Professional Notes

 

 

HOLLAND

VESSELS BUILDING

Name	Displacement	Speed	Armament	Builders	Remarks
Cruisers
…	7000	30	10 6-in.	Amsterdam	Authorized
…	7000	30	10 6-in.	Flushing	Authorized

 

Note.—Four submarines' are building, three at Rotterdam and one at Flushing, of 836 tons displacement and a surface speed of 17½ knots.

ITALY

VESSELS BUILDING

Name	Displacement	Speed	Armament	Builders	Remarks
Battleships
Carraciolo	30,000	25	8 15in., 16 6-in.	…	To be completed in 1917
Marcantonio-Colonna	30,000	25	same	…	To be completed in 1917
Cristofaro-Colombo	30,000	25	same	…	To be completed in 1917
Francesco-Marosini	30,000	25	same	…	To be completed in 1917
Vessels Building in July, 1914, and now Completed
Battleships
Conte-di-Cavour	22,022	22.5	13 12-inch	…	Completed in 1914
2 Duilio class	22,564	22.5	13 12-inch	…	Completed in 1915
Light Cruisers
2 Campania class	2,500	16.5	6 6-inch	…	Completed in 1915

 

Note —In July, 1914, approximately 15 destroyers, 2 torpedo boats, and 8 submarines were building.   .

It is probable that the building program has been accelerated and increased since the outbreak of the war.

JAPAN

VESSELS BUILDING

Name	Displacement	Speed	Armament	Builders	Remarks
Battleships
Yamashiro	31,300	22.5	…	Kawasaki	To be completed in 1916
Ise	31,300	22.5	…	Mitsubishi	To be completed in 1916
Hinga	31,300	22.5	…	Yokosuka	To be completed in 1917
1 Battleship
Fuso	30,600	22	12 14-inch	…	Completed in 1915
2 Battle Cr’s’rs
Haruna class	27,500	28	8 14-inch	…	Completed in 1914-15

 

Note.—In July, 1914, Japan had 2 destroyers and 2 submarines under construction in England and France respectively.

Japan’s Latest Dreadnought.—The Japanese Navy Department has issued specifications for a new battleship which, according to press advices from Tokio, call for a main battery of 12 15-inch guns; displacement, 32,000 tons, and a speed of 24 knots. The new superdreadnought is also to have an improved defence against submarines.—Army and Navy Journal, 3/6.

Japan’s Great Ship Yards.—The largest shipbuilding establishment in Japan is the Mitsubishi Dockyard and Engine Works in Nagasaki. This yard has docks ranging in length from 350 to 714 feet and a patent slip capable of lifting a vessel up to 1000 tons gross. It also maintains a salvage steamer of 716 tons with a speed of 12 knots. It was considerably enlarged last year and had much modern machinery installed. The ships built at that yard in 1915 were the battle cruiser Kirishima; cargo steamers Toyooka, 7375 gross tons; Toyama, 7386 gross tons; and Manila, 9505 gross tons; tugboat Manasuru, 181 gross tons ; torpedo-boat destroyer Matsu; destroyer Kashiwa, two oil barges, and pontoon for 34-ton floating crane. The work in hand on March 20, 1916, included battleship Hyuga, cargo steamers Tokiwa, 7252 gross tons; Tsuruga, 7252 gross tons; Tsuyama, 7252 tons; Akita, 3777 tons; Yamagata, 3777 tons; and another of 7332 tons; two vedette boats and steam pinnace for the Hyuga; torpedo-boat destroyer Hamakaze, and two cargo steamers of 7332 tons; two of 5150 tons, and two of 3777 tons. Besides this a large amount of repair work was also turned out. Ten thousand of the 30,000 workmen employed in the yard are en­gaged in shipbuilding.—Marine Journal, 1/7.

PORTUGAL

EFFECTIVE VESSELS IN PORTUGAL’S NAVV

Name	Displacement	Speed	Armament	Complement	Remarks
Battleships
Vasco Da Gama	3,000	15	2 8-inch, 4 4.7-inch	220	Completed in 1877; refitted in 1903
Cruisers
Republica	1,640	17.5	4 5.9-in., 3 3.9-in.	273	Completed in 1901
Sao Gabriel	1,772	17	2 5.9-in., 4 4.7-in.	242	Completed in 1899
Alnurarite Reis	4,100	22	4 5.9-in., 8 4.7-in.	473	Completed in 1899
Adamaster	1,962	18	2 5.9-in., 4 4.7-in.	232	Completed in 1897

 

Note.—In addition to the above Portugal has 5 gunboats, 6 destroyers, 3 torpedo boats, and 1 submarine. (2 gunboats, 2 destroyers, and 3 submarines are in process of construc­tion.)

Portuguese Naval Increase.—There has been great activity with regard to the Portuguese Navy and its arsenals during the last three months, since the state of war was declared in this country. Besides the repaired vessels, five ships—two of which were German—have been fully equipped and armed. Strenuous efforts are being made to obtain crews for other ships, 36 at Lisbon and 67 in all, including those in the colonies and islands.

Sweepers and dozens of patrols have been annexed to the naval division, and these, as well as two destroyers and two torpedo-boats, are constantly doing coast service. The sweepers have fished up the mines spread by the Germans, which caused so many disasters near the bar.

The defence of the port of Lisbon is well organized and divided into various sections, composed of batteries, semaphores and pilots, the whole forming a zone called here “the field of war.” Strict orders forbid the entrance of any ships after dark and at any time without an “initialled” pilot.—Herald, 6/22.

RUSSIA

VESSELS BUILDING

 

Name	Displacement	Speed	Armament	Builders	Remarks
Battleships
Emperor Alexander III	22,435	21	12 12-in., 20 4.7-in.	Nikolaieff	Commissioned 1915
Empress Marie	22,435	21	Same	Ivan Bunge Co.	Commissioned 1914
Catherine II	22,435	21	Same	Ivan Bunge Co.	Commissioned 1915
Battle Cruisers
Ismail	32,200	25	12 14-in., 21 5.1-in.	Galerni	To be completed in 1916
Kinburn	32,200	25	Same	Baltic Works	To be completed in 1916
Borodino	32,200	25	Same	Galerni	To be completed in 1916
Navarin	32,200	25	same	Baltic Work	To be completed in 1916
Battleships
4 Sevastopol class	23,026	23	12 12-inch	…	Completed in 1914
Light Cruisers
6 Adm’l Greig class	7,500	32	…	…	Completed in 1914-15
2 Ad. Nevelskoi class	4,500	…	…	…	Completed in 1914-15

 

Note.—Approximately 44 destroyers and 19 submarines were building in July, 1914. Official information regarding naval matters being unobtainable since the outbreak of war, it may be assumed that the ship yards have been kept busy to their utmost capacity and new vessels have been laid as fast as those building have been completed.

Completion of Three Battle Cruisers.—According to information re­garded as reliable, the Russians have succeeded in adding three new capital ships to their Baltic fleet in the last three months. The keels for these vessels were laid before the beginning of the war, but construction work was greatly retarded in 1914 owing to the general demoralization arising during the first period of the war. In 1915, however, the ship work at Petrograd was pushed forward vigorously.

The great Poutiloff Works and the new Admiralty yards, both in the Cronstadt-Petrograd district, had been thoroughly reorganized early in 1915, and in the spring of that year were able to resume work with a higher degree of efficiency, it is said, than under the former managements. A great number of Germans had been employed in the Poulitoff Works up to the time the war began. This contingent disappeared early in August, 1914.

It is not stated definitely just which ships of those building have been added to the Baltic fleet, but the assumption is that they comprise three of the four 32,000-ton battle cruisers which were under construction in 1915 at the Baltic yards and at the new Admiralty yards.

Four Vessels Building.—These four vessels were known as the Navarin, the Borodino, the Ismail and the Kinburn. The Navarin and the Borodino were in the hands of the new Admiralty yards and the Ismail and the Kin- burn were building in the Baltic yards. All four ships were engined for 27 knots speed, and the main battery designs called for 12 14-inch guns in each craft.

At the Poutiloff works there were in hand last year two 32-knot cruisers, said to be of a superscout cruiser class. These vessels are known as the Admiral Boutokoff and the Admiral Spiridoff. Each craft has a displace­ment of 7600 tons and a battery of 16 5.1-inch guns.

At the Reval yards two additional 32-knot cruisers were building similar in every respect to the 32-knot vessels in hand at the Poutiloff plant The Reval built ships are known as the Admiral Greig and the Svietlana

At the beginning of the war Russia possessed in the Baltic the battleships Imperator Parel I., of 17,400 tons; the Sevastopol, of 23,000 tons- the Andren Perovzvannyi, of 17,400 tons; the Slava, of 13,516 tons; the Ce’sarevitch, of 12,912 tons; the Gaugut, of 23,000 tons ; the Petropavlovsk of 23 000 tons, and the Poltava, also of 23,000 tons. In addition, the Baltic fleet included the armored cruisers Bayan, of 7887 tons ; the Gromoboi of 13 220 tons; the Pallada, of 7900 tons; the Rossia, of 12,195 tons, and the Rurik of 15,170 tons.     

The total Baltic fleet at the beginning of the war consisted of eight battle ships and five armored cruisers. This force was far too weak to engage the German High Sea fleet, but with the addition of say three 32,200-ton battle cruisers the Russian force not only shows expansion, it is declared, but is assuming proportions which may readily be regarded as menacing to German prestige in the Baltic.—New York Herald, 12/6.

SPAIN

VESSELS BUILDING

Name	Displacement	Speed	Armament	Builders	Remarks
Battleships
Alfonso XIII	15,450	19.5	8 12-in., 20 4-in.	Ferrol	Launched May 7, 1913
Jaime I	15,450	19.5	same	Ferrol	Laid down Feb. 5, 1912

 

UNITED STATES

In Congress.—Naval Appropriation Bill.—The Senate Committee on naval affairs on June 30 submitted the following report on the naval appropriation bill:

The amount recommended in this bill is $315,826,843.55, or $45,857,588.81more than carried by the bill as passed by the House of Representatives and $166,164,978.67 more than was appropriated in the naval appropriation bill tor the fiscal year 1910.

Of the increase recommended in this bill over the bill as passed by the House, the bulk of it may be attributed to personnel and new ships, over $6,000,000 having been added on the former account and over $32,000,000 on the latter.

The bill as passed by the House authorizes 61,500 enlisted men in the navy, 3500 apprentice seamen, and 3079 additional marines. This bill author­izes 68,700 enlisted men in the navy, 6000 apprentice seamen, and 5029 addi­tional marines, or an increase of 11,650 men in both arms of the service and in addition 408 men in the hospital corps, the strength of which is fixed in this bill as 3½ per cent of the authorized enlisted strength of the Navy and Marine Corps.

In this connection this bill also gives the President authority, in case of a national emergency, to increase the authorized enlisted strength of the navy to 87,000 men and the enlisted strength of the Marine Corps to 17,400 men.

The bill as passed by the House authorizes 72 new ships to be built at once. This bill authorizes 157, 66 of which are to be begun as soon as practicable, the construction of the remainder to be begun prior to July 1, 1919. There follows a comparison of the bill as passed by the House and this bill as to new ship construction:

Type of vessel	House bill	This bill	To be begun as soon as practicable
Battleships	…	10	4
Battle cruisers	5	6	4
Scout cruisers	4	10	4
Torpedo-boat destroyers	10	50	20
Fleet submarines	…	9	…
Coast submarines
800-ton type	3	3	3
Smaller type	47	55	27
Submarine with Neff system of propulsion	…	1	…
Fuel ships	1	3	1
Ammunition ships	1	2	1
Hospital ships	1	1	1
Repair ships	…	1	…
Transports	…	1	…
Destroyer tenders	…	2	…
Fleet submarine tenders	…	1	…
Gunboats	…	2	1
Total	72	157	666

 

The amount carried in this bill toward the foregoing 66 vessels is $110,­726,160. The total cost of the whole program of 156 vessels, which excludes the submarine to have the Neff system of propulsion, is estimated at $588,180,576, leaving to be appropriated $477,454,416. Other authorizations in this bill for objects other than new ships will require future appropriations of $10,737,611, making the total of appropriations to be made in future years for authorizations in this bill $488,192,027.

The committee considered it of the utmost importance to provide bat­teries for the merchant auxiliaries, which could be utilized in case of emergency or war. The department has carefully surveyed all the mer­chant vessels which could be so utilized, and as it was impossible to make any use of these without sufficient batteries, the committee considered it wise to provide for these.

The committee also realized that it was very important that the naval militia should be put on an equal basis with the national guard. Unless this was done the naval militia, which is now an important part of our naval establishment, instead of increasing would be lessened, as more inducement would be given to enter the national guard than the naval militia. The committee recommends legislation which puts the naval militia upon equality with the national guard. It also imposes upon the naval militia the same requirements in respect to drill and service that are required for the national guard; and they are subject to the call of the President in case of emergency or war, similar to the national guard.

The House provision for the naval reserve is retained in substance. This bill had been previously favorably reported to the Senate.

It is believed by the committee that with the provisions for the naval reserve, the naval militia, and with the increased number of enlisted men, our navy will be adequately and efficiently manned for any contingencies' that may arise. The President is authorized, in case of emergency or war, to increase the enlisted men to 87.000, which would give a full complement to all our ships fit for service. 1 he committee considered this very impor­tant, as it is useless to build ships and not be prepared promptly to utilize them when needed.

The increase in the enlisted men of the navy necessitated a corresponding increase in the commissioned officers of the navy. An amendment is offered which the committee believes is just and fair and provides that officers shall be increased as the enlisted men of the navy are increased to a certain proportion. It is believed that this is not only just to the officers, but also will result in a more efficient navy, as a certain number of officers are indispensable to a certain number of enlisted men to have an efficient and well-balanced navy.

The repeal of the statute last year which required the retirement of a certain number of officers each year also necessitated an increased number of officers in order to provide for a flow of promotions. The amendment provides for the selection by merit in the line officers from commander up. The committee believes that this provision will result in having men of great efficiency and fitness in places of grave responsibility.

Provision is also made for the operation of the Coast Guard Service and the Light-house Service with the navy in time of emergency or war. Recently a statute was passed making these a part of the navy under such contingencies. The bill also provides several cutters for the use of the Coast Guard Service. These are much needed if the service is to be maintained in a state of complete efficiency.

The bill makes provision for aviation stations in order to add desirable facilities for the work of this service.

It seemed to the committee that the program for five years proposed by the general board is not sufficient to bring the naval force of the United States to the position which they ought to hold among the navies of the world at an early enough period. The committee therefore reduced the time covered by the program from five years to three years, the com­mittee being convinced that the sooner we could get an adequate navy the better, as the navy must always be our first line of defence, and we have two

The committee increased the appropriation for ammunition for vessels from $11,245,925 to $19,485,500. This was made necessary on account of the increased number of ships to be built at once and for the authorizations to be constructed for the next two years. This furnishes a supply of ammu­nition for all of these ships when completed. The committee believes it would be wise to do this at once, as in case of emergency we would have this ammunition available for immediate use. The lessons of the present war have taught the urgent necessity of having a large supply of ammuni­tion. This amount is much needed for naval purposes.—Army and Navy Register, 8/7.

Design for New Ships.—In order to expedite the work on the increased naval building program, Mr. Daniels, Secretary of the Navy has approved complete building plans for five classes of ships. They are. Scout cruisers, provision for the construction of which is included in the Naval Appropria­tion Bill now before the Senate; 20 destroyers, included 111 the same bill; one gunboat, one fuel ship and one hospital ship.

If the bill, when approved, makes provision for these ships the Navy Department, it is announced, will be ready to advertise for bids for their construction or to begin the construction of part of them in the navy yards immediately.

Prepare Submarine Designs.—In addition to this building program designs for 27 submarines also will be ready by the time the naval appropria­tion bill has been approved.     

The technical forces of the Navy Department are at work on three other classes of ships—battle ship cruisers, battle ships and an ammunition ship. It is believed that the department will be ready to award contracts for their construction within six months after they have been approved by Congress.

The scout cruisers referred to will mark a tremendous advance in size, speed, armament, and other essential characteristics over any ship of the same classes possessed by any other nation.

The design of the destroyers provides a marked increase in speed over previous United States vessels of the same class without deviating from the principles upon which stress has been laid in previous destroyers. These are the robust type of construction permitting them to make big speed in heavy weather and to accompany the battle ship fleet at all times; a heavier arma­ment, as regards both guns and torpedoes, than is carried by destroyers in other navies; and a great cruising radius, which adds immeasurably to their value, both tactically and strategically.

The gunboat will be of a type designed especially for use in tropical waters and will be able both to keep the sea in any weather and to navigate comparatively shallow rivers. In addition to adequate armament and speed the outstanding characteristics of the vessel will be dependability and the provision of a maximum degree of comfort for her officers and crew during long periods of patrol duty.

The hospital ship will be the first vessel of its kind to be especially de­signed and built for the United States Navy, the two which saw service during the Spanish War having been ordinary merchant vessels converted for the purpose. Under the terms of the Geneva convention hospital ships are immune from capture and are not provided with military features of any sort.

The ship will have every sort of medical and surgical apparatus and other facilities to be found in the best equipped hospitals on shore. The vessel has been designed to meet in all respects the requirements of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and Surgeon General Braisted and the other officers of that bureau have been untiring in their work to make the vessel complete in every respect.

The designs for all the vessels have been prepared by the Bureau of Con­struction and Repair in constant consultation with the other technical bureaus of the Navy Department. They have been approved by the General Board of the Navy as meeting the military requirements for vessels of their respective classes.—New York Herald.

Loss of Naval Auxiliary “Hector.”—The rescue of all the officers and crew and members of the company of marines on the naval collier Hector disabled on July 14 in the hurricane off the South Carolina coast was reported to the Navy Department on July 15 by the Charleston Navy Yard. The Hector is broken in halves and is believed to be a wreck. She was abandoned seven miles northeast of Cape Romain early in the morning of July 15. The officers, crew and marines left the collier in open boats and were rescued by the lighthouse tender Cypress and the tug Wilmington which landed them at Charleston this morning. There were 12 officers and 70 men in the Hector's complement and one officer and 56 marines on board, all of whom were saved.

The Hector left Charleston Lightship on Wednesday. On Thursday morning at 4 o’clock she ran into the worst of the hurricane sweeping up the coast. Huge waves broke over the vessel and poured down the hatches, flooding the holds and disabling the engines. When she was unable to make way, wireless calls were sent out. As the big collier rolled at the mercy of the wind, which was driving her toward Cape Romaine, fire started in the hold. The flames did not gain much headway, but added to the terror of those aboard.

The Wilmington reached the collier at 1 o’clock Friday afternoon about one hour after the Hector had grounded. The Hector's launch had been disabled by the storm, but a small boat with a line put out and succeeded in reaching the tug. The dangerous work of transferring the men was imme­diately started and continued for six hours.

Captain Newell with about a score of men elected to remain on the for­ward part of the Hector, which then had almost parted amidships. The Wilmington started for this port and the Cypress set out to take off Captain Newell and his men. At 8 o’clock last night Captain Newell and his men who remained with him were forced to leave the Hector. There were five men aboard each of the barges which the Wilmington lost while trying to tow them from Philadelphia to Jacksonville. The Wilmington put to sea to-day to search for them.—New York Times, 15 and 16/7.

Navy Motor Patrol Boats.—The Navy Department has decided to pur­chase two sizes of motor boats which are considered to be acceptable to private owners for personal use as pleasure craft and which will have also the essential features for use as patrol boats in time of war. The Navy Department has received a number of requests from patriotic American citizens intending to have motor boats built for their personal use, asking for infor­mation as to the features that should be incorporated in the designs for such boats in order that the boats might be suitable for the government’s use in time of war. The department has in each case given such requests and the plans for such boats careful consideration and has indicated the features that should be provided to make the boats suitable for the proposed purpose.

The two boats when delivered will be assigned one to the navy yard, New York (Brooklyn), and the other to the navy yard, Boston (Charles­town), where the boats will be available for the inspection of yachtsmen and others interested.                    

Bids for these two boats were advertised and competition was invited on the basis of the designs to be submitted by bidders; the cost of the smaller boat being fixed by the advertisement at $12,000, the boat to be not less than 45 feet in length, and to have a speed of not less than 25 statute miles per hour, and the cost of the larger boat being fixed at $28,000, the boat to be not less than 65 feet in length, and to have a speed of not less than 30 statute miles per hour. The larger boat was to be suitable for mount­ing a three-pounder gun forward of amidships and the small boat to be suitable for mounting a one-pounder gun forward of amidships.

After a careful examination of the several competitive designs submitted award has been made by the Secretary of the Navy for the larger boat to the Luders Marine Construction Co., Stamford, Conn., the design offered by this company being considered to embody in the highest degree the features required in the type of boat contemplated by the advertisement, and for a similar reason the award for the smaller boat was made to George Lawley & Sons Corporation, Neponset, Mass.—Army and Navy Register. 7/1.

Description of Craft.—The design is a hollow bottom, wave collecting type, eliminating the crudenesses of its forerunner, the “V” bottom. In fact, under ordinary conditions at anchor and moderate speed the craft has all the indications of being a broad round bottom boat, hogged shear, raised forward deck with a very pronounced flaring plumb bow with the chime rounded and dissipated as soon as it emerges from the water.

The dimensions—66 feet over all, 13 feet 3 inches beam and 4 feet 6 inches draft—insure an unusually powerful hull, more stable on account of her width than the usual type. In spite of the speed of 30 statute miles an hour there is all the accommodation that good design demands of a craft of this size.

The living quarters of the owner are divided by the machinery compart­ment, which is amidship, and in this manner two distinct and private suites are obtained. In the after deck house, under a low cabin trunk, is located the main living room, a space about eight feet long, the full width of the boat, equipped with sofas, dining table and a full length hanging locker. A Pullman berth, with spring and mattresses concealed on one side and a spring upholstered extension settee on the other, afford comfortable sleep­ing facilities for two persons. Forward of this room, entered through a passageway, is a large galley on one side and a properly appointed lavatory on the other. Forward of the latter room is a wireless room, about four feet square, a space that, if a wireless is not installed, can be used as a dress closet and trunk room.

Forward of the machinery space, entered from a companionway on the main deck, is a stateroom complete with two beds, a bureau, seat, hanging locker and a connecting lavatory forward. The interior finish throughout in the owner’s quarters is white with solid African mahogany furniture and trim. The crew’s space is forward, provision being made to berth four men if desired. In addition there are proper storage spaces readily accessible for ammunition stowage.

In the middle of the vessel is located the unusual power plant that makes the proposition feasible; two 12 cylinder engines, approved by the govern­ment as the only machines available for the conditions, 6-inch bore, 7-inch stroke, driving twin screws, installed side by side with working space all around and complete with electric starters, air, bilge, whistle and gasoline pumps. These machines will be driven at about 1400 revolutions when under full load, developing about 800 horse-power all told, and will readily drive the boat at the guaranteed 30 miles an hour.

On account of the great radius of action required, 500 miles at 25 miles an hour, the gasoline supply is somewhat unusual, 1800 gallons being stored in three heavy copper tanks set in individual copper pans just aft of the motor, with a reserve tank of 300 gallons located in the lazaretto. Provision is made for carrying lubricating oil in tanks in quantities consistent with the fuel supply. Needless to say the boat will be illuminated by electricity, two independent .5 k. w. generating sets being installed. With these two sets the wireless outfit, the battery of three searchlights and the bank of storage batteries can be properly supplied.

On deck a most commodious and unusual arrangement is presented. In addition to the after deck a bridge deck the full width of the boat and nine feet long is located between the two houses. A special steering station is located over the after end of the engine trunk; this affords a weatherproof covering over the entrance to the engine room, permitting it to be kept open in stormy weather. Large port lights and a hinged front to the conning tower permit of proper ventilation and observation. A shelter seat ranges across the front of the after house and is sheltered by an awning, an exten­sion of the fixed roof of the conning tower.

The battery of three searchlights, two 9-inch arc and one 14-inch in­candescent, are located on the tower top, operated from inside, and are a part of the assembly that includes a short spar carrying the forward end of the radio aerials. The mainmast is located at the end of the after house, a somewhat unusual though not unpleasing location made necessary by the position of the three pound gun located over the forward engine-room bulkhead and commanding an unobstructed range of fire of 270 degrees.

Work on the boat was started at once; the boat when complete will be stationed at either the New York or Boston Navy Yard, where it will be open to inspection of all visiting yachtsmen as an example of what the United States Navy considers as the last word in a pleasure craft suitable for arduous patrol and submarine chasing service.

Torpedo Defence Net.—The Navy Department will shortly award a con­tract after competitive bidding for one wire net made up of 16 units, each unit 96 feet long and 36 feet deep, in accordance with a sketch which has been prepared in the bureau of ordnance. This net is intended for experi­mental purposes as a torpedo net. The bill contains a new appropriation for torpedo nets for battleships amounting to $480,000. This appropriation is to provide under-water protection against torpedo attack by dropping heavy steel nets from booms from the sides of the battleships. These nets are used when the battleships are at anchor and may be used while steam­ing, although materially reducing the speed of the ship to four or five knots. Information received from abroad indicates that these nets have been in general use in the navies of the belligerents.—Army and Navy Register, 6/17.

Guns for Merchant Auxiliaries.—The Secretary of the Navy has ap­proved a plan of Rear Admiral Strauss for providing batteries for mer­chant auxiliaries. There was recently instituted an inspection of merchant vessels under the flag of the United States with a view to their being called into service for use as auxiliaries in the navy in the event of war the war plans contemplating the use of such vessels in numbers and for pur­poses as follows: Thirty-two fleet scouts, 20 district scouts, 15 mine planters, 60 harbor-patrol vessels, not less than 324 mine sweepers 4 fleet colliers, at least 200 service colliers, 57 depot colliers, 7 fleet oilers, or more service oilers, at least 5 depot oilers, 6 supply ships, 8 ammunition ships, 4 transports, 3 repair ships, 4 hospital ships, 3 mine depot shins 2 destroyer tenders, 2 submarine tenders, 4 fleet tenders, and a large number of motor boats and like craft for patrol duty.

* * * *

The bureau ordnance has estimated the requirements and says that for the purchase or manufacture of the requisite number of guns, mounts, and telescopes $3,291,183 will be needed, and for the ammunition $4,443,745, or a total for guns and ammunition of $8,734,938. In view, however of the large appropriations for this year, the Navy Department feels that it should ask only $1,650,000 toward the manufacture of guns, mounts, and telescopes for merchant auxiliaries.—Army and Navy Register, 8/7.

Aeroplane Guns.—The battleship squadron of the Atlantic fleet will leave tomorrow in conjunction with the destroyers for the first war game practice of the season in northern waters.

One of the most interesting experiments of the present tactical maneuvers will be the testing for the first time of the aeroplane guns mounted on board sixth division, in command of Rear Admiral Augustus F. Fechteler. These guns were mounted on top of the forward and turrets of that battleship at Boston and will be put to an actual test for the first time this week. They are of 3-inch caliber and are designed to make their range complete from any quarter.

Although no flying boats will accompany the fleet, kites on board the various other battleships of the squadron will furnish targets for subcaliber practice.—New York Herald, 10/7.

Armored Autos for Ships.—Armored automobiles cradled on the decks of warships, in seagoing rafts, for use of detachments of the United States Marine Corps in shore operations, soon may be added to the regular equip­ment of naval vessels.                                                         

Experiments at the Boston Navy Yard a few days ago demonstrated that such cars can be stowed aboard by means of electric cranes on war vessels in a very few moments, and that the deck space they occupy is very small.

United States marines found great need for armored cars in their recent operations in Mexico, Haiti and Santo Domingo, but the cars they used had to be shipped to them by regular naval transports.—Washington Star,

Motor Boats for Coast Defence.—The efficient service rendered by the motor boat owners of Great Britain many of whom have become expert submarine hunters, has led to a realization that the 10,000 motor boats between New London, Conn., and Barnegat Inlet, would prove an invaluable aid to the fleets of the navy in case of an attempted invasion.

A call for the owners of these motor boats to enroll for the defence of the country was issued July 8 by the Civilian Committee of the Naval Training Cruise of 34 Pine Street, which has made arrangements for the boats to take part with the battleships in a week of harbor defence work in September. The Navy Department has inaugurated a civilian training cruise of four weeks starting on August 15 and lasting until September 12 The las week of these manuevers will be devoted to harbor defence work in which motor boats, as well as steam yachts and gasoline boats, will be mobilized and drilled to demonstrate how they can be best utilized in time of war. Many of the yacht and motor boat owners who intend to take part in this week of maneuvers will also take the preliminary weeks of instruction to be given on the cruise.

Only boats which have been enrolled previous to August 1 and accepted after inspection by naval officers will be allowed to participate in the cruise. Owners of boats need not enroll at the Naval Recruiting Station unless they enroll for the full month’s cruise. They will be at liberty to command their own boats during the week of the motor boat maneuvers and will be held responsible for the conduct of their crews. During the week of motor boat maneuvers instruction will be given in scouting, searching, patrolling, sig­naling, maneuvering by signals, defence of naval districts, study of coasts, piloting, and all the other duties they might be called upon to perform.

The boats are to be divided into four classes.

Class A, which will consist of boats able to make 20 statute miles an hour. They must be seaworthy and able to make a coastwise trip under ordinary conditions. They must also be able to carry and house four men, and must be able to maintain themselves for at least 48 hours and have a cruising radius of 100 miles. They must be so constructed and be sufficiently stable to carry a 1-pounder rapid-fire gun, which weighs 400 pounds. They must have a yard and mast fitted with a yard for flag-hoist signaling, and either electric or oil lamps for signaling at night. Their equipment must include two sets of international code signals.

Class B, which will consist of boats filling the same requirements as Class A, except that they must have a speed of at least 10 miles an hour.

Class C, which will consist of boats having a speed of at least 15 statute miles an hour: that can run under ordinary weather conditions in harbors or bays; that have suitable accommodations for three men; that are self-sustaining for 24 hours and have a cruising radius of 50 miles; that are able to carry a gun in a suitable position for temporary use, such as a Colt auto­matic or other machine gun, mounted on a tripod, the total weight of which is about 45 pounds, and which carry signal lamps and wigwag and sema­phore flags for hand signaling.                                                                             

Class D, which will consist of all boats not fulfilling the requirements of the other classes, but which are accepted as suitable after inspection by naval officers.

At the end of the week of the motor boat maneuvers, the men in com­mand of the boats will be given a certificate stating the nature of the service they have performed, the efficiency they have displayed and the rating their boats are qualified to hold. The enrollment of the owners for the week of maneuvers does not involve any obligation other than obedience to orders during the week.—New York Times, 9/7.

The First Volunteer Patrol Squadron.—The five little express cruisers of the Volunteer Patrol Squadron and two other craft of similar type, one the Caddy II and the other the mother ship of the squadron, the Dragon, recently completed some useful and interesting maneuvers off Newport, R I

Patrol craft Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 maintained a speed of about 24 miles an hour, while the Caddy II, which accompanied the others, showed a speed of about 29 miles an hour and, during the time that elapsed between the day they left West Lynn and the conclusion of the maneuvers off Newport she rendered numerous other services, chiefly dispatch work, and never fal­tered for an instant. During the chase for the submarines the Cuddy would attract the attention of their single eye and the others would dash upon them from astern.—New York Herald, 26/6.

Following the report by Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight, in command of the second naval district, to the Navy Department on the recent maneuvers of the volunteer scout patrol motor boats, word came from the Navy Department making the ma permanent addition to the defence of this district.

There are five boats, commanded as follows: No. 1, A. Loring Swasey; No. 2, Stewart Davis; No. 3, Frederick Humphreys; No. 4, Hermann Oelrichs, and No. 5, Rowland Crosby Nickerson. Two other boats are under construction and will join the squadron soon.

Although the expense of the squadron will be borne by private enter­prise, the boats will be officially attached to the defence of the second naval district, and in time of war will become a part of the United States Navv —New York Herald, 7/7.                                                  '

Naval Aviation School.—The aviation sections of the First and Second Battalions of the New York Naval Militia opened their aviation school yesterday at Bay Shore, L. I. The complement of both sections number more than 30 men.

They will camp there for two weeks, the men living in tents, which were pitched yesterday. 1 he hydroaeroplane of the First Battalion will be housed in a canvas hangar, while that of the Second, which is of a different type, will be anchored off the shore when not in use. The machines will be kept constantly in flight, as it is planned to give each member of both sections as much flying as possible. It is expected that a number of the men will qualify for the pilot’s licenses, as they have already been flying for some time.

The work of training the men has been held back by lack of hydroaero­planes, and the First Battalion is raising a fund to buy another. The aero­nautical branch of the Naval Militia is most important, and the officers and men are most anxious to obtain enough' machines to enable all to receive their training and to form an aero reserve in case of war.—New York Times, 16/7.

Changes in Fleet Command.—An unusually large number of changes in important commands were issued by the Navy Department during the week. These orders include the detachment of Admiral F. F. Fletcher as commander-in-chief of the Atlantic fleet and the detail of Vice Admiral ' Mayo to succeed him. Read Admiral De Witt Coffman becomes vice admiral of the fleet, vice Mayo, and is placed in command of the battleship division. Rear Admiral H. O. Dunn has been assigned to command the Fifth Division of the Atlantic fleet, and Rear Admiral A. F. Fechteler the Sixth Division. Commander L. C. Palmer becomes chief of staff to Vice Admiral Coffman. Commander O. P. Jackson becomes chief of staff to Admiral Mayo.—Army and Navy Journal, 17/6.

Bureau of Operations.—What the Bureau of Operations, which was created 14 months ago, has done to co-ordinate the navy’s activities and to put it on a more efficient basis was detailed by Rear Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Operations, at a banquet given by the Naval Academy

Responding to the toast, “The Navy,” Admiral Benson said that Secre­tary Daniels’s creed was 100 per cent efficiency for men and ships, and that the Operations Bureau had made possible a long step toward realization of such a policy, under which every unit of the fleet will at all times be ready to perform its functions, whatever the occasion that may require its services.

Only the fragments of organization existed in the Navy Department before the bureau was created, Admiral Benson said, and his work neces­sarily began at the bottom. There was no assembled data with which to work, he declared, not even adequate information as to the naval strength of other countries. To find what ship was available for special duty was a task of several months’ inquiry.

Outlining what has been accomplished by the bureau, Admiral Benson cited the mobilization of communications systems recently demonstrated by the department, the reorganization of the entire naval service with flag officers in command of all distinct divisions; the measures taken to develop the submarine and aviation service; reorganization of the reserve ships with adequate crews of highly trained men capable of breaking in quickly volunteers in time of war; arrangements for mobilization of the naval militia and the establishment of summer training cruises for citizen volun­teers ; mapping out plans for advance and submarine bases; preparation of annual maneuver and cruising programs for the fleet which are carried out strictly on schedule; co-operation through councils composed of bureau officials and the Naval Consulting Board.

A thoroughly digested and well-developed plan of mobilization for the entire fleet in the event of war has been submitted to the department and approved.—New York Times, 2/6.

Naval Personnel Legislation.—The provisions relating to the commis­sioned personnel as at present incorporated in the bill are as follows: “Hereafter the total number of commissioned officers of the active list of the line of the navy, exclusive of commissioned warrant officers, shall be 4 per centum of the total enlisted strength of the active list authorized by law; provided, that such total number shall be distributed in the propor­tion of \Vi in the grade of rear admiral, to 4 in the grade of captain, to 8 in the grade of commander, to 14 in the grade of lieutenant commander, to 32½ in the grade of lieutenant, to 40 in the grade of lieutenant, junior grade, and ensign, inclusive.

“And that the total number of commissioned officers of the active list of the following-mentioned staff corps, exclusive of commissioned warrant officers, shall be distributed in the various grades of the respective corps as follows:

“Medical corps: 1½ medical directors with the rank of rear admiral to 4 medical directors with the rank of captain to 8 medical inspectors, to 18 surgeons, to 68½ in the grades below surgeon; provided that hereafter appointees to the grade of assistant surgeon shall be between the ages of 24 and 32 at time of appointment.”

[The full committee amended this to read “1½ deputy surgeons general with the rank of rear admiral, to 4 medical directors with the rank of captain,” etc.]

“Pay corps: 1½ pay directors with the rank of rear admiral to 4 pay directors with the rank of captain, to 8 pay inspectors, to 86½ in the grades below pay inspector.”

[The full committee amended this to read “1½ deputy paymasters gen­eral with the rank of rear admiral to 4 pay directors with the rank of captain,” etc.]            

“Construction corps: 1½ naval constructors with the rank of rear admiral, 5½ naval constructors with the rank of captain, to 14 naval con­structors with the rank of commander, to 79 naval constructors and assistant naval constructors with rank below commander; provided, that vacancies in the construction corps shall be filled in the manner now pre­scribed by law, at such annual rate as the Secretary of the Navy may prescribe.

“Corps of civil engineers: 1½ civil engineers with the rank of rear admiral, to 5½ civil engineers with the rank of captain, to 14 with the rank of commander, to 79 civil engineers and assistant civil engineers with rank below commander; provided, that the total authorized number of commis­sioned officers of the active list of the following staff corps, exclusive of commissioned warrant officers, shall be based on percentages of the total number of commissioned officers of the active list of the line of the navy, as follows: Pay corps, 12 per cent; construction corps, 5 per cent; corps of civil engineers, 2 per cent; and that the total authorized number of com­missioned officers of the medical corps shall be 65-100 of one per cent of the total number of officers and enlisted men of the navy and marine corps; and that officers in the lower grades of the pay corps, the construction corps, and the corps of civil engineers shall be advanced in rank up to and including the rank of lieutenant commander with the officers of the line with whom or next after whom they take precedent under existing law.

“Chaplains: 1½ chaplains with rank of rear admiral, to 5½ with rank of captain, to 14 with rank of commander.

“Provided, that for the purpose of determining the authorized number of officers in any grade or rank of the line or of the staff corps, there shall be excluded from consideration those officers carried by law as additional numbers, including staff officers heretofore permanently com­missioned with the rank of rear admiral, and that nothing contained herein shall be held to reduce below that heretofore authorized by law the number of officers in any grade or rank in the line or staff corps.

“Provided, that hereafter the pay and allowances of officers in the upper half of the grade or rank of rear admiral in each corps and chiefs of bureaus shall be that now allowed by law for the first nine rear admirals, and the pay and allowances of officers in the lower half of the grade of rank of rear admiral in each corps shall be that now allowed by law for the second nine rear admirals.

“Provided, That when there is an odd number of officers in the grade or rank of rear admiral in each corps, the lower division thereof shall include the excess in number, except when there is but one.

“Whenever a final fraction occurs in computing the authorized number of any corps, grade, or rank in the naval service, the nearest whole number shall be regarded as the authorized number; provided, that at least one officer shall be allowed in each grade or rank herein established.

“Chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief machinists, chief carpenters, chief sailmakers, chief pharmacists, and chief pay clerks shall, after six years from date of commission, receive the pay and allowances that are now or may hereafter be allowed a lieutenant (junior grade) ; provided, that chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief machinists, chief carpenters, chief sail- makers, chief pharmacists, and chief pay clerks shall, after 12 years from date of commission, receive the pay and allowances that are now or may hereafter be allowed a lieutenant, U. S. Navy.

“That warrant officers shall receive the same allowances of heat and light as are now or may hereafter be allowed an ensign; that warrant officers shall be allowed such leave of absence, with full pay, as is now or may here­after be allowed other officers of the navy.

“That any commissioned warrant officer of the active list who shall have had six years’ service as a commissioned warrant officer may be commis­sioned with the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) in the corps to which he belongs upon satisfactorily passing such examination as may be pre­scribed by the Secretary of the Navy and upon recommendation of the examining board composed of three officers not below the rank 'of lieutenant commander.

“Provided, that hereafter promotion to the grades of captain and rear admiral shall be by selection from the next lower respective grade; pro­vided, that no officer shall be eligible for promotion by selection to either the grade of rear admiral or the grade of captain until he shall have been recommended for appointment to such grade by a board of nine flag officers of the line of the navy, which board will base its recommendations upon the comparative probable fitness for command afloat in the respective grades into which promotion is to be made of all captains or commanders, re­spectively, of the line of the navy who shall at the time the recommendation is made have had not less than three years’ service in the grade in which they are then serving, except that the recommendation of the board in the case of officers of the former engineer corps who are restricted by law to the performance of shore duty only, and in that of officers who may hereafter be assigned to engineering duty only, shall be based upon their comparative fitness for the duties prescribed for them by law, and that upon promotion they shall be carried as additional numbers in grade; provided, that no officer shall be recommended for such promotion unless he shall have received the recommendation of not less than seven members of said board; provided, that any officers so selected shall, prior to promotion, he subject in all respects to the examinations prescribed by law for officers promoted by seniority, and in case of failure for any reason to pass such examination such officer shall lose his then existing opportunity for promotion and such examination shall not be considered in the event of subsequent retirement to entitle such officer to the rank of the next higher grade.

“For purposes of retirement, all officers now in the navy or marine corps shall be credited with service from the dates they take precedence in accordance with law.

“Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to reduce the pay or other benefits of any officer of the navy or marine corps as now provided by law.”

A paragraph devoted to “officers for engineering duty only,” as it passed the House ha's been amended so that line officers “not below the grade of lieutenant commander” may upon application be assigned to this exclusive duty. There is retention of the House provision of the authority for the appointment of graduates of engineering schools for the performance of engineering duty at the rate of 30 annually for ten years. The House clause is amended to make these appointees “ensigns” instead of “acting ensigns.” They are to be “regularly” commissioned in the grade of lieutenant, junior grade, after satisfactorily passing an examination “to qualify for the general duties of the line.” The committee has rejected the House division that these appointees shall be required to perform engineering duties only.— Army and Navy Register, 1/7. -

Naval Militia and National Naval Volunteers.—The House com­mittee on naval affairs has favorably reported the bill (H. R. 16602) to promote the efficiency of the naval militia, to provide for the service of the naval militia in time of war and for other purposes. The report says:

“This bill places the naval militia of the various states in the same status as far as is practicable as the bill to reorganize the army, approved June 3, 1916, places the national guard of the various states. The rates of pay proposed are in accordance with the rates provided by law for members of the national guard, and unless the rates of pay of both organizations are the same, it will be difficult to maintain the naval militia. In order that any member of the naval militia may receive the pay prescribed in the bill, he must be enrolled in a new organization created under the terms of the bill called the ‘National Naval Volunteers.’ The creation of this organization is to effect the practical federalization of the naval militia so that they may be called upon to perform duties beyond the continental lines of the United States in time of war or in an emergency determined by the President of the United States.

“The status of the officers and enlisted men remains the same as under the terms of the naval militia act approved February 16, 1914, except that the terms for the enlisted men is three years with the privilege of extending their enlistment for one, two, or three years longer, and in order that the officers and men may draw the pay prescribed under the terms of this bill, the number of drills has been materially increased over the act of February 16. 1914. The hill also provides for a system of administration of justice and discipline in the naval militia, but its provisions are not as severe as exist in the regular service, as it is not expected that one who devotes only part of his time to naval instruction should he expected to submit to the discipline of one who has made it a life profession. The bill under con­sideration, therefore, changes existing law in only three major particulars; first, the creation of the National Naval Volunteers; second, the increase in pay to correspond with the pay of the national guard; and, third, pro­visions for discipline and administration of justice. In addition to these, other minor changes are made, but are not of such a nature as to materially change existing law.

“The bill meets the approval of the Navy Department and of the repre­sentatives of the various naval militias of the various states, and is agreed to unanimously by the committee.

“The naval militia at the present time amounts to about 9000 officers and men, and the estimated cost incurred by the passage of this bill amounts to $885,000 for the next fiscal year.

“The Secretary of the Navy recommends the passage of the bill. Army and Navy Register, 1/7.

Naval Reserve Force.—-The report of the House Committee on naval affairs contains the following relating to the proposed naval reserve:

The Navy Department is lending every assistance possible to the naval militia of the various states which have been organized and are now more or less subject to federal control. At present the naval militia amounts to 7,706 men and 606 officers.

The navy of the United States has another naval reserve in the form of the Coast Guard, which under existing law automatically comes under the control of the Navy Department in time of war or in an emergency declared by the President. The bill contains recommendations whereby the associated service of the navy and the Coast Guard shall take place immediately upon the declaration of war, and provisions regulating the jurisdiction, rank, and pay of officers and men and the duties of the Coast Guard are prescribed. This very efficient reserve numbers 255 commis­sioned officers and 3,886 warrant officers and enlisted men specially skilled in duties afloat and duties of coast protection.

From the above it will be seen that the naval militia, the Coast Guard, and the existing naval reserve numbers 861 officers and 11,995 men.

In order to increase the reserve in the navy the committee recommends the adoption of the provisions in the bill relating to a naval reserve force. This force consists of six classes:

1. The fleet naval reserve.

2. The naval reserve.

3. The naval auxiliary reserve.

4. The naval coast-defence reserve.

5. The volunteer naval reserve.

6. The naval reserve flying corps.

The naval reserve force is to consist only of citizens of the United States and may be called into service by the President in time of war or national emergency. Officers shall have the same rank and rating not above lieu­tenant commander as in the regular navy. Enrollment shall be for four years, but a member in time of peace may be discharged on his own request.

When first enrolling a provisional rank or rating is given until qualified by service with the regular navy; when the rank or rating is confirmed, a minimum service for each class is required before confirmation in such rank or rating. No member can be appointed or commissioned an officer until examined by a board of naval officers not below the rank of lieutenant commander. During the provisional rank or rating retainer pay of $12 per year is allowed, and this retainer pay is in addition to any pay received for active service; but in no case shall any pay be allowed unless the regula­tions in all respects are obeyed. Twenty-five per cent increase of retainer pay is allowed for continuous service in the reserve, and at the end of 20 years’ service in the reserve a cash gratuity is allowed equal to the total retainer pay of the last enrollment. Enrollment in the reserve shall not prevent a member holding other public office. When members of the reserve are employed with the navy they shall have in all respects the same status as officers and men of the navy subject to the conditions heretofore stated. When actively employed with the navy they shall be governed by the laws and regulations for the government of the navy. Members of the reserve are entitled to wear a badge or button, and any person not a member of the reserve who wears such a badge or button is subject to a fine or imprisonment or both. Private vessels or vessels of the merchant service commanded by officers of the naval reserve force may fly a flag or pennant to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.

All members of the reserve are required to serve throughout the war and in time of peace receive a uniform gratuity of $50 for officers and $30 per man, which is increased in time of war to $150 for officers and $60 for men. All civilian crews of naval auxiliaries in order to serve on such must within two years be enrolled in the reserve.

Members of the reserve may be transferred from one class to another.

Fleet Reserve.—The first class, composing the fleet naval reserve, shall be composed of ex-officers and ex-enlisted men of the navy honorably dis­charged after four years’ service. Enlisted men of the navy with 20 or more years’ service or 16 years’ service with honorable discharge may be transferred to the fleet reserve upon voluntary application and continue there until discharged by competent authority. Members of this class must do three months’ active service with the navy in each enrollment or suffer a reduction in pay. The pay of this class per annum is $30 for less than eight years’ naval service, $60 for more than 8 years and not less than 12 years’ naval service and $100 for 12 or more years’ service for members not directly transferred from the regular navy. Members of the fleet reserve transferred directly from the navy after 16 or 20 years’ service receive the annual retainer pay of one-third and one-half, respectively, of’ base pay in the navy with permanent additions at the time of transfer, but all pay is forfeited upon the failure to obey orders. No member of the fleet reserve can be discharged therefrom without his own consent except by sentence of court-martial and, after 30 years’ service, combined service in the navy and fleet reserve, may be placed on the retired list of the navy. Men on the retired list of the navy may be called into the service in time of war.

Naval Reserve.—The second class composing the naval reserve must be members of the seagoing profession between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Officers must have had two years’ sea service, and officers and men of two or more years’ service must have three months’ active service with the navy before confirmation during each enrollment. The retainer pay of this class per annum is two months of the navy pay for same rank or rating.

Naval Auxiliary Reserve.—The members of this class are persons of the sea-going profession who serve on vessels listed as naval auxiliaries and who agree to serve on such vessels in time of war and to serve only on merchant ships. The qualification of this class are to be determined by the requirements of the merchant-ship type performing naval auxiliary service. The retainer pay of this class after confirmation is: Officers, one- half a months’ pay, and men, two months’ pay of the same rating in the navy.

Naval Coast-Defence Reserve.—Members of this class are persons capable of doing useful service for coast defence and serving on coast-defence vessels. Owners of motor boats and yachts may be enrolled and contracts may be entered into for the payment of an indemnity for vessels to be taken over in case of war. Three months’ active service is necessary before con­firmation in rank or rating in this class.

Thirty thousand dollars is appropriated to establish schools or camps of instruction at such times and in such localities as the Secretary of the Navy may deem advisable for the purpose of instructing members and applicants for membership in the naval reserve force.

Volunteer Naval Reserve.—The members of this class are persons who are eligible for enrollment in any one of the other classes and who obligate themselves to serve in the navy in any office of the said classes without retainer pay and uniform gratuity in time of peace.

Naval Reserve Flying Corps.—Members of this class are persons trans­ferred from the flying corps of the navy and surplus graduates of the aeronautic school herein recommended to be established. It may be com­posed also of citizens skilled in flying after passing examination, and members upon request may be given active service from two weeks to one month in any one year and receive the pay of a naval flyer.

Marine Corps Reserve.—A Marine Corps reserve is also recommended to be composed of ex-officers and ex-enlisted men of the Marine Corps and is established under the same conditions in all respects (except as may be necessary to adopt the said provisions for the Marine Corps) as those providing for the fleet naval reserve.—Army and Navy Register, 3/6.

The Chief of Naval Operations.—The Senate agrees to the House provision that Chief of Naval Operations while so serving as Chief of Naval Operations shall have rank and title of admiral, to rank after the Admiral of the navy and receive $10,000 per year and no allowances, and shall have as assistants 15 of and above rank of lieutenant commander of the navy or major of Marine Corps, and adds the proviso:

That hereafter the Chief of Naval Operations shall, under direction of Secretary of Navy, be charged with operations of fleet, with preparation and readiness of plans for its use in war. This shall include direction of Naval War College, Office of Naval Intelligence, Office of Target Practice and Engineering Competitions, operation of Radio Service and of other systems of communication, operations of Aeronautic Service, of Mines and Mining, of Naval Defence Districts, Naval Militia, and of Coast Guard when operating with navy; direction of all strategic and tactical matters, organ­ization, maneuvers, target practice, drills and exercises, and of training of fleet for war; preparation, revision, and enforcement of all tactics, drill books, signal codes, and cipher codes. Orders issued by Chief of Naval Operations in performance of duties enumerated in this paragraph shall be considered as emanating from Secretary of Navy and shall have full force and effect as such. Chief of Naval Operations shall be charged with preparation, revision, and record of Regulations for Government of Navy, Naval Instructions, and General Orders. He shall advise Secretary con­cerning movements and operations of vessels of navy and prepare all orders issued by Secretary in regard thereto, and shall keep records of service of all fleets, squadrons, and ships. He shall advise Secretary in regard to mili­tary features of all new ships and as to any proposed extensive alterations of a ship which will affect her military value, and all features which affect military value of drydocks, including their location; also as to matters pertaining to fuel reservations and depots, location of radio stations, reserves of ordnance and ammunition, fuel, stores and other supplies of whatsoever nature, with a view to meeting effectively demands of fleet. In preparing and maintaining in readiness plans for use of fleet in war he shall freely consult with and have advice and assistance of the various bureaus, boards and offices of department, including Marine Corps headquarters, in matters coming under their cognizance. After approval of any given war plans by Secretary it shall be duty of Chief of Naval Operations to assign to bureaus, boards, and offices such parts thereof as may be needed for in­telligent carrying out of their respective duties in regard to such plans. Chief of Naval Operations shall from time to time witness operations of fleet as an observer. He shall ex-officio be a member of General Board.— Army and Navy Journal, 1/7.

NAVIGATION—RADIO

Radio Equipment of German Airships.—It is gathered from reports that the new German naval and military airships are equipped with wireless apparatus of greater range than that employed heretofore. The aerial largely used in connection with the wireless installations on Zeppelins is said to consist of a phosphor bronze wire that is paid out from a spool as the airship rises, to its length of 750 feet. The radio equipment is extremely compact, and power is furnished by a small generator weighing 270 pounds. The apparatus is such that the danger of sparks, either in the instruments themselves or in neighboring objects through the influence of induction, is reduced to a minimum. Every large aerodrome in Germany has a wireless station, which enables the airships to keep in touch with their bases. The Zeppelins have a range of about 120 miles, and when it is remembered that the messages may he relayed from one craft to the other, it becomes obvious that on many of the raids over England the commanders of the airships no doubt remain in communication with the authorities at home.—Scientific American, 8/7.

Radio Direction Finder.—The following is republished for the benefit of navigation:

The attention of all ships navigating the waters 111 the vicinity of Gape Cod is called to the installation at the United States Naval Radio Station, North Truro, Mass., of the Bellini-Tosi direction finder.

The purpose of the direction finder is to ascertain the true bearing by radio waves of a ship from the radio station, North Truro, as well as the true direction of the radio station from the ship, thus affording a new aid to navigators in determining their position by radio. It must be understood that this apparatus is still in an experimental stage and too much con­fidence should not be placed in the bearings given. From tests already con­ducted the direction finder has been found to be correct within about two degrees.

All merchant vessels fitted with radio are requested to cooperate with the department in these experiments, and whenever within 100 miles of North Truro should request their bearings from that station and inform North Truro how such bearing checks with the ship’s observation. In accordance with the above the following procedure should he followed by slims desiring to get their bearing from the radio station, North Truro.

A ship will call by radio the radio station. North Truro, whose call letters are N A E, and request her bearing. North Truro will acknowledge and request the ship to send long dashes for five minutes on 600-meter wave length. North Truro will record the ship’s direction on the direction finder and report same to the ship. North Truro being on the point of Cape Cod. a ship may be on the other side of the cape for the same setting of the direc­tion finder. The ship will therefore be given the two possible angles from true north, the decision being left to the ship as to which is her correct bear­ing. The position of the radio station, North Truro, is lat. 42° 02’ 28” N., lon. 70° 03’ 38” W. The report sent to the ship will read, for example, as follows:

Position type—N. 120° W., and N. 60° E., from lat. 42° 02’ 28” N., and lon. 70° 03’ 38” W.—these being the possible true bearings of the ship from the radio station.

For the present tests should only be made within a radius of 100 miles of the radio station.—Hydrographic Bulletin, 24/5.

Submarine Mines—Caution.—Information received from the American Ambassador at London, under date of May 2, 1916, through the courtesy of the Department of State, is as follows:           

“It has been found necessary to extend the eastern limit of the danger area of the British mine field off the Belgian coast so as to include the waters south of lat. 51° 40' N. as far as the meridian of 3° 20’ E.

“The mine field as previously reported on October 2, 1915, extended from lat. 51° 15' N. to lat. 51° 40' N. and lon. 1° 35 E. to lon. 3° E.” —Hydro­graphic Bulletin.

International Ice Observation and Ice Patrol Service. For the purpose of carrying on the International Ice Observation and Ice Patrol Service provided for by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. London, 1913-14, the U. S. Coast Guard cutters Seneca and Tampa (formerly named Miami) have been detailed for this service.

The object of the Ice Patrol Service is to locate the icebergs and field ice nearest to the trans-Atlantic steamship lane. It will be the duty of patrol vessels to determine the southerly, easterly, and westerly limits of the ice, and to keep in touch with these fields as they move to the southward, in order that radio messages may be sent out daily, giving the whereabouts of the ice, particularly the ice that may be in the immediate vicinity of the regular trans-Atlantic steamer lane.

The Seneca, which has been performing Ice Observation and Ice Patrol Service since February 19, 1916, left Halifax April 5 on ice patrol duty; and during the months of April, May, and June, and as much longer as neces­sary, these two vessels will alternate on patrol, making alternate cruises of about 15 days in the ice region; the 15 days to be exclusive of time occupied in going to and from Halifax. The movements of the vessels will be so regulated that on the 15th day after reaching the ice region the vessel on patrol will be relieved by the second vessel if possible, at which time the first vessel will proceed to Halifax, replenish her coal supply, and return in time to relieve the other vessel at the end of the latter’s 15-day cruise. It is important that the patrol be continuous, and the vessel on patrol will not leave her station until relieved by the other vessel unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.

Having located the ice, the patrol vessel will send the following daily radiograms. All time in radiograms will be in 75th meridian time.

(a)     At 6 p. m. (75th meridian time) ice information will be sent broad­cast for the benefit of vessels, using 600-meter wave length. This message will be sent three times with an interval of two minutes between each.

(b)     At 6.15 p. m. (75th meridian time) the same information will be sent broadcast three times in similar manner, using 300-meter wave length.

(c)At 4 a. m. (75th meridian time) a radiogram will be sent to the Branch Hydrographic Office, New York City, through the nearest land radio stations, defining the ice danger zone, its southern limits, or other definite ice news. The telegraphic address of the Branch Hydrographic Office is “Hydrographic, New York.”

(d)     Ice information will be given at any time to any ship with which the patrol vessel can communicate.

Ice information will be given in as plain concise English as practicable, and will state in the following order:

(a) Ice (berg or field).

(b)Date.

(c) Time (75th meridian time).

(d) Latitude.

(e) Longitude.

(f) Other data as may be necessary.

While on this duty, the patrol vessel will endeavor by means of daily radio messages to keep ships at sea advised of the limits of the ice fields, etc. —Hydrographic Bulletin, 17/5.

To Prevent Sea Collisions.—At a meeting of the board of the Marconi Company to-day Godfrey Isaacs said that Mr. Marconi authorized him to announce that in the very near future he would introduce a new, inde­pendent and very simple apparatus to be worked from the bridge of a ship which would put an end to all danger of collision in darkness or fog.

There was little doubt, he added, that every sea-going vessel would be equipped with the invention.—N. Y. Times, 15/6.

ORDNANCE AND GUNNERY

Sixteen-Inch Guns for New Battleships.—After a spirited debate of a year or more the United States Navy has decided to adopt 16-inch guns for the new battleships California and Tennessee. In place of twelve 14- inch guns, carried by the Pennsylvania class, the new battleships will mount eight 16-inch guns.

The change was recommended by the Navy General Board a few days ago and was approved by Mr. Daniels, Secretary of the Navy.

It is true that naval officers were by no means united in their views con­cerning the wisdom of the change. One school of officers, with representa­tives on the General Board and holding influential posts in the Navy Depart­ment, contended strongly for a continuance of the 14-inch guns.

The Value of 16-Inch Guns.—The superior value of the 16-inch gun lies in its power to pierce armor plate at a greater range. The 14-inch gun serves for this up to about 15,000 yards; the 16-inch gun up to about 17,000 yards. Thus below that range both guns are equally effective in piercing armor and beyond the 17,000 yard range the two guns again are on a parity, for neither of them is effective in that respect. The 16-inch gun has the advantage while the range is held at between 15,000 and 17,000 yards.

It was the contention of the officers favoring the 14-inch gun that the loss of four guns necessitated by a change to the 16-inch type was not counter­balanced by the advantages to be obtained in a battle fought at the extreme 15,000 to 17,000 yard range.

Twelve 14-inch guns afford a superior volume of fire, and at a range of less than 15,000 yards twelve of these guns are held to be more effective than eight of the larger caliber. These officers believe that the vital naval engagements will be fought at a range where the 14-inch gun will be com­pletely effective.

Fear of Being Outranged.—On the other hand, those advocating the 16- inch gun held that the United States Navy could not afford to take a chance on having its dreadnoughts underranged, for in that case an enemy with greater speed might hold a range where his shells would pierce the armor plate of the American battleships, whose 14-inch guns would be useless. This theory, of course, presumes the ability of naval gunners to direct effective fire at ranges of 15,000 to 17,000 yards.            

The newest types of British battleships and battle cruisers mount 15-inch guns; hence the United States is to surpass these biggest of guns.

Officers of the Ordnance Bureau of the Navy Department have already developed and tested a 16-inch gun at Indian Head. Thus the Bureau of Ordnance is ready for the change anti it will not necessitate any delay in the commissioning of the California and Tennessee.—New York Herald, 2/7.

Torpedo-Tubes in Large Warships.—An editorial in The Engineer of May 26, 1916, opposes the retention of torpedo-tubes on all large warships. After covering the history of the torpedo-tube and giving details of the installations in all navies, the article recalls that in 1903 the U. S. Navy Department decided to abandon tubes in future construction, the Connecti­cut, Virginia, Washington and Colorado class being the ones immediately affected, but an increase in the range and efficiency of torpedoes caused the department to recede from its decision. Having related the incidents con­nected with the failure of torpedoes to produce decided results in any of the late naval wars, including the present one, the author states that the gun range has again passed the accurate torpedo range and concludes:

When it is remembered that a saving in displacement of 5 to 7 per cent could be effected if torpedo-tubes were omitted, the discussion as to the necessity or otherwise of including this equipment in large armored ships assumes more than academic interest. The number, arrangement, and dis­tribution of submerged tubes are, indeed, factors of great influence in determining the design of such vessels. A notable case in point is fur­nished by the Japanese battle cruiser Kongo. This vessel has eight broad­side tubes, to accommodate which four large submerged compartments, some as much as 24 feet in length, had to be provided, owing to the great size of the latest torpedo. As only torpedo equipment can be accommodated in these flats, a large amount of internal space is necessarily wasted. In the case of a vessel originally designed to have no tubes, the addition of eight tubes with torpedoes and gear, equivalent to a total weight of 90 tons, would mean an increase in length of at least 50 feet, involving in turn an increase of 1800 tons in the displacement of the ship, due to the extra weight of the torpedo equipment, added length, and increased power needed to obtain the same speed. It will be seen, therefore, that the fitting of torpedo- tubes to a large man-of-war adds considerably to the displacement and, con­sequently to the first cost; but whether there is a corresponding addition to the actual fighting power of the ship seems more than doubtful. All the arguments that 13 years ago temporarily decided the United States naval authorities to abandon this feature of the equipment apply with much greater force to-day. A good case might have been made for the retention of the torpedo when the normal battle range did not exceed two and a half miles; but in actual fact it has risen to more than double this distance. In the Falklands action Admiral Sturdee’s battle cruisers opened fire at 13,500 yards, and apparently at no time did the range fall below 10,000, yet both the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau were virtually shot to pieces. These dis­tances were much exceeded in the running fight on the Dogger Bank, when the British battle cruisers began to score hits at 18,000 yards and the Blucher was disabled by 13.5-inch shells fired at 16,000 yards. With the still heavier and more powerful guns which now form the armament of the latest British and foreign capital ships, battle ranges are more likely to extend than otherwise. Hence as things are it is clear that there is no place in modern tactics for the employment of the torpedo by ships of the line, and whilst the torpedo may still fill an important role in fleet actions, through the agency of destroyers, submarines and possibly light cruisers, the conclusion seems irresistible that torpedo equipment in capital ships is an anachronism.

ENGINEERING

Electric Ship Progress.—The “cranks” who first suggested applying electric transmission to ships can seek consolation in the knowledge that despite the adverse criticism of certain experts, practical results are now not by any means negligible. The fact that the United States Navy is electrically equipping three super-dreadnoughts proves, if proof is neces­sary, that there is something in the idea, and we may add to this the recent news that 21 ships are being fitted with the Ljungstrom turbo-electric system. For the pioneer work British engineers claim the credit, although the first practical example of the turbo-electric system was on the United States collier Jupiter, of 20,000 tons displacement and 12,000 tons dead­weight. The economy of this vessel, notably at low speeds, led the United States naval authorities to equip three new super-dreadnoughts. But there is, of course, a vast difference between these vessels and those which are being fitted with the Ljungstrom system. These latter ships have an aggregate shaft horse-power of 32,000 and vary from ocean-going vessels to river steamers. As they are not yet finished, results cannot be discussed. The system, however, has been installed on the merchant ship Mjolner, of 900 shaft horse-power, which began to run in December, 1914, on coasting trade routes in Swedish waters. Careful tests, extending over a period of four months, are claimed to show that the economy of the Mjolner is 38 per cent better than that of a corresponding reciprocating-engined ship, this economy being measured by comparing the nautical miles run per ton of coal burnt by the two ships over the stated period.

The Ljungstrom system as applied to the Mjolner is not wholly electric, for the motors transmit their power to the propeller shaft through mechan­ical gears, with the result that there is an exceptionally large speed reduc­tion. For the average run of merchant ships the direct-coupled turbine drive is not suitable on account of the low speed of rotation necessary for efficient propellers. For travelling speeds of from 10 to 13 knots the most suitable propeller speeds are from 60 to 80 revolutions per minute, and as the horse-power required to drive these ships varies from 1000 to 3000, according to the speed and dimensions of the hull, the best speed for turbines—or, at any rate, Ljungstrom turbines—as proved by experience, are 4000 or 3000 revolutions per minute. For the best results, therefore, a 50 to 1 reduction ratio is needed. It was to meet such conditions that the Ljungstrom transmission system was designed, the originators recognizing perfectly that for torpedo-boat destroyers or express Channel steamers, where the propeller speed is relatively high and the total shaft horse-power relatively large in comparison with the displacement of the vessel, mechani­cal or hydraulic reduction in some form or another still offers advantage over any system of electric propulsion. The reduction ratio of the Mjolner is 80, the turbine speed at 10 knots being 7200 and that of the propeller 90. This ratio is in some measure due to the size of the installa­tion, larger equipments having a ratio of 50 to 1. For driving the merchant ship Mjolner two Ljungstrom turbines are provided, each driving three-phase generators which supply current to two induction motors geared by double helical pinions to a common gear wheel mounted upon the propeller shaft. The mechanical and electrical gear ratios are 10 and 8 to 1 respec­tively, giving a total reduction of 80 to 1 between the turbines and pro­peller shafts. On merchant ships, such as the Mjolner, it is unnecessary to complicate the electrical gear by the provision of pole-changing arrange­ments. To travel at half speed one of the turbines is run at half its normal number of revolutions, and between three-quarters and full speed both sets are worked in parallel at speeds corresponding to requirements. Hence, the turbines work under at least as efficient conditions and with the same elasticity as in the case of ordinary geared turbines controlled by a throttle valve or nozzles. With battleships the conditions are altogether different. To enable these vessels to travel at cruising speeds for prolonged periods, pole-changing motors are no doubt advantageous. But on all ships the speed must be reduced to zero when it is desired to reverse. This can be done conveniently by inserting resistance in the rotor circuits, for the duration of running under these conditions is insignificant, and the loss involved -of no account whatever. The control of the Mjolner is affected by a simple rectangular switchbox, within which all the gear, including liquid resistances, is placed. By turning a hand wheel cones are lifted out of the liquid resistance and the motors then come to rest. The stator leads are then reversed, and the cones again lowered into the liquid, when the motors run in the opposite direction, the total time taken to reverse from full speed ahead to full speed astern being on an average fifteen seconds.

The idea that always strikes marine engineers when confronted with this proposition of applying electric transmission to ships is that the system is complicated and costly. In the present case there appears at first sight good reasons for this belief, seeing that both mechanical and electrical transmis­sion is involved. Upon the other hand, it is to be remembered that the high turbine speed results in small and light power units and a marked gain in fuel economy. That ships equipped with this gear are more costly than those fitted with orthodox power plants the makers do not deny, but the increase is said only to amount to 7 or 8 per cent, depending upon the class of vessel, and a saving of 35 to 40 per cent of fuel, is claimed.—The Engineer, 2/6.

The Motor Ship Oregon.—The motor ship Oregon, built for Det Forenede Dampskibselskab (the United Steamship Company), of Copen­hagen, carried out her official trials in Copenhagen Sound on the 15th and 17th of April. During the trials on the 15th there were progressive runs over the measured mile, while in the trial on the 17th the fuel consumption was measured during a three hours’ consumption test. The consumption was found to be 0.142 kilos, (say, .303 lb.) of ordinary Borneo crude oil per horse-power hour. The speed was 12.49 knots, with 2900 indicated horse-power and with the engines running at 148 revolutions per minute.

The main engines of the Oregon are six-cylinder four-stroke single-acting Diesel engines, with a cylinder diameter of 590 mm. and a stroke of 900 mm., and are calculated to develop at normal rating 2800 indicated horse­power at 140 revolutions per minute. Each engine drives its own main compressor, the latter being of Messrs. Burmeister and Wain’s standard three- stage marine type. For driving the auxiliary machinery there are three dynamos, each driven by a four-stroke single-acting two-cylinder Diesel engine. These engines are enclosed and fitted with forced lubrication, as are the main engines, and each has its own air compressor and pump for forced lubrication, so that they are totally separate from the main engines, only the cooling water being taken from the common cooling water system. Each of these engines develops normally 75 brake horse-power at 325 revolu­tions per minute, and is directly coupled to a dynamo with a normal capacity of 50 kilowatts at 220 volts. According to the firm’s general arrangement, these engines are of such a size that one of them can take the whole load for working all the auxiliary machinery for normal running at sea. Usually, however, one set is laid off while the two others are kept running, and one engine alone could take the whole load if the other engine had from any cause to be stopped. When in port two of the engines are sufficient for working all the electric winches, so that one of the engines is always in reserve.

The auxiliary machinery consists of two sets of electrically driven pumps for the forced lubrication, two sets of electrically driven centrifugal cooling water pumps, one daily supply pump for pumping up the fuel oil from the bottom tank to the settling tanks, two sets of bilge and sanitary pumps, one electrically driven ballast pump, and an electrically driven auxiliary air pump of such a size that it, in connection with one of the main air pumps, is able to give the necessary air for full load on both the main engines if one of the main air pumps is put out of work. All the dynamos and motors are wound for 220 volts, but for lighting purposes a pressure of no volts is used. The steering gear, the winches and the anchor windlass are all electrically driven.

For heating purposes there is a small boiler, and in connection with this a small auxiliary compressor for filling up one of the compressed air bottles should all the air be exhausted.—The Engineer, 2/6.

Boilers of French Dreadnoughts.—A further subject for congratulation is that the four quadruple-turret cuirasses have been fitted with small-tube boilers of the Normand, Guyot, Belleville, and Niclausse types, especially studied with a view to high rate of combustion (up to 225 kilos per square meter of grate), and to adaptability to military requirements in the matter of smokelessness and sudden changes of speed. Mediterranean experience, it will be remembered, proved rather unfavorable, in these respects, to the large-tube Niclausses and Bellevilles, which it has too long been the fashion to exclusively fit in our large ships.—Naval and Military' Record, 7/6.

The Diesel Engine in the British Navy.—At the recent spring meeting of the Institution of Naval Architects. Engineer Lieut. Commander W. P. Sillince (retired) read a paper entitled, “A Brief Summary of the Present Position of the Marine Diesel Engine and Its Possibilities.” The paper well repays study. The writer was compelled to admit that, with few excep­tions, the process of evolution and development of the marine Diesel engine has been carried out entirely on the continent, adding that it was there that the largest experience had been gained and most progress made to the detriment of progress in this country. For this reason naval officers gen­erally may be recommended to obtain and study the report of this paper and the informing discussion to which it gave rise. At the same time, this officer was able to show that the Diesel engine has already exercised con­siderable influence on the British Navy. He could not, of course, state the number of vessels in the navy equipped with such engines or furnish more than the scantiest information about the engines themselves. His statements, however, were sufficiently specific to indicate what has already been done. There have been constructed and set to work some hundreds of such engines, aggregating over 50,000 b. h. p., the powers per shaft being generally slightly under 1000 b. h. p., and the powers per cylinder varying from 100 to 150 b. h. p. The speeds of rotation vary from 350 to 500 revo­lutions per minute. In a few instances the power is as high as 1500 b. h. p. per shaft, the power per cylinder varying from 125 to 250 b. h. p. “It is also known that in the summer of 1914 certain engines of submarine type, designed to develop 2500 b. h. p. per shaft, or over 300 b. h. p. per cylinder, were nearing completion, and they are now doubtless on service.” Quite recently an experimental single-cylinder submarine type engine, this officer added, was tested on shore, and developed rather more than 500 b. h. p. at about 350 revolutions per minute. The reliability was said to be extremely good, as determined by a shop test of considerable duration, as was also the fuel economy. An 8-cylinder engine made up of such units would therefore give about 4000 b. h. p. per shaft, which exceeds the power per shaft of the largest mercantile engine at present built and installed. Vague, and necessarily vague, as these figures are, they point to a very considerable development in the use of the Diesel engine in the fleet. That the new type of engine is not without its troubles Lieut. Commander Sillince admitted, but he believes that the Diesel engine has a future of considerable impor­tance. He dismissed the light cruiser and destroyer as unsuited to such an installation, but apparently thinks it not improbable that it will be adapted to battleships, with a great increase in radius of action—threefold or more. But he instanced the submarine as the ideal field for the use of the Diesel engine, and looks forward to increasing employment in fleet auxiliaries.— Naval and Military Gazette, 17/5.

SUBMARINES

“U-35’s” Visit to Cartagena—A Prediction.—The mysterious visit of the German submarine U-35 to the Spanish port of Cartagena re­cently is described by the Madrid correspondent to Lloyd’s Weekly News as having as its object the delivery of an autograph letter from the Kaiser to King Alfonso, conveying proposals for peace.

The correspondent also sends an unconfirmed report that another U-boat is on the way to New York with “a peace letter” for President Wilson.

“It was on Wednesday at 4 a. m. that the German submarine U-35, show­ing no lights and without making her presence known to the port authorities, crept into the Cartagena Harbor. She made straight for the German steamer Roma, which had been lying at anchor, interned, since the war began. After a brief parley she handed over to the Roma 35 boxes of medical stores and similar goods sent by the German Government for German soldiers interned in Spain from the Kameruns.

“When the port commandant heard of the U-35’s presence the Spanish cruiser Cataluna was sent to order the U-boat to leave the Roma and come alongside the cruiser. The command was obeyed. Salutes were exchanged between the U-boat, the cruiser, and the port batteries, and the firing soon brought a crowd to the quays, small boats putting off to visit the submarine, which was soon surrounded.

“The German Consul, his wife, and one of the officers landed and visited the authorities. Later the crew disembarked and toured the town. They told the people they had come from Pola, and while on the journey had sunk several French, Russian and Italian boats.

“At 11 p. m. there arrived a special train from Madrid, bringing the German Ambassador’s Secretary, his wife, and the Naval Attache. News of the U-boat’s arrival bearing an autograph letter from the Kaiser to the King of Spain on the subject of peace proposals had reached Madrid at 10 o’clock that morning and the special was chartered at a cost of $1300.

“They at once went on board the submarine. A long conference ensued and the Kaiser’s letter was delivered to the Ambassador’s Secretary.

“The submarine left port at 3.1-5 the next, morning with green lights burning. It was accompanied to the limit of territorial water by a Spanish torpedo-boat and the cruiser Cataluna. A huge crowd watched the de­parture. Far out at sea lights were faintly discernible which were thought to be those of the Allies’ ships waiting for the U-boat. Just before reach­ing the Spanish sea limit, the Germans gave cheers for the Spanish boats and dived.”—New York Times, 25/6.

The German Merchant Submarine “Deutschland.”—The truth of rumors that had freely circulated for weeks was borne out by the entry of the merchant submarine Deutschland to the port of Baltimore on July 10, with a cargo of dyestuffs and scrap iron ballast aggregating 750 tons.

Quoted statements from the Deutschland’s commander, Paul Konig, pub­lished in the Washington Star cover generally the inception, details, and object of the vessel and its first voyage.

(From Prepared Statement by Captain Konig)

“The submarine Deutschland, which I have the honor to command, is the first of several submarines, built to order of the Deutsche Ozean-Rhederei G. M. B. H., Bremen. She will be followed by the Bremen shortly.

“The idea of the building of this submarine emanated of Mr. Alfred Lohmann, then president of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce. He brought his idea in the fall of last year confidentially before a small circle of friends, and the idea was taken up at once. A company was formed under the name of ‘Deutsche Ozean-Rhederei G. M. B. H.,’ and the Germaniawerft, Kiel, was intrusted with the building of the submarine.

* * * *

Captain Konig’s own story of the Deutschland’s voyage across the ocean was told to newspaper correspondents soon after he made public his prepared statement. He laughed at stories of his being chased far off his course by enemy vessels, and declared that during the entire trip the vessel traveled submerged only about 90 miles.

'I have seen,” said the captain, “statements that we were forced to go hundreds of miles out of our course in the Atlantic because of British warships. That is not so. Why should we go out of our course, except to submerge? That is the simplest and most effective way to get out of our course. Besides it is much easier to submerge.

“We came to Hampton Roads by the straight course from the English Channel. We did not come by way of the Azores. Altogether from Helgo­land to Baltimore we covered 3800 miles. Of that distance 90 miles were driven under the surface of the water.

“Throughout the entire trip the officers and crew were in excellent health and spirits. Of course, when we were under water for long spells the air got very stuffy sometimes, and there was some inconvenience, but it never was serious. The Deutschland is built to stay under water for four consecutive days, so you see we never reached anywhere near our submersion limit on this voyage.

“The ship is much easier to ride in than a torpedo-boat destroyer; much steadier. Nothing can happen to her, she is so perfectly built. Of course, she rolls a little at times, but that is no hardship.

“Any nation that can build a ship like the Deutschland can do what we did.

“There is little to tell of the trip,” he continued. “We left Helgoland June 23 and steamed on the surface into the North Sea. Before sailing we conducted trial trips and drills for the crew for ten days or two weeks, having proceeded from Bremen to our starting point. I had never been on a submarine voyage and all the training I had was received in the practice trips on the Deutschland.

“Everything went without incident the first day, but on the second day in the North Sea we were in the zone of the British cruisers and destroyers. We sighted their smoke frequently, but only dived when we thought there was danger of our being detected. Of course, we were difficult to see because we were running so low in the water and gave out no smoke. We did submerge several times in the North Sea, staying under sometimes two hours and sometimes less. Every time we came to the surface, if all looked well, we kept on going. We saw no British battleships in the North Sea, only cruisers and destroyers, or at least what we took to be British naval vessels.           

“We did not on the entire trip come into close proximity with any man- of-war. We avoided them all. It was very simple.

“From the North Sea we went straight through the English Channel, which is alive with warships, and on the night of the fourth day we sub­merged and remained still all night on the ground on the bottom of the channel. There were lots of cruisers near us, we knew, and it was very foggy. So we thought it wise not to take any chances, and I gave the order to submerge for the night and until there should be clearer weather. The next morning all was well, and we proceeded through the channel into the Atlantic Ocean without incident.

“Our trip has demonstrated that the big merchant submarine is practical, and that it has come to stay. We expect the venture to be a great financial success. This ship can carry a cargo of 1000 tons, and on this trip carried 750 tons of dyestuffs, valued at $1,000,000. The charges for the shipment alone will pay for the cost of the Deutschland, about $500,000. On this trip we carried no mails, nor did we carry money or securities. Also we came without insurance, running entirely at our own risk.

“We will go back again, carrying whatever cargo there is for us to take. And we can go without taking on any oil here. We have enough left to take us home. And T want to say that it will be just as easy to go back as it was to come over. We will have no difficulty getting out of the capes, that is, if British warships do not break neutrality and come within the three-mile limit to attack us. How soon we shall leave I do not know, but we will be ready as soon as we get a cargo.”

Built to Submerge 300 Feet.—Captain Konig said that the Deutschland was built for submersion to a depth of 300 feet, but that it was seldom necessary to go more than 50 feet below the surface.—Washington Star, 10/7.

The Deutschland was inspected by the collector of customs on the date of entry and declared in all respects a merchant vessel, carrying no arma­ment and being incapable of conversion into a war vessel without extensive structural changes. A complete materiel inspection by Captain C. T. Hughes. U. S. Navy, was made on June 11, and the report of the collector was confirmed. Further reports though not at all specific as to details give the general characteristics of this vessel.

The submarine Deutschland is 315 feet long and of 30 feet beam. She is built along racing lines, with a sharp outwater and a gracefully rounded elliptical stern, designed to offer as little resistance under headway as pos­sible. Her gunmetal finish gives her a formidable look. She draws awash from 15 to 17 feet of water, and when not submerged her bridge stands about 25 feet above the water line.

She is driven by twin six-cylinder marine Diesel heavy oil-burning engines, each developing 500 horse-power. She carries four officers and 25 men. Her speed on the surface is 14 knots and slightly less than half if submerged.

The machinery of the vessel is amidships, between two storage tanks and between two long freight compartments. Two gangway passages run fore and aft below deck. The conning tower is almost directly amidships. On deck she carries two folding masts that fit snugly in grooves on the deck when not in use. One of the masts, which when straightened aloft is about 100 feet tall, carries a crow’s nest. The portable wireless aerials, which were dismantled as soon as the boat reached her slip, are strung between these masts.

* * * *

Captain Konig swore to the ship’s manifest, which showed that her gross tonnage (by measurement allowing one ton to each hundred cubic feet) was 791 tons and her net tonnage 447 tons. She carried, the manifest showed, 3042 cases of dyestuffs, the value and exact weight of which were not given. In addition there were aboard 300 tons of scrap iron ballast. There was nothing in the official papers to show the exact value of the cargo or its precise nature.—-New York Times, 11/7.

Though the secrecy with which the Germans have surrounded the Deutschland suggests that some startling new principle in submarine con­struction has been applied in her building it must be said that there is noth­ing startlingly new about the boat. An American naval constructor prob­ably could design such a submersible with equally good chances of suc­cessful operation from the present knowledge of submarine design pos­sessed in the American Navy.

The Deutschland has two hulls. In order to obtain the greatest strength to resist high pressure when these boats are submerged, it is necessary to build the principal hull almost perfectly round. But a vessel with such lines is never a fast boat. To obtain speed and the strength against pressure the Germans built the Deutschland with two hulls. The inner hull is perfectly round and very strong. The outer hull is lighter and so shaped that it gives the Deutschland the best possible lines for speed. By means of inlets from the outer hull to the inner hull, the pressure of the water when the boat is submerged is brought chiefly against this inner hull. Instead of building the outer hull as a single sheet of metal and perforating it to let the water enter to the inner hull, thus flooding the entire space between the inner and outer hull, the Germans have built her outer hull after the manner of a waffle iron. This admits the pressure to the inner hull and yet allows the use of much space between the inner and outer hull for storage purpose. In this space are fuel oil and part of the cargo.

In the ordinary cruiser it is necessary to have a round nose or bow, as the torpedo tubes are carried here, in order to get a better direction of fire. But this being not necessary in the Deutschland her bow is brought to a sharp point. This again greatly improves her lines and speed. Ordinarily, if built only for speed, the Deutschland could probably do better than other submersibles because of her better lines. But high speed means more space used for engines. Economy of space controlled the design of the Deutsch­land. In her case her superior speed lines merely mean that with less engine power and hence less space given to that she makes good speed for a submarine—14 knots, it is said.

Interior Design.—Within the circular inner hull is the main cargo space, the men’s quarters and engine-rooms. The living quarters and engines are contained in a long box-like room, hung from the top of the inner hull and run from the how to the stern. All of the space within the inner hull outside of this room is used for the cargo.

* * * *

The engines are ordinary internal combustion Diesel oil engines. The machinery of the Deutschland, the steering and operating machinery forward and the engines, is so complicated that a description of it is impracticable.—New York Herald, 15/7.

Little is published concerning means of propulsion when submerged, though all reports agree that the usual system of storage batteries and motors is used without innovations.

Mine Sweeping.—Under the caption, “The U-Boat Catchers,” there appears in the June issue of The Naval and Military Record of London an article in which the writer describes a visit to the trawler arm of the Grand fleet. This division of the fleet is least heard from, yet it has per­haps one of the most important tasks of British fighting ships. Not only does this arm watch for submarines, but to it is also, to a great extent, intrusted the important duty of mining and mine sweeping.

"The mine has come to play a greater part in the present struggle than was ever anticipated before the outbreak of hostilities. Germany’s sur­reptitious mine laying started on the first day of war, and from that day an ever-growing system of mine sweeping, has been in process of develop­ment around our coasts. To-day, in mine sweepers, mine layers, and anti­submarine craft of all descriptions, we have a subsidiary fleet of amazing dimensions. The efficiency of this department of the naval service is most striking. * * * * All ships on the East Coast are kept to a marked channel, and, like the policeman on point duty, the navy regulates and is responsible for the safety of traffic.

“On a certain part of the coast since the outbreak of the war the channel has been used by no fewer than 21,000 ships. Those who have kept to instructions and have been damaged number only three. In the month of March there passed a town on the east coast of England 1537 steamers. Their nationality was determined as follows: British, 1156; neutrals, 381.* * * * Over 800 trawlers and 420 drifters have been fitted out in one port alone, and over 12,000 men have been employed in various branches of the service.

"The mine-sweeping vessels have been responsible for the collection of no fewer than 460 mines.”—New York Times, 23/6.

The Submarine Chase.—How English warfare against submarines has proved successful, owing largely to American-built motor boats, is told in The Illustrated World (Chicago, June) by A. M. Rud. Off the Kentish coast, in the English Channel, writes Mr. Rud, is a line of little black dots spaced a hundred yards apart. These are barrel-floats, attached by wire cables to mesh-entanglements below. They are adjusted finely to the water- pressure, so that the moment that a big fish—or a submarine—blunders into the snare, the floats above become submerged. We read further:

“Up and down the line of floats a ceaseless patrol is maintained. Never an instant passes in which a majority of the floats are not under eager observation by alert watchers in the ‘fishing-smacks.’

“The smacks are long, low, racing motor boats, built with an eye more to speed than to seaworthiness. A little back of the middle of their lean, 45- foot lengths are the engines, multi-cylindered affairs delivering from 1200 to 1600 horse-power. This tremendous power gives the ‘submarine-killers’ * * * * a speed of over 40 miles an hour, sufficient to enable them to out- maneuver any torpedoes which the hunted submarines may launch at them.

“Nor are these wasps without stings. Each carries forward a 6-pound rapid-fire gun—the largest weapon that has even been mounted success­fully upon a motor boat. It is just heavy enough to puncture the defensive armor of a submarine, yet so small that it can be handled by two men.

“When one of these fast boats, swirling along the course of the steel-net floats, sights one of the barrels that is acting suspiciously, it swings out around the float in a wide circle. If the barrel stays submerged, the men on the motor craft know that a submarine has become entangled and is struggling to get free. The motor boat plies more slowly in a narrower route, keeping her 6-pounder trained constantly on the spot where the sub­marine must rise if it gets clear.

“And the submarine must come to the surface if it can, for the lifting power of its air-tanks is practically the only saving strength it possesses once its propeller gets entangled. While the float is under the surface, divers are at work far below, striving desperately to clear away the mess of entanglements.

“If they succeed, the submarine floats free and rises to the surface, to be greeted immediately by a rain of shots from the 6-pounder. One fair hit usually suffices, for submarines, in spite of the tremendous water-pressure they are built to withstand, are fragile creations with respect to defensive- armor equipment.

“If they fail, the submarine’s enemies above wait five days. This lapse of time sees every living thing in the submarine asphyxiated. Meantime the motor boat has scooted off to the nearest destroyer, the net is raised at the designated point, and the conquered submarine is towed into port.

“Though it is a fact not widely known, because of the jealousy with which the manufacturers have guarded their secret, these submarine-killers —the wasps of the British Navy—are importations from the United States. Accurate data are next to impossible to obtain, but according to the state­ment of a British officer whose name cannot be revealed, 50 of these motor boats are shipped daily from American factories to the Allies. The fac­tories are said to be mostly in Detroit, Michigan—but it is hearsay at best.” —Literary Digest, 24/6.

Abolition of the Periscope.—It is stated from Holland the Germans have built submarines in which the betraying periscope is entirely done away with. Instead, the new submarine has an arrangement on both sides which answers the same purpose. “There is a lens on both sides in the hull which, in combination with very cleverly arranged mirrors and lenses, enables the look-out to make his observations.” It is admitted that this improvement involves the disadvantage that the submarine must be nearer the surface of the water than is the case with the ordinary periscope, but it is said to be more than offset by the considerable advantage of the absence of an object protruding above the water. “A strong light is thrown through the lens-opening at night, which makes it possible to take a view of the vicinity even at night.” The writer in question notes in this connection that some of those on board the Tubantia thought they saw a light after they had embarked in the boats, but this is hardly reliable evidence in support of the theory. That matter apart, the story is an interesting one. As to the probability of this development in submarine design, only experienced submarine officers can decide. The mere suggestion, however, that the Germans—exceedingly clever in all optical matters—have been able to dis­pense with the periscope may lead to further research on this side of the North Sea.—Naval and Military Record, 26/4.

Submarine’s Feat.—300 Miles Voyage with Smashed Bows.—The Press Bureau on Wednesday issued for publication an article written by Jane Anderson, describing the thrilling experience of a British submarine dur­ing a recent voyage on a naval mission. She says:

“In a certain dockyard in England there is to be found a splendid tribute to the prowess of the British submarines, and the skill of those who man them. It is one of the finest of H. M. undersea boats, which, with her bow twisted and bent as the result of collision with an enemy mine in enemy waters, covered a distance of almost 300 miles under her own power, and arrived safely in a home port.

“She struck a mine head on. The explosion smashed two of her bulk­heads, broke all the glass aboard her and sent the crew sprawling to the floor of the compartments, but her torpedoes did not explode, her motors did not stop, her dials did not fail to register. She dropped to the bottom of the sea, and water flooded in under the doors of the torpedo tubes. But within 10 minutes of the collision she had been righted, had come to the surface, and turned her nose towards home. I had heard stories of German submarines sunk by a single shot, and so asked one of the officers how the boat had survived the tremendous shock of a mine explosion.

"‘She held because of her strength,’ he said. ‘It broke her bow and tore oft two of her bulkheads, but the last one held. The efficiency of her pumps was not impaired. Within two minutes we had them working. You see we didn’t know what had happened. Water was spurting in, and broken glass was everywhere. We didn’t know what was to become of us. We were as far down as we could be, and as for getting up—well, it didn’t look to have much of a chance.

It was fine to see the crew. They got up on their feet and at their stations before the commander had time to order them there. In two minutes the order to rise had gone through to the engine-room, and the pumps were working, but whether we were going to rise or not remained to be seen. It was still enough down there after the explosion. You could hear the motors turning. It's not much of a sound they make, but we were glad enough to hear it, and when we saw the bubble in the clinometer was registering and the inclination was becoming less we knew matters were not as bad as they might have been. We weren’t long in getting up.

“At any time there’s nothing like coming up into the air and sunlight after you’ve been under for a bit. But this was different; yes, this was a bit different. We came up. In the silence-room there was the noise of the wireless sparking. The operator was testing it. At any rate, we were floating, so we started looking over her for damage. Things didn’t look particularly promising, but it all came to whether we could make port alone or not. We took a look at the bow-plating and at the bulkheads. They looked pretty bad, hanging loose in strips. But we decided we could make it. The engines were right; nothing broken here. The periscope was true. It was only her bow and her rudder that were gone. So we started back’. We drove along under our own power. There was a bit of a sea. The waves broke over the bridge and pounded on the one bulkhead we had left forward. And so,’ he said and smiled, we came home.’ ’’—Naval and Mili­tary Record, 24/5.

AERONAUTICS

In an article on the value of dirigibles, published in the Rivista Marittima May, 1916 Lieut Commander U. Rossini reaches the following conclusions:

1.    The dirigible plays an important part in naval warfare, for purposes of scouting at close and long range.

2.    It is adapted to take the offensive against enemy positions, as it is able to attain heights much greater than are possible for aeroplanes.

3.    It is probably best defence against attacks on the part of enemy dirigibles.

4.    The type of dirigible best adapted for each of the purposes indicated (with the exception of close-range scouting, where smaller types are suffi­cient) is that of large dimensions.

5.    The type of medium dimensions (which is probably the only type available to the Western Allies in the present war), while it may accomplish fair results in scouting and offensive operations, is of little value for the purpose which is at present of chief importance to Italy—that of defence against enemy aircraft.

The Armament of Zeppelins.—The armament of the more recent types of Zeppelins includes, according to the Rivista Marittima, six machine-guns two quick-firing guns, a launching apparatus for aerial torpedoes very similar to a ship’s torpedo-launching tube, and various apparatus for drop­ping bombs. The gondolas are protected by armor which is proof against rifle bullets and also against splinters of anti-aircraft projectiles when fired from a certain distance.—Engineering, s/s.

New German Airship.—People living along the Swiss border of the Lake of Constance have been greatly surprised over the movements of the new monster airship, much larger than all other Zeppelins, that has been making trial trips over the lake. The length of this ship is said to be 240 yards, or almost double that of other Zeppelins. The cubic contents is even more than double, 54,000 cubic meters instead of 20,000, and the number of the gondolas is four instead of two. These gondolas are said to be armed with guns, machine guns and a new kind of air torpedo.

Despite its huge bulk the ship gives the impression of fishlike slenderness. The steering gear forms an exact cross. The motors are 3000-4000 horse­power, able to give the airship a speed of 90 kilometers an hour. To avoid breakdowns, the motors are in double number. The crew is said to be thirty to forty men. The ship can reach a height of three to four miles.— Washington Star, 3/7.

Defence Against Zeppelins.—Lord Montagu, speaking at a meeting, mentioned that since the beginning of the war the Royal Naval Air Service had been increased by 40 times and the Royal Flying Corps has also been augmented. These figures within a few months would he very largely ex­ceeded, but the time had arrived when the air service should be capable of independent action, and when both the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps should be placed under one united control as an Imperial Air Service.

“Zeppelins are becoming more perfect. The one which was wrecked off the coast of Norway the other day, I am informed, had six engines one more than any Zeppelin had hitherto been known to possess. They are also much longer, and they are carrying a greater supply of fuel, so that, although we were lucky last week in having three destroyed, you must not go away with the idea that Zeppelins are a thing of the past; they are only just beginning.”

The following are some of the other points made by Lord Montagu in the course of his speech:

General Petain, the hero of Verdun, talked the other day of a French aerial force of 50,000 aeroplanes. In my wildest dreams I have never dared to put before even the mildest of Cabinet Ministers any figures of that sort, but I have suggested that we might eventually get into five figures if great energy is displayed and immediate action taken.

The whole way from the coast of Denmark to the coast of Holland the Germans have a constant patrol of rigid airships, able to stop in the air for at least two days, and, I believe, more, able to see over a horizon measured by, say, 70 or 80 miles, instead of seven or eight in the case of a destroyer, and able thereby to inform the German fleet about the move­ments of our fleet. We have no such rigid airships.

Hitherto there have been 30 raids over this country, and we have only succeeded by our gunfire, both by sea and land, in bringing down three. It cannot be pretended that any of us is satisfied with that result.

The maximum height at which a Zeppelin can come over this country laden with bombs is probably between 6000 and 7000 feet. It might be 8000 feet in certain conditions of weather. But as soon as she has dis­charged her bombs she can attain a much greater height—probably some­where about 10,000 feet.

The proper place to stop the Zeppelin is not when it gets over London, but when it leaves Germany. It is then at its lowest point and stuffed with bombs, and if you happen to hit one of the bombs the Zeppelin will be no more.—London Times, 10/5.

Zeppelins as Scouts.—The Germans have recently illustrated how Zeppelins can co-operate with a fleet. In the recent raid on the Norfolk and Suffolk coast their battle-cruiser squadron, accompanied by light cruisers and destroyers and submarines, was able to cross the North Sea in the darkness without being molested and to return home without encountering any considerable naval force, because the admiral in command had Zeppe­lins acting as his scouts. Apparently the air and sea forces left the German coast soon after sunset; the Zeppelins presumably crossed the North Sea at no great height, and were thus able to signal back information to the naval force, which was presumably travelling under easy steam Four or Five Zeppelins were employed, and they all advanced to the English coast two of them only penetrated inland, dropping a number of bombs while the others appear to have acted as guard at sea to the naval force So far as we are aware, this is the first occasion on which the enemy has definitely employed an air squadron for the purposes of reconnaissance in advance of a naval force.—Naval and Military Record, 3/5.

Six Zeppelins This Year.—The actual number of German airships which have been destroyed since the outbreak of war is not known, but it has been definitely reported that 13 have been wrecked, and that of these the follow­ing six have been lost in the present year:

L-19.—Wrecked in the North Sea on February 3.

L-77— Shot down by French guns in the neighborhood of Brabant-le-Roi, Argonne, on February 21.

L-15.—Hit by gunfire in raid on Eastern Counties and sank off the Thames Estuary on April 1. Crew made prisoners.

L-20.—Wrecked near Stavanger on May 3.

Unnamed vessel.—Destroyed by H. M. S. Galatea and Phaeton off Schles­wig Coast on May 4.

Unnamed vessel.—Brought down by Allied warships at Salonika on Mav 5-—London Times.

Aeroplanes for U. S. Army.—Twenty aeroplanes were ordered last week by the War Department, according to information received by the Aero Club of America, in addition to the twelve now under construction at Plainfield, N.J. The present order includes eight Martin machines and 12 Sloane-Day biplanes. Two of the Martin machines are seaplanes, equipped with 135 horse-power Hall-Scott motors, and will be sent to the Philippines machines will be sent to San Diego, Cal., and will make a total of fourteen machines for training officers at the army flying school — Army and Navy Journal, 17/6.

The United States Aeroplane Industry.—We read in the Iron Age that the remarkable growth of the aeroplane industry of the United States is indicated by the exports of 398 aeroplanes for 1915, against 40 in 1914 and 19 in 1913. The value of the 1915 exports was $2,960,814, or an average of $7439 per machine, against the $6337 in 1914 and $3227 in 1913. The exports of aeroplane parts were also very large, amounting to $2,457,782, as compared with only $145,997 in 1914 and $25,606 in 1913. Imports of aeroplanes into the United States decreased from 16 and 13 in the fiscal years of 1912 and 1913 to only one each in the fiscal years of 1914 and 1915.—Engineering,

Steam Seaplanes Planned.—Navy Department experiments indicate that steam-driven seaplanes may solve the motor problem of air navigation Many officers believe that only the question of getting the weight of the steam plant down to the lowest possible figure remains to be answered before a steamer of the air is constructed and tried out.

Experimental work was begun many months ago, and an improvised plant, consisting of a boiler similar to those used in steam automobiles and a compact steam turbine, has been thoroughly tested.

Steam equipment would guarantee constancy of power, upon which aero­planes depend for stability. Most accidents to aviators, it is pointed out have been due to failure of motors.

Steam turbines also would provide power far in excess of anything now obtainable with gasoline engines, it is said. This is a vital factor, as sea­planes are much heavier than aeroplanes for land service.—N. Y. Times, 6/12.

Table Showing Probable Zeppelin Losses from August 1, 1914, to July 15, 1916

No.	Name	Place	Date	Cause of Loss
1	Z-8*	Badonvillers, France	22- 8-1914	Destroyed by French gunners. Part of crew lost.
2	Z-5*	Mlava, Russia	29- 8-1914	Destroyed by Russian gunners. Crew lost.
3	?*	Seradz, Russia	6- 9-1914	Captured, while at anchor, by a cavalry patrol. Crew of 30, prisoners. Destroyed in shed by British aviators.
	?	Diisseldorf, Germany	9-10-1914
5	LZ-3I*	Friedrichshafen, Germany	21-11-1914	Destroyed in shed by British aviators.
6	?	North Sea	23- 1-1915	Foundered during a storm.
7	L-3*	Esbjerg, Denmark	17- 2-1915	Stranded, having run out of fuel, and broke up. Crew of 16 interned.
8	L-9*	Boulogne, France	5- 3-I9I5	Foundered during a storm,afterhaving raided Calais. Crew lost.
9	L-8*	Tirlemont, Belgium	4“ 3-I9I5	Damaged by British aviator; wrecked on landing. 21 of crew killed.
10	?	Thielt, Belgium	12- 4-1915	Damaged, over Bethune, by French gunners; wrecked on landing.
	?*	North Sea	26- 5-1915	Broke away without crew; foundered
	LZ-37*	Evere, Belgium	7- 6-1915	off Heligoland. Destroyed in shed by British aviators.
13	LZ-38*	Ghent, Belgium	7- 6-1915	Destroyed in mid-air by British avia­tors : crew lost.
14	L-?*	Ostende, Belgium	10- 8-1915	Raided London. Destroyedj*upon her return by British aviators.
15	?*	Vilna, Russia	24- 8-1915	Shot down by Russian gunners; crew of 10 made prisoners.
16		Saint-Hubert, Belgium	13-10-1915	Destroyed by exploding in mid-air.
	?	Maubeuge, France	16-10-1915	Stranded on a chimney and broke up.
18	?	Grodno, Russia	5-11-1915	I >estroyed by the storm on landing.
19	L-18*	Tondern, Germany	17-11-1915	Wrecked in shed through an acci­dental (explosion).
	Z-28	Hamburg, Germany	17-11-1915	Wrecked by the storm.
21	L-22*	Tondern, Germany	1-12-1916	Destroyed in shed through accidental explosion of a bomb.
22	?*	Kalkun, Russia	5-12-1916	Shot down by Russian gunners. Crew lost.
23	?*	Mainvault, Belgium	30- 1-1916	Raided Paris. Damaged by French aviator; wrecked on landing. Raided England. Probably run out of fuel; foundered. Crew lost.
24	L-19*	North Sea	21- 2-1916
25	LZ-77*	Revigny, France	21- 2-1916	Shot down by French motor guns; de­stroyed in fall. Crew of 15 killed. Shot down by British gunners; crew of 18 surrendered. Vessel sank.
26	L-I5*	Kentish Knock, England	1- 4-1916
27	L-20*	Stavanger, Norway	3- 5-1916	Raided Scotland. Stranded, having run out of fuel and drifted with the wind. Blown upby crew; ^killed,i6interned. Shot down by H. M. S. Galatea and Phaoton.
28	?*	Off Schleswig coast	4- 5-1916
29	?*	Salonika	5- 5-1916	Shot down by Allied Warships.

^# Destruction authenticated.

Test for Hydro-Aeroplanes.—The navy will soon, for the first time, try them out under test conditions at sea. The experiments will be undertaken this summer during the maneuvers of the Atlantic fleet. Six of the sea­planes are now being put aboard the armored cruiser North Carolina at the Pensacola naval aviation station.

The North Carolina is fitted with a catapulting device, by means of which hydro-aeroplanes may be launched in the air in any weather, no matter how rough at sea. The device was recently perfected and is said to be in advance of anything now in use in foreign navies. Heretofore it has been possible to use the aircraft only in good weather.

It is stated that the North Carolina will be fitted with a hydrogen generat­ing plant and carry a kite balloon for observation and fire spotting She will operate as a scout in advance of the fleet and the hydro-aeroplanes will be employed to extend her radius of action.—N. Y. Herald 21/6

LESSONS OF THE WAR

Influence of Modern Conditions on Design.—Excepting the French battle fleet which was compelled, by the twofold lack of scouts and of bases near at hand, to keep at sea months upon months (6000 steaming hours in a year) waiting for the Austrian squadrons to come out, the belligerent battleships have for the most part been confined to harbor since the opening of hostilities, there waiting for the “great day." Under the new conditions of warfare long cruises for ships of the line thus appear to be a thing of the past. This is a very important fact, which is bound to materially influence warship designs especially in France, where greater sacrifices have been made to the comfort of crews than in any other navy, under-gunned armored cruisers like the Klebers, Gloires, Renan, etc., being nothing but floating palace hotels, towering some 25 feet above water and offering ex­tensive and vulnerable targets.—Naval and Military Record, 24/5.

Defence Against Submarines.—The question of the influence of the sub marine era on warship design is being again the subject of an interesting controversy in Paris naval circles, together with fast scouts and flotilla units

* * * *

A category of naval students, contends that the impending revolution in warship design will only be superficial, the mastodon battleship having been shown as experiments, as well as by the experience of war to be easily adaptable to the new conditions of warfare, and to be susceptible of a large degree of immunity against under-water attacks. Of late strides have been made towards a satisfactory solution of the problem of anti-submarine defence. Kites of the Sacconey type, now extensively used on board and taking observers an altitude of some 500 meters, whence the radius of vision extends over 50 miles in clear weather, together with dirigibles, slow-going seaplanes, and fixed balloons, will do away to a great extent with the invisibility of submarines, which is their strong point. Secondly, outer shells of the Ferrand type, double nets as recommended by Mons. Bertin will absorb the force of submarine explosions and preserve the hull from serious injury. Thirdly, longitudinal armored bulkheads, as in Normandies but heavier and more effective, together with elaborate subdivisioning, will minimize the effects of the explosion in the rare cases when it takes place in direct contact with the hull, safeguarding the stability and fighting value of the ship. The larger the displacement, the more efficacious the anti-sub­marine protection that ought, it is held, to absorb some 10 per cent of the tonnage instead of 1 or 2 per cent as in recent dreadnoughts. No increase of size necessary if all superfluous superstructures, freeboard, and crew quarters, so noticeable in French battleships, can be suppressed. Such, at least, is the view of our most experienced constructors.—Naval and Military Record, 17/5.

Urges a Scrapping Policy.—On the highest national grounds the policy of hanging on to old ships is a mistake, because their presence on the effective list deludes the public, always under peace conditions ready to be misled if thereby the cost of the navy can be kept down. On naval grounds this policy may be described as inhuman. Under superior orders officers and men are required with inadequate equipment, to defend the flag prob­ably against superior force, and in so doing they are compelled to expose themselves to almost certain destruction. Fortunately for our welfare and the welfare of the Empire, the Admiralty at last realized the costliness of the policy of continually repairing old ships, and these dummy vessels were relegated to the scrap-heap. By this action the Admiralty in 1904 con­tributed to the triumph of the British fleet in 1914- Funds were set free for building new ships, and officers and men, who would otherwise have been in vessels which could neither fight nor run away became available for strengthening the enlarged and efficient squadrons on which in the hour of supreme trial our fortunes depended.

The scrapping policy was of American origin. For many years it had been adopted by business men on the other side of the Atlantic, and was regarded by them as the sheet anchor of American industry. The British naval authorities adopted the principle, but curiously enough the Navy Department of the United States has hitherto failed to follow this lead courageously. The American fleet still includes a large number of ships whose fighting value has long since become a minus quantity.—Naval and Military Record, 10/3.

Sea Power.—The powerlessness of the submarine to interfere with the “safe passage” of well-organized convoys is strikingly illustrated by the recent Admiralty report on the Allied operations in the narrow waters of the Adriatic, which is an ideal field of action for under-water craft, especially when are considered the strategic advantages enjoyed by Austrian bases. From December 17 to February 20 last, some 35° steamers (includ­ing steam trawlers) have, under escort of French and Allied warships and within easy reach of Cattaro, transferred from Albania to either Brindisi or Corfu or inversely, no less than 200,000 troops had 30,000 tons of material, without mentioning provisions and cattle. Against this interminable pro­cession of vessels on so short a sea route, truly exceptional opportunities were offered to the enterprising enemy. Submarines made 19 combined attacks, destroyer flotillas displayed like activity, scattering mines broad­cast, and seaplanes did their worst all this trouble and fuss to bring about the loss of three small steamers, two of which were mined and the other torpedoed. Not a single Serbian soldier lost his life. On the other hand, it has been ascertained that three Austrian submersibles have been sunk, whilst a seaplane was captured off Valona. Thus a creditable achievement on the part of the Allied navies, but also a damaging blow to the prestige of the submarine.

* * * *

Bombardment remains one of the most important operations of sea war­fare, though it must be entrusted no longer to battleships, but to specially- designed, shallow-draft, and practically insubmersible monitors, carrying the heaviest ordnance—a problem of naval architecture both the Paris and London Admiralties have satisfactorily solved. This war will have revived in a new form the gardecotes type on which France has spent so much money and talent, and to so little advantage. The 30-year-old Requin of 7800 tons after successfully testing her modern 10.8-inch guns against the Turks in Egypt, has just been recommissioned by Commander Loizeau for further services in the Levant. And so the monitors of to-morrow, giving up the pretension of being a match for armorclads three times their size, will specialize themselves in the attack on coasts, and only claim to excel in two respects, viz., caliber and range of their very limited armament and relative immunity against underwater explosions.. They will embody sacrifices in speed and armor, and be a recognition of the fact that warships are only “ compromises,” and that " la perfection absolue, in the research of which Gallic ingenieurs have expended so much finance and labor is not to be realized or aimed at in naval construction.—Naval and Military Record.

MERCHANT MARINE

Australian Government Ownership.—In order to provide for the trans­port of the Australian wheat crop Mr. Hughes has bought 15 steamers to be employed in a State-owned steamship line under the title of the “Common­wealth Government Line.” These vessels range in gross tonnage from 3534 to 4454 tons. It is understood that for the larger vessels about £140 000 each has been paid and that the purchase price will run into one or two millions.—Marine Engineer and Naval Architect, July, 1916.

A Census of Seamen.—Up to the first of June “able seamen,” says the Providence Journal, have been certified to the number of 20,678, under the La Toilette law requiring such certification after rigid examination for the deck department on American vessels of 100 gross tons or over, except those navigating rivers exclusively or the small inland lakes, and on fishing or whaling vessels, or yachts.

A report of the steamboat inspection service shows the nationalities of these qualified American seamen. The American born number 6302; naturalized 2165. The remaining 12,000 or so are both of foreign birth and foreign nationality. Included in the native Americans are Hawaiians—first rate sailor material, employed largely on the Pacific side—and Puerto Ricans. Probably, few of the old New England breed are in this census though there are many of them in our fishing fleet.

The Norwegians, of course, are the most numerous among the alien A B’s—2718 of them. Russians or Finns, Swedes, British and Germans follow in order, about 1000 certificates each. But, practically every country on earth is represented. There are 22 Turks, 10 Roumanians and three severally, Serbians, Montenegrins and Bulgarians. More strange is the showing of Swiss sailors, 39 of them. They perhaps acquired their sea strain from a French or Italian ancestry.—New York Times.

Many Ships Built Here.—The Bureau of Navigation of the Department of Commerce announces a large output of ships built in American yards the last year. The total tonnage of new ships is 347,847, and they number 1030. Seaboard yards built 35 large steel merchant steamers aggregating 191,859 gross tons, the largest merchant steel output in their history. Of these, 21 steamers are each over 5,000 gross tons, the largest being the steamer H.H. Rogers, of 10,050 gross tons, and 14 are between 3,000 and 5,000 gross tons each.

The Newport News Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company built six of 40,329 gross; the Maryland Steel Company, at Sparrow’s Point, Md., eight of 35,665 gross tons; the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, five of 32,665 gross; the New York Shipbuilding Company, Camden, N.J., seven of 32,164 gross, and the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy Mass, four of 24,932 gross. The Newport News, Camden, and Quincy yards were also engaged in construction for the United States Navy.

Of steel ocean steamers, 24 of 138,858 gross tons have been registered for foreign trade, and eight of 34.386 gross tons enrolled for the coasting trade. One, the Pacific, of 6034 gross tons, was sold to Norwegians.—New York Times, 9/7.

One Hundred and Seventeen Ships Available.—Rear Admiral Benson chief of operations, testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee last night in favor of the administration’s government shipping bill, said a canvass of the American merchant marine by naval officers had shown only 117 vessels, including all classes, that could be used as naval auxiliaries in case of war. The navy, he said, would need many more than that number to supply its ordinary needs in emergency, not to mention the demand that would arise for first-class fast craft that could be used as scout cruisers.— Washington Star, 23/6.

New Shipbuilding Plant.—The newly organized Sun Shipbuilding Co., of Chester, Pa., has let contracts for a dozen buildings and six building berths. It will be able to construct steamships up to 750 feet length. I he plant will be one of the most modern in America, and virtually all neces­sary equipment for the vessels, including boilers and engines, will be made by the Sun Company at Chester. Employment will be given to 2500 men. It is hoped that the first keel will be laid in September. The Philadelphia & Reading Railway is laying sidings on the site of the proposed shipyard.— Shipping Illustrated, 20/5.

War’s Effect on the World’s Tonnage.—The war’s toll in merchant vessels during the month of May numbered 57 of all types, having an aggre­gate gross tonnage of about 116,724 gross tons. This showed a great falling off over the month of April when 90 vessels of 214,880 gross tons were destroyed. Up to June 1st, this year, the total number of vessels destroyed were 12,076 of over 2,585,362 gross tons. This loss is distributed as fol­lows: British Allies: 1,997,216 tons, of which loss Great Britain suffered two-thirds; neutral shipping destroyed 369,176 tons; German Allies 213.243 tons. No ships of the United States, Japan or Belgium were lost during May.—Marine Journal, 1/7.

Great Britain’s Present Status.—We have now some more reliable statistics as to the effect of the submarine war in the past on the British Mercantile Marine. During 1915, 451 vessels of 814,233 tons were lost owing to the war—not all, of course, due to the submarines. This amount of shipping was only a little more than the volume of new tonnage added 438 ships of 778,321 tons. Taking the vessels lost from all causes during 1915, the total is 1075 ships of 1,534.901 tons. As against this, the total additions during the year, including 92 ships purchased from foreign countries, were 807 vessels of 1,523.750 tons. It will be noticed that the ships added were, on the whole, larger than those lost, so that although the numbers were fewer the tonnage was only less by 11,151 tons. Army and Navy Gazette, 13/5.

Cunard Company Extends Service—A merger which will extend the sphere of influence of the Cunard Steamship Company to Australia and New Zealand was announced last week in the amalgamation of this with the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, operating about 25 ships. Announce­ment of this step following so soon after the recent agreement with the Canadian Northern is taken as an indication that the Cunard Company is organizing a powerful control of shipping with which to enter the struggle for world trade following the war. When the present combination is com­pleted, Cunard ships will serve all important trade routes with the exception of the Pacific and South America. In regard to the latter there is a rumor afloat that a combination is pending with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., which would add South American and West Indian service.—Marine Journal, 3/6.

New Italian Freighter.—The new Italian freighter Milazzo, with a cargo capacity of 14,000 tons, arrived this week from Genoa. She was built for the Navigazione Generale Italiana Line, and her arrival here was a signal for naval architects to investigate the “Menda” system, under which the construction was carried on.   .

She will be followed in September by the Volturno, sister ship. The big freighter is 512 feet in length, 65.8 feet breadth of beam and 33.8 feet moulded depth. Her displacement, loaded, is 20,040 tons, and with a quadruple expansion engine of 4000 horse-power she makes 11 knots

Designed for the carrying of coal, grain or bulk cargo, the holds of the Milazzo are different from other freighters. On either side of the center of the ship are tunnels, each with two tracks laid, on which small cars travel, until shafts are reached, where elevators lead to the upper deck, and con­tinue up tall mast-like guides, taking the cars to a height where, when they are emptied, gravity disposes of the cargo to smaller ships alongside or to the pier. The tunnel roofs in the holds are slanting and feed the cargo through small openings to the cars on the tracks. There are 20 of these elevators and shafts on the Milazzo. The Milazzo has a gross tonnage of 11,477 and a net tonnage of 7537.—Nautical Gazette, 29/6.

Sea Habit Encouraged in Japan.—How Japan is fostering her merchant marine was evidenced recently by the crew of the Japanese freighter Kunajiri, which arrived at Seattle with 73 men. This unusually large number was due to the apprentices carried in both deck and fire-room crews. The apprentices are mere boys, but they are being taught the knowledge that in a short time will make practical steamship men of them, this practice is also being followed by other steamship companies in Japan. —Marine Journal. 1/7.

Record Transoceanic Tow.—The arrival of the Standard Oil Com­pany s big American tanker Richmond at Shanghai with barge No. 95 in tow, after a voyage of 82 days from New York, has aroused interest m marine circles over the feasibility of extending towing services for gen­eral cargoes to foreign ports.

The Richmond’s tow to Shanghai is a record one to date, and the actual distance covered between New York and Shanghai is reported to have been 12,465 miles. The Richmond after discharging at Shanghai has left for San Francisco with No. 95 again in tow.

Towing engines are installed on both the towing vessel and the vessel towed, but only one towing engine is put to use at a time.

The form of engine employed is known as a modified Providence gear. The modification effected does away with the excessive chafe which arose in certain well-known makes of towing engines.

In fine weather the towing is done on the brake, and when both vessels are light the steamer takes the hawser from the barge. With both vessels levelled, the steamer gives her hawser to the barge.

Bad Weather Precautions. In heavy weather both hawsers are used at lengths of 200 fathoms, or a single hawser may be payed out at 250 to 300 fathoms. In actual service one of these standard English 2-inch diameter steel hawsers last usually one year.

A Ford type of towing chock is installed at the stern of the steamer and a similar towing chock is fitted in the bow of the barge. These towing chocks are mounted on ball bearings, the effect being to obviate any ten­dency to snap the hawser when sharp changes in the courses are made.

In securing the hawsers recourse is had to trap hooks. The hooks are fastened to the decks and the loop of the hawser is passed over the tongue, when the clevis is brought into position to hold the tongue from moving. In case of accident a sharp blow will shear the pin, thus allowing the clevis to release the tongue and the hawser. These tongue bits have a height of 2 feet 9 inches and occupy a fore and aft deck space of 2 feet 1¹/₂ inches. The approximate net weight is 500 pounds.

Belts are not used at all in securing the hawsers, as it has been found a too difficult matter to let a line go quickly when made fast to the ordinary type of towing belt.

In heaving in the hawser a 5-inch line from the winch is employed. At each end of the hawser an eye is spliced around a solid cast steel thimble.

The towing chock, as installed, is the saver of the hawser in many instances. The roll which supports and guides the hawser is carried on a pin in a forged yoke, which swings on a pin suspended from the top casting. The lower end of the yoke is provided with a roll. This roll works in a radial groove in the base casting. No matter how the hawser leads, the yoke will swivel so that the hawser will lead fair, from whatever direction it may be pulling. These towing chocks weigh approximately 1750 pounds and cover an athwartship deck space of 50 inches, a fore and aft deck space of 25^2 inches and a height of 33 inches.

The Sag Below Water.—The practice in the deep sea tows is to carry only one turn on the drum of the towing engine. So far as can be learned, the Standard Oil vessels seldom, if ever, find it necessary to let go a line, no matter how bad the weather. An interesting fact was disclosed by one master by actual test—namely, that when 200 fathoms of steel hawser was out the sag below the water surface reached a maximum depth of about 17 fathoms, and that frequently when towing through the Florida Straits the hawser scraped over the ground. This latter fact was made known by the action of the towing engine.

The principle of the towing engine involves a combination of the elastic steam cushion and the automatic relief to the hawser. The latter obviates a continual straining of the line and a consequent tendency to break. The distance between the vessel in tow and the towing ship may be altered at will by means of the towing engines, the advantage of which is apparent in a crooked channel or when passing under bridges. In heavy swells, when a heavy strain is suddenly put on the hawser, the towing engine auto­matically relieves the line, and when the strain relaxes the engine winds in the hawser. The strain on the hawser can be regulated at will at a fixed pull and automatically the strain is maintained.—New York Times.

MISCELLANEOUS

Armor to Government at Cost.—A letter from E. G. Grace, President of the Bethlehem Steel Company on the above subject is quoted:

“The Bethlehem Steel Company will agree, for such period as the govern­ment may designate as fully protecting the public interest, to manufacture armor plate for the government of the United States at actual cost of operation plus such charges for overhead expenses, interest and depreciation as the Federal Trade Commission may determine to be fair. * * * * “The situation, in brief, as we see it, is as follows:

“1. Figures compiled for your committee have shown you that the United States has for the past 20 years obtained armor plate at a price materially less than that paid by any of the great naval powers, while our labor costs were and are higher than those prevailing in any other country.

“2. The Navy Department has repeatedly testified that the quality of armor supplied for these reduced prices was better than the armor made for the navy of any other nation in the world.

“3. The existing prices of materials and labor are very much higher than was the case when the estimate was made that the proposed government plant of 20,000 tons capacity could be built for $11,000,000. Our experience indicates that the cost now would be fully $15,000,000, and probably more “

“4. The naval lessons of the present war remain to be learned. What they shall teach with reference to armor and the relative value of projectiles and armor is still to be seen. Under no conditions can an armor plant be built in less than three years. Thus the problem to be faced in the manu­facture of armor may be absolutely* different by the time the plant could possibly be ready for use.

“5. The private armor making capacity in this country was brought into existence at the behest of the government. In these three plants some $20,­000,000 has been invested. The capacity of these plants is and for many years will continue to be in excess of the requirements of the American Government. These facilities are of value for no other purpose than the making of armor; and the construction and development of a government plant would mean the practical confiscation of these plants and the elimina­tion of reserve capacity might become vitally important in any emergency in national defence. * * * *

“Under the foregoing circumstances, we respectfully ask your committee to reconsider its former recommendation on this subject and to bring to the attention of the Senate these considerations:

“1. That all purposes of the United States Government will be served if the Federal Trade Commission is empowered to determine the price and the Navy Department the quality of the armor which shall be manufactured for the use of the United States Government.

“2. That until under the foregoing conditions, the existing capacity of armor plants built for and at the request of the government is utilized, it will be unfair to private manufacturers for the government to take action which will in effect confiscate their property.

“3. That until the naval lessons of the present war in Europe have been disclosed, and until a practical effort has been made to obtain armor from private manufacturers under the conditions named, the government should not proceed with the expenditure of the public money necessary to construct an armor making plant.”—N. Y. Times, 21/6.

U. S. Navy Coal Contracts.—The Navy Department has awarded the contract for Hampton Roads delivery of New River and Pocahontas coals for which bids were opened May 5. The following awards have been made:

	Bid	Awarded
Crozer-Pocahontas Co.	250,000 at $2.58
Crozer-Pocahontas Co.	150,000 at $2.63¼	150,000 at $2.58
Chesapeake & Ohio Coal & Coke Co.	240,000 at $2.69	240,000 at $2.69
W.C. Atwater & Co.	200,000 at $2.80	200,000 at $2.80
Arcbibald McNeil & Son	50,000 at $2.84	50,000 at $2.84
C.G. Blake Co.	120,000 at $2.85	75,000 at $2.85
West Virginia Coal Co.	50,000 at $2.85	25,000 at $2.85
Willard, Sutherland & Co.	50,000 at $2.85	10,000 at $2.85

 

Proposals were asked on 600,000 tons, and awards were made for 750,000 tons. A year ago, awards were made for only 400,000 tons.—Shipping Illustrated, 10/6.

New Naval Messing System.—The paymaster general of the navy is in receipt of an interesting report from Paymaster George R. Venable, of the U. S. S. New York, descriptive of a new method of serving food to the general mess installed on board that vessel and destined to be extended to other ships as opportunity is afforded. By the adoption of what may be called the “cafeteria” system on the New York, it now takes from six to nine minutes to issue the entire ration to the crew, depending upon the num­ber and nature of the articles served. Paymaster Venable says in his report: “The question of serving food direct to the individual has been given a certain amount of consideration for a number of years, but the time that must elapse from the time the first man in the line presented himself until the last one was served and the distance some of the men would have to go to reach their tables offered serious obstacles to the scheme. Finally the idea of establishing several substations in different parts of the ship, from which food could be served simultaneously, presented itself and the problem ap­peared to be solved. Before the ship left New York in January enough 18-inch oval serving trays, extra bowls, and individual butter chips were procured to make it possible to serve about 120 men after the manner in operation in certain quick-service restaurants in New York and which has been adopted in a number of manufacturing plants throughout the country. This service was given a thorough practical test at the locations of the present substations in various parts of the ship for several weeks under personal direction and supervision in order to get the messmen properly trained as it was being developed and give the crew a correct first impres­sion of it. The results appear to have been very gratifying to all parties con­cerned—in fact, it seems to be a game in which everybody wins, for there is better discipline maintained at meal time; there is less dirt deposited about the ship; less time is required to spread mess gear and clear it up; the food is cleaner, better, and more wholesome, and waste is reduced to a minimum. And all it requires is close attention to every detail for a few weeks at the beginning, until all hands in the commissary department and the petty officers in each part of the ship (who are to take direct charge of each substation) thoroughly understand its operation and appreciate its advantages.”—Army and Navy Register, 3/6.

Mobilizing Our Industries.—From the canvass of American industries made by the committee on industrial preparedness of the Naval Consulting Board, a large mass of material is being assembled and tabulated in the offices of the board in the Engineering Societies Building in New York City before being sent to Washington for the benefit of the War and Navy Departments. The field work of this industrial inventory of nearly 100,000 manufacturers is being done by 30,000 engineers in every state, Alaska and the District of Columbia.

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States has begun a movement to help this idea of the mobilizing of the industrial forces of the United States, full credit for which should go to Secretary of the Navy Daniels, who originally suggested the general scheme of mobilization. According to the Chamber of Commerce plan, the leading manufacturers of the country would voluntarily relinquish large profits and marshal their resources for the benefit of the government at the minimum cost. As an illustration of how this scheme works, the Chamber of Commerce points out that after inspection by an officer of the Staff of Industrial Mobilization a plant would be informed what it could make best in the way of war materials and would be supplied with the necessary government drawings to enable the plant to provide itself with a complete set of tools, dies, etc., for making that par­ticular product. The concern would be given an annual order in peace times to enable its staff to become familiar with turning out that product, and also a contract would be made with the plant for the taking over of the plant and its force of men by the government in case of war at a price that would be a “living wage” to the stockholders, but not large enough to create a profit interest in war.

In addition to this economic phase of the chamber’s plans, those who are behind the movement have worked out a system of “industrial arsenals,” to be located on the principal traffic arteries of the United States. These arsenals, instead of housing ammunition and ordnance, will be repositories for working plans for mass production of munitions on a large scale. The Chamber of Commerce committees who have discussed this matter have formulated the “industrial arsenal” plan as a result of observation of the difficulties in England at the outbreak of the European War. It took England, they say, a full year to overcome difficulties which the “industrial arsenal” system would obviate completely.—Army and Navy Journal, 24/6.

New Zealand’s Military Service.—Five years ago the New Zealand Government placed on the statute book an act providing for the compulsory military training of all males between the ages of 18 and 25 years, writes a New Zealand correspondent of the London Times. At the time there was considerable opposition from the conscientious objector and from the irresponsible and undisciplined youth of the Dominion. The first year saw hundreds of prosecutions for failure to attend camps and parades, and rank treason was preached in the parks and at street corners. This was the work of the conscientious objectors. The other opposition was not so for­midable, and the military authorities, backed by the law, soon put an end to it.

One of the most extraordinary features of the enforcement of the act was the gradual weakening of the malcontents and anti-military agitators. I hey started openly hostile, but went, although sullenly, to parades. After the first week of camp they began slowly to realize that they were enjoying themselves, and after their fortnight they went back to their work wiser, physically fit and ardent advocates of the Defence Act. In effect it meant that men of eligible age attended parades for two hours a week, one half day in a fortnight, and two weeks’ camp a year. The result was surprising and at the same time pleasing.

And now, after five years, New Zealand, out of 1,000,000 population, has a force of 50,000 men under arms, 37,000 of whom are actually in the field. When war was declared she had a large percentage of trained men among those eligible for service, with the result that half .the difficulties that beset the military authorities in England when Kitchener’s armies were in the making were done away with.

Despite the Defence Act and the well trained force, it has been found necessary to provide further legislation for the maintenance of sufficient reinforcements for the force in the field. Quite recently a deputation of laboring men waited on the government and asked that a conscription bill should be brought in. It is coming in the form of the Government’s Military Service bill, now before the New Zealand Parliament, and one of the most prominent, and at times most bitter, of the labor members in the Lower House has delivered his verdict on it. “Voluntaryism,” he said, “has proved inequitable. Labor has less to fear from compulsion than anybody.” This sentiment now obtains throughout the Dominion, and soon any slight opposition that now manifests itself will die away.—Army and Navy Journal, 1/7.

When the New Zealand Government’s Military Service bill which pro­vides for compulsory service in this war when voluntaryism fails, passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 44 to 4, there was a scene of much enthusiasm and the members rose and sang the national air.

The votes against the bill were those of the legislators who represent labor. I hey had fought the measure tooth and nail on the ground that it was conscriptive and they had worked up considerable opposition to it among a section of the working class, including the Social Democrats A league has been formed which pledges itself to resist “conscription” however severe the penalties attached to refusal to comply with the law — New York Times, 15/7.

Patents a Process to Make Gasoline.—Papers were received from Washington granting to Charles S. Palmer, Ph. D,. a fellow in the Mellen Institute of Industrial Research of Pittsburgh, a patent on a process for the manufacture of gasoline by what the inventor calls a recomposition method. Those concerned believe the newly patented process may influence present conditions in the active market for gasoline. It is said that under this process the “gas” can be made for as low as 9 cents a gallon under existing market prices for the materials used.

It is said that the Palmer process consists of extracting gasoline from petroleum residues which have practically no volatile matter below a temperature of 300 degrees centigrade. When they are subjected to this temperature, under conditions prescribed by the process, about 75 per cent of their composition becomes volatile, and of this about 20 per cent is gasoline. The basis of the process is said to be the interrelated control of temperature, pressure and time, these factors being so applied that recom­position of the elements in the petroleum residue results, one of the recom­pounded products being gasoline.—Vein York Times, 15/7.

CURRENT NAVAL AND PROFESSIONAL PAPERS

Note.—Lack of space limits the scope of these references. Upon appli­cation, members of the Institute will be supplied with fuller references to current periodicals published in both the United States and foreign countries.

The subject matter is roughly indicated by the following paragraph index:

PAR. NOS.

Strategy ............................................................ 1, 2, 3, 13, 22

Tactics .................................................................. 1, 2, 22

Engineering .................. ..................................... 5, 18, 19, 20

Ordnance .................................................................. 1, 12

Aviation .................. ....................................... 1, 15, 17, 18, 20

International Law and Diplomacy. .6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21

War on Land ...................................................... 1, 11, 14, 18

War on the Sea................................................... 1, 16, 18, 20

Trade ............................................................... 1, 4, 8, 20

UNITED STATES

1.                 Scientific American. May 20.—The Military Rifle, by D. T. Hamil­ton. Strategic Moves of the War. The Size of Naval Guns—Twelve 14- inch or Eight 17 Guns? War Game, X. May 27.—Shipbuilding Activity, by J. G. Dorrance. How Guns are Blown Up, by E. C. Crossman. Why the American Navy Lost Second Place. Military Telescopes and Binoculars. Diving and Diving Apparatus. War Projectiles, by C. A. Tupper. Steam Power for Aeroplanes, by J. G. Dudley. June 3.—-Airships: Rigid, Semi­-Rigid, and Non-Rigid. “Pupinized” Telephone Lines. Development of Military Aeroplanes. Industrial Preparedness, by W. S. Gifford. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. June 10.—New British Dirigibles. The War Zeppelin. June 17.—The Great North Sea Battle. Mastery of the Air vs. Control of the Sea, by Landislas d’Orsey. Proposed German Nitrogen Monopoly. New System of Navigation and Nautical Astronomy, by Captain F. E. Uttmark. June 24. Throwing Liquid Fire. July 1.—• Selecting Aviators. Lessons of the Battle of Skagerrack. July 8.—Launch­ing of a 61-ton Zeppelin. America’s Industrial Organization for Defence. Aerography. The Duilio, New Italian Liner.

2.                 Sea Power. June.—The Pennsylvania—World’s Greatest Fighting Ship. Universal Service, by Henry Breckinridge. July.—Lessons of Skagerrack, by Admiral George Dewey. National Defence and Campaign Publicity, by Perry Belmont. Thought-out Navies, by Admiral Fiske.

3.                 The Navy. May.—Necessity for Defence. Why We Need a Navy General Staff, by E. K. Roden. June.—Rise and Decline of Our Naval Strength, by J. Bernard Walker.

4.                 Seven Seas. May.—Some True American History, by H. C. Davis. Seaman’s Act Revision, by E. H. Goodwin. The First Iron Ship in Our Navy, by E. S. Chellis. More Naval Academy Cadets, by Henry A. Wise Wood. Our Navy Really American. June.—The American Merchant Marine, by P. H. W. Ross. A Mobile Coast Defence System.

5.                 International Marine Engineering. June.—Panama Colliers Ulysses and Achilles. July.—Naval Preparedness—The British Fleet. The American Merchant Marine, by F. J. Nolan. Clyde Liners Built on Great Lakes. New Steam Yacht Winchester. Steel Castings for American Merchant and War Vessels, by E. F. Cone.

6.                 American Philosophical Society. No. 3.—America as Defender of Neutral Rights, by L. S. Rowe. Legal and Political International Questions and the Recurrence of War, by T. W. Balch. No. 4.—Discussion of Inter­national Law: (1) Outline, by John Bassett Moore; (2) Judicial Aspects— Arbitration, by Charlemagne Tower; (3) Legal Aspects, by George Grafton Wilson; (4) International Administration, by Philip Marshall Brown; (5) World Organization, by David Jayne Hill. No. 5.—Sight and Signalling in the Navy, by Alex. Duane.

7.                 Annals Amer. Acad. Political and Social Science. July.—Dis­cussions: (1) Basis of Durable Peace and Safeguards Against Future Conflicts; (2) What Program Shall United States Stand for in Inter­national Relations; (3) Effect of Large Army and Navy on Domestic Insti­tutions and Policy.

8.                 Journal of Amer. Society of Mechanical Engineers. June.—In­dustrial Preparedness, by Spencer Miller. July.—Mechanical Equipment of Port of New Orleans, by Win. Von Puhl.

9.                 Journal Military Service Institution. July-August.—Military Training, Valuable and Valueless, by Captain Stockton. A Military System for the United States, by Captain Wharton, I. N. G. A Proper Military Policy for the United States, by Army War College.

10.            Forum. July.—What is Behind the Japanese Peril, by Sigmund Henschen. Our Threatening War Problem, by Captain H. O. Stickney, U. S. Navy.

11.            Journal of United States Artillery. June.—A Study on the Use in Land Defence of Heavy Mobile Artillery. Principles Involved in Mine Defence of Harbors, by Lieutenant C. A. Lohr. Location of Coast Forts and Their Land Defences, by Major H. E. Cloke.

12.Marine Corps Gazette. March.—A Century-old Tribute to the Need of Marines with the Fleet. The Mobile Defence of the Advance Base, by Colonel J. A. Lejeune. June.—Aid to Spotting Shots Ashore and Afloat, by Captain Samuel W. Bogan. Machine Guns and Automatic Rifles.

GREAT BRITAIN

13.Nineteenth Century and After. June.—Sea Power in its Dual Relation, by Commander E. Hamilton Currey. The Future of Asiatic Turkey, by J. Ellis Barker. Democracy and Diplomacy, by the Earl of Cromer.

14. Fortnightly Review. Sea Rights and Sea Power: Great Britain and the United States, by Sidney Low. The Teachings of the Napoleonic War, by Politicus. America’s Bid for Sea Power, by Archibald Hurd. Air Navies of the Future, by W. O. Horsnaill. History of the War, with Maps.

15. Land and Water. May 4.—Contrasts in Sea Methods, by Arthur Pollen. Air Problems and Fallacies, by F. IV. Lanchester. May 11.— The World’s Trade After the War, by L. R. Freeman. May 18.—The Reality of Sea Power, by Arthur Pollen. May 25.—Dominions’ Naval Help, by Arthur Pollen. June 8.—Battle of Jutland, by Arthur Pollen.

16. Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. June-July.— Naval Events of Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1791, by Lieutenant R. C. Anderson. The Enemy Character of Merchant Ships (trans. from Italian Rivista Marittima). The War: Its Naval Side.

17.Journal of the Royal Artillery. June.—Attack on Zeppelins, by General F. G. Stone.

18.United Service Magazine. May.—Blockade of French Fleets in Napoleonic Wars (prize essay), by Lieutenant J. M. Grieve. Submarines or Battleships? From the Tigris to the Texel, by T. Miller Maguire. The Record of the German Fleet, by Hector Bywater. June.—The German Aeroplanes, by E. C. Bruce. Kut-el Amara and After, by Lieut. Colonel H. C. Yate.

19.Engineering. June 16.—Brazilian Submarine Depot Motor-Ship Ceara. Skin Friction Resistance of Ships. June 23.—Lessons from the Loss of the Hampshire.

CONTINENTAL EUROPE

20.Rivista Marittima (Italy). April.—Naval Events of the European War (Review of Warfare on Commerce). May.—Metals Used in War, by Luigi Berberis. Recent Experience in Propulsion of Naval Vessels, by Leonardo Pea. The Value of Dirigibles, by IV. Rossini.

21.Marineblao (Holland). April 5.—Diplomatic Negotiations Concern­ing Violations of International Law.

SOUTH AMERICA

22.Revista Maritima Brazileira. March.—Methods and Doctrine of War, by Captain Eduardo de Brito c Cunha. Notes on the Study of Naval Tactics, by Commander Philip Williams. Physiology of War. by Lieut. Commander Raul Tavares. Relations between Merchant Marine and Navy, by Captain Firmino Santos.