt. T. c.
NJ n hrnthaF.
ton, in command of the U. 8. 5. MIS-
sissippi, and Capt. II. p. Perrin to re-
Iieve Capt. w. S. Crosley, in command
of the U. S. S. Idaho. Capt p. \,
Olmsted, now In command OF the
U. S. S. Arizona, Is slated to be re-
lieved by Capt. A. st. Clair smith,
while it is believed that Capt. w. NC
Dowell will relieve Capt. w. p. Scott
as commander of the U. S. s. Okla
homa.
In all probability Capt. A. J. Hep
burn, who is now chief of stan TO the
commander of the battleship divf-
sions, will continue In this capacity
on his assumption of the command of
the West Virginia. These changes, it
is expected, will become effective
about June l. when the fleet is an
chored off Honolulu.
Doubt has been expressed in GER
tain naval quarters as to whether
any of the above mentioned chiefs of
the Navy Department bureaus will be
appointed upon the expiration OF
their four-year details to another
term. 1t is not believed that this
will have much weight when the sub
ject of reappointments is considered,
as both Maj. Gen. John i. Lejeune,
commandant of the United States
Marine Corps. and Rear Admiral Ed
ward r. Stitt, surgeon general of the
Navy and chief of the Bureau of
Gently reappointed for their second
four-year terms.
In addition to Capt. Ridley Mclean.
former judge advocate general of the
Navy, whose name was mentioned in
these columns q few weeks ago as a
probable successor to Admiral Lati-
mer. have been added tho names of
Capt. Edward H. Campbell. now as
sistant chief of the Bureau of Navi-
CATION, and Comdr. Robert Hender-
son, who Is now undergoing instruc-
tion at the Army War College.
The Secretary of the Navy, it is un-
derstood. 10 considering a number OF
names for the paymaster general and
the Bureau of Aeronautics posts, but
Navy Department bureau chief
makers are silent as to the probable
selections Of the Secretary.
Eighteen Marine Corps officers and
a similar number of Army ofiicers,
sembled at Edgewood Arsenal, Nd,
March 2 to undergo the line and
staff officers course, which will con-
clude May Q. This Is the largest
number of officers and the largest
class which has ever been conducted
at Edgewood. Every branch of the
War Department Is represented in
the class, with the exception of the
Finance Department, Quartermaster
Corps and the Corps of Engineers.
The following Marine Corps officers
are attending the course: Maj. Fred
N. S. Erskine, Capts. Jesse L. Per-
kins, w. +. Beattie, j. p. McCann
G. r. Bloedel. w. w. Aiken. L. G.
Wayt, r. 4. Anthony, O. A. Dow and
J. p. Smith; First Lieuts. Lee F. S.
Horan, Francis Kane, Erwin r. Whit
man. r. o. Sanderson, w. p. Leut1e,
W. L. Harding, c. w. La Gette and r.
Skinner The Army oficers UNDERGO
ing this instruction. with their arms
of the service indicated, are as fol-
lows: Lieut.. Col. H. G. Shaw, Marine
Corps; Maj. Frederick r. Garcin,
Chemical Warfare Service; Capts, J.
w. Falconer. Field Artillery: Richard
8. Willis, Field Artillery; James de
B. Welbach, Coast Artillery Corps;
Lloyd G. Becker, Chemical Warfare
Reserves; John G. Mccoy, Chemical
Warfare Service: First Lieuts. Car
Isle B. Wilson, Infantry: George o.
DauGherty, Infantry; Charles r.
Chase. Cavalry; William Z. Grimm, Coast
Artillery Corps, and Second Lieuts.
William P. Campbell, Cavalry; Uzel
G. Ent. Air Service; Leroy S. Mann,
District of Columbia National Guard;
George w. Bott, jr., Ordnance De-
partment; Isidore Sass, Signal Corps;
Allen N. Cox, Chemical Warfare Re-