Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
Army and Navy News

NJ. Dell and Ralph H. Wishard: En-.
signs Frank E. DEAN. William v.
Deutermann, Joseph I. Taylor, VIII
liam V. Davis, Charles B. Cross and
Hickory c. Flood.
According to proposed plans, be-
ginning in January, 1927, and con-
Guiding March Is Of that year, units
Of the United States fleet from both
East and West coasts will rendezvous
at Guantanamo. and as combined
force they will carry out in this area
tactical problems and hold gunnery
exercises and engineering perform
ances- Upon the completion OF these
maneuvers about the middle of March.
the major units OF the fleet will pro
coed to Narragansett Bay, in which
area grand exercises with the Army
will be held. Upon the completion or
the Maria gansett Bay joint exercises
with the Army the Pacific fleet units
will return to the Western coast.
where they will complete the sched-
uled gunnery exercises and carry out
necessary overhaul by ships forces
until the end of the fiscal year. From
Narragansett Bay the scouting neet
will proceed TO the Southern drill
area. where the ships will carry out
The remainder Of the years gunnery
exercises. and the vessels OF the con-
troll fore will proceed to their home
ports for overhaul and individual
training.
Contamination of the 1927 program
Of grand exercises, which involves the
transfer of the battle fleet from the
Pacific to the Atlantic and return, 1t Is
pointed out in the Navy Department,
depends primarily upon the amounts
of the various items which appear in
the naval appropriation measure as
enacted for the next fiscal year. The
approved budget estimates for the fuel
requirements are sufficient in this re-
spect, but should Congress make
material reduction in the amount. IT
may be necessary for the department
to make a corresponding curtailment
in next years exercise program. Re
auctions in other directions. is
pointed out, with respect to pay result.
Ing in a reduction of the enlisted per
sonnet of the Navy, would necessitate
a reorganization of the units and the
altering of the schedule Of operations.
The Navy Department, 1t Is expect.
ed. will, during the next few weeks,
reach a conclusion relative to the con
Struction of the six gunboats for serr-
ice in Chinese waters. Certain In
auiries made necessary In determining
he capacity Of the Shanghai plant
or carrying out the contract has been
the cause of the delay In the award oil
the contracts to a Shanghai firm for
the hull construction, which must be
done on the Asiatic station. Definite
decision has been made in the Navy |
Department changing the designs so
that the new boats will be equipped
with reciprocating engines instead OF
Diesel engines, which was the original
intention. This change in the engine |
equipment of these gunboats, II is |
pointed out by the department. is due |
to the fact that there are no facilities
on the Asiatic station for building
and, what is most important, for the |
repair Of engines of the Diesel type. |
Engines for four OF the boats, 1t Is |
expected, will be constructed at the |
New York Navy Yard.
The first class at the Naval Acad- |
envy consists of 462 midshipmen. and |
of those graduating in June and !
found to meet the physical require /
ments of the service. 25 will be COM |
missioned second lieutenants in the |
Marine Corps, d number will be COM
missioned assistant paymasters in the !
Navy, while the remainder of the class
will be commissioned ensignS in the |
line of the Navy. ;
The exact number to be commits |
stoned assistant paymasters from the !,
1926 class is not known, this being
dependent upon the number Of chief
pay clerks and pay clerks who are
found qualified for appointment to
that grade as the re ult of an exam
nation which will be held during the
first part of February. The Supply |
Corps now has an authorized commits
stoned strength of 577. the corps now
being short of their authorized figure.
Upon their graduation last year 16
were commissioned in the
Corps and five in the Supply |
Corps.
Except In those few cases where
are found to be physically |
for service, the policy of
not permitting any midshipmen to
resign upon graduation is expected to /
be rigidly enforced this year by the
Navy Department. At least two years
of service following graduation will
be required before designations will be
accepted by the Department. For the |
past several years midshipmen have |
been permitted to resign for the pur-
pose of seeking commissions in the !
Army, but with the enforcement of |
this mo resignation" policy of the ,
Immediately subsequent !,
to graduation no members of the 1926 |
class will seek commissions in the !
establishment.