ment is now considering the disposition of eight battleships, all of which have been outclassed and are obsolete so far as their fighting value is concerned. These vessels are the Kearsarge, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, Wisconsin, Maine, Missouri, and Ohio. Some of these vessels are now engaged on duty with the midshipmen's practice cruise, and no steps will be taken towards placing them out of commission until the expiration of the summer cruise. Meanwhile the board of inspection and survery will investigate the subject and make its report as to whether any of the vessels could be retained on the navy register. These vessels were built in the period following the Spanish War. If they are placed out of commission, it is estimated that there will be released for more modern vessels approximately 10,000 enlisted men and about 400 officers.-Army and Navy Register, 6/7. FILIPINOS TO MAN OWN GIFT SHIPS.-The Philippine Islands have the distinction of being the first American dependency to give to the federal government a destroyer and a submarine for the navy. In return the Navy Department has provided for the training of Filipinos as seamen, so that members of the crews, including petty officers, of the two ships will be natives of the Philippines. The destroyer José Rizal and the submarine F-30, now building at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, are the two gifts of the Philippines. There are now in training at the Mare Island Navy Yard 97 Filipinos who will be members of the first crew of the destroyer. Others will be added until the full complements of, 114 for the destroyer and 39 for the submarine are provided. Heretofore, with few exceptions, Filipinos have been enlisted in the navy only as mess attendants, but when the gift was announced an order was issued by the Navy Department to the commanding officer of every ship afloat to nominate from his crew such Filipinos as he considered capable to form the complements for the new vessels.-Army and Navy Journal, 5/17. PERSONNEL NAVY COMMISSIONED PERSONNEL.-Discussion continues in naval circles over the possibility that Congress may enact legislation for the early discharge of officers of the navy and marine corps from their temporary commissions, which would involve demotion to lower commissioned, warrant and enlisted grades of those belonging to the permanent personnel and the entire separation from the service of those drawn from the naval reserve force, national naval volunteers, and civil life. In these columns last week it was stated that it was not seen "how the service can get along with only the permanent allowances of officers, which is just sufficient for the permanent force of 137,000 men in the navy and 14,700 in the marine corps." It was not intended to indicate that those branches of the naval service were in possession at present of the full allowance of permanent officers for that number of enlisted personnel, for, as a matter of fact, the actual number of permanent officers is far short of that. In the navy the allowance of line officers is 4 per cent of the enlisted force, the permanent strength of which is 137,485 men. Thus there should be 5499 line officers, whereas there are actually in the service, including approximately 225 midshipmen to be appointed ensigns this month, only 2925 line officers, leaving a deficit of 574, which is made up by temporary appointees. With the permanent navy temporarily increased by executive order, in accordance with the law, by 50,000 men, or to 187,485, there should be 7499 line officers, but there are only about 6744 such officers, this number being made up of the 2925 permanent officers and 3819 temporary ones, and there is an actual deficit of 755 officers. Of the temporary officers, about 2088 came from the naval reserve force and the national naval volunteers, and about 1731 that hold temporary commissions, lieutenants, junior lieutenants and ensigns from their permanent warrant and enlisted grades in the regular navy. While the demotion of officers to lower commissioned grades will be sufficiently demoralizing, the consequences to the almost 2000 officers, most of whom have proved their qualifications as commissioned officers, that will have to go back to warrant and enlisted ratings will be far more discouraging and unjust, and it is hoped in the service that, if Congress does not do anything for the permanent commissioned officers, it will enact legislation that will permit the other class of temporary officers to obtain permanent commissions under proper restrictions. While officers have no hope of having the pay-tables revised upwardly this year, nevertheless they feel that it should be done. Such a revision undoubtedly would be made to include pay of army officers, and, with the army at its present size, Congress would consider the cost prohibitive. Accordingly it is likely that nothing will be done toward readjusting service pay until the services get back to the strength ultimately to be fixed by Congress as permanent. Secretary Daniels has refused to approve increase of pay on the ground that a large proportion of the commissioned personnel is receiving higher pay by reason of promotion. Of course, this argument is fallacious and does not apply if officers are forthwith to be demoted, some of them by two or three grades.-Army and Navy Register, 6/7. ADMIRAL SIMS OPENS WAR COLLEGE.-Thirty Officers in New Class.-The Naval War College was reopened informally on June 2, the occasion being marked by an address on the basic principles of the course of instruction at the college by Rear Admiral William S. Sims, U. S. N., president of the college, who resumed his duties that were interrupted by the war, as were the classes. Addressing the 30 officers comprising the new class, Admiral Sims said in part: "There has been wasted during this war a great deal of effort, much valuable material, and even many valuable lives because of the lack of training necessary to reach logical decisions based upon the well-known immutable principles of war. The constant prayer of those who bear great responsibility in time of war is that they may be spared the results of the decisions of the so-called practical officers who are ignorant of the art of war and who have not been trained to think straight-that is, who have not been trained to make a logical estimate of a situation. "It should be clearly understood that the college does not propose to establish a code by which naval warfare can be conducted. It does not propose rules for meeting various situations. This would be wholly impossible because of the infinite variety in the character of the conditions and situations. Each problem must be dealt with on its merits, in accordance with certain general principles which it is the object of the college to develop and to teach. That is, the college aims to supply principles, not rules, and, by training, develop the habit of applying these principles logically, correctly and rapidly to each situation that may arise. The college does not claim to show what should be done in particular cases, but hopes that the college training in the appplication of the principles of warfare to problems based upon modern conditions will enable you to reach acceptable solutions in any case that may arise. As there sometimes arises the impression that the college is, or should be, the plan-making branch of the navy, it may be well to repeat the explanation of its proper function that has been given by former presidents. It is true that the college could supply plans as required if it were provided with a special staff for this purpose many times larger than its present staff, but as the data essential for this work are necessarily continuously accumulating in the various branches of the Navy Department, it is manifest that such a planning section should not be located here." Limitations of the College.--"It would be wholly impossible for the teaching staff to undertake plan-making in addition to its own work. It is for this reason that the college does not assume, and cannot undertake, any administrative functions. Administration involves action, and the essential function of the college is not action but training for action. While we cannot supply strategic plans required by the Navy Department we hope to supply officers who can formulate such plans. Similarly, we cannot supply tactical battle plans to fit all conditions that may arise in the fleet; but if the college course proves successful it will supply commanders-in-chief and fleet staff officers competent to prepare and carry out such plans. If the college should be required to do planning work it would cease to be a teaching institution and become a part of the general staff, with the duty of supplying plans instead of officers trained to prepare plans. "Some officers have admirable knowledge and experience, but fail in the quality of military character. They are honest, loyal, zealous and devoted. They know the principles of warfare, but do not always exercise the will and self-control to apply them. They understand the principle that in extensive organizations work should be divided according to specialties and the head of each section given full responsibility and authority, but they do not apply it hesitating to allow authority, even in minor matters, to pass out of their hands. This subject will be taken up in due course. importance is due to the fact, often demonstrated, and particularly so in the Great War, that not infrequently officers of quite exceptional ability, knowledge, experience and energy failed to succeed because they did not understand, or did not apply, the principles of military character." Its Admiral Sims also made some references to the importance of the submarine in warfare, pointing out particularly the value of the larger underwater craft, those with a cruising radius of two or three months. For scouting purposes he consideers such a craft a dangerous weapon against other types of scout vessels. He said destruction of enemy submarines in the war was most effective by Allied submarines, England especially being successful in this way.-Army and Navy Journal, 6/7. NAVY POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL AT ANNAPOLIS OPENS.-Exercises were held at the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., on the night of June 12, marking the reopening of the Post-Graduate School of the Navy. The school is attended by twenty ordnance engineering officers and thirty officers from the Bureau of Steam Engineering. The exercises were attended by Secretary of the Navy Daniels and party, and by a large number of officers attached to the Naval Academy. In his address to the school the Secretary emphasized that the students were assigned to the school for special training as experts because there must be a few officers who will be especially designated as expert engineers throughout the entire length of their service. He added: "Due to various reasons sufficient importance is not given by the officers of the navy, as a whole, to the value of engineering duties. I think it would be well if all young officers, immediately upon completion of their course at the Naval Academy, were required to perform engineering duties in a ship for a certain continuous and definite time. It is my opinion that their experience would serve as the best foundation for all the duties which young officers would be called upon to perform in their future service. . . . It is a false theory that some men shall give themselves to problems of battle practice, others to engineering and to ordnance. The great commander is greater if he has been trained in all, for knowledge of engineer and ordnance duties is essential to the highest when in command of modern machine warfare."—Army and Navy Journal, 6/14. MERCHANT MARINE WILL BIND THE TWO AMERICAS.-Plans for the establishment of direct steamship lines connecting American Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific ports with South and Central America were laid before the Pan-American Commercial Conference here to-day by Chairman Hurley, of the Shipping Board. They call for direct lines from New York to Brazil, Argentina and Chili; from New Orleans, or Mobile to the west coast of South America, and Seattle and other Pacific ports to Western South American ports. The line between New York and Brazil and Argentina, Mr. Hurley said, will be inaugurated on November 1, with the former German liners Mount Vernon, Von Steuben and Agamemnon, which are to be remodeled for this trade. These vessels have a speed of 231⁄2 knots an hour and will be able to make the trip from New York to Rio de Janeiro in nine days and to Buenos Aires in fourteen days. Contemplated plans," said Mr. Hurley, "call for at least two lines from New York to serve the West Indian trades, one of them covering the Eastern Caribbean and the other the Western Caribbean, with canal connections at Colon. To serve the swelling commerce of the west coast a line will be maintained connecting Valparaiso and the other western ports with Mobile or New Orleans. We have to-day a passenger service from New York to Valparaiso, which is nine days shorter than existed one year ago. As soon as the army returns our American transports we will have weekly service from New York to Valparaiso on five passenger lines through the Panama Canal. "Good liner service between Valparaiso and Seattle, with calls at all the important Pacific ports, and also between San Francisco and New York will be assured, and American lines already established in this field will be supplemented where required. Finally and most important, there will be a line from New York to the ports of Brazil and the River Plata. Modern ships of the passenger cargo type operated over these lines will connect the great centers of trade, and to them will flow commerce from many intermediate points. "It is realized that nothing less than the best will serve to satisfy the demands of Latin-American travelers and exporters. Therefore, no effort will be spared to make these lines conform to the highest standards of modern steamship service. It is hoped to have them specially designed for the South American trade and equipped with the conveniences and luxuries which the long trips in tropical seas require. The 14 ships under consideration for these trades are of about 18,000 gross tons, with accommodations for about 300 first-class passengers. "Before the war the best ships in direct service from the United States to the eastern ports of South America made only 15 knots, offered only fortnightly sailings and took 24 days for the trip from New York to Buenos Aires. Compare this with the service to be expected in the immediate future. Three magnificent ex-German liners, the Mount Vernon, the Von Steuben and the Agamemnon are to be remodeled for South American trade. These ships make 231⁄2 knots, so that the trip from New York to Rio de Janeiro can be made in nine days and that to Argentina capital can be made in 14 days. There will thus be a saving of at least a month's time on the round trip." Mr. Hurley told the conference that 226 ships of 863,334 dead-weight tons already had been allotted to the Latin-American trade and that others would be assigned as soon as they became available. Enthusiastic applause greeted Mr. Hurley's announcement of improved steamship service to South America. He pointed out that the mail service between the two countries would be greatly improved. Mail between the United States and South America is now being carried in foreign vessels, but it will be transferred soon to American ships, Mr. Hurley said, and by the improved service a letter mailed in New York will reach its destination in Buenos Aires in 15 days. Within one month a reply may be received in New York.-New York Times, 6/5. 204 VESSELS DELIVERED THIS YEAR TO SHIPPING BOARD-From January 1 of this year to May 7 a total of 204 steamships, with an aggregate of 781,980 gross tons were delivered to the United States Shipping Board by American yards. From January 1, 1918, to December 31, 1918, the output was 527 steamships, with an aggregate gross tonnage of 1,991,587. April of this year was the banner_month in deliveries, the total being 93 steamships of 320,280 gross tons. The previous best month was October, 1918, when 263,000 gross tons were delivered. Deliveries for 1919 were as follows: DEMOUNTABLE SHIPS PROPOSED.-Seattle' steamship operators and district lumber producers are watching with interest developments on the new demountable ship recently patented by a Victoria shipper, says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. There is hope that the proposal will materialize, as its success will relieve those who are concerned over the scarcity of bottoms for lumber cargoes. The new plan contemplates constructing boat and cargo together and selling the entire outfit on arrival at its destination. It is reported in shipping circles that the Furber Lumber Company of Mexico is interested in the venture and will construct a number of these vessels at an early date, with engines capable of a 7-knot speed. The engines will be sent back to the point of origin for another ship after the voyage is made. It is claimed that the new device can be constructed as cheaply as putting the lumber inside of any ordinary ship. The method of fastening the ships together will be such that after its voyage the nuts and bolts are taken off, leaving all the lumber ready for distribution. A boat which now carries only 1,500,000 feet of fir would, under the new patent, carry 5,000,000 feet, and no provision would have to be made for the return cargo, it is claimed. Naval Engineer J. H. Price has assumed charge of constructing the new demountable ship for a Canadian and Washington lumber company.— Nautical Gazette, 6/14. NAVIGATION AND RADIO RADIO COMMUNICATION IN ALASKA. The army signal corps plans to use wireless in communicating with Alaska when the present cable is worn out. The cable will not last much longer, and an appropriation of $250,000 is desired to cover the establishment of six additional modern wireless stations to complete a chain of stations from Seattle to Fairbanks. There are 13 stations now in operation in Alaska for interior communication, and the returns from commercial business show they are self-supporting. The government use of the service was not counted in the financial returns, although it was 75 per cent of the total business.-Army and Navy Register, 6/7. ENGINEERING NEW DESTROYER DOES 38.38 KNOTS.—All speed records of the Rockland trial course have been broken by the new torpedo-boat destroyer Hale, according to an announcement by officials of the Bath Iron Works to-day. A mean speed of 37.63 knots was made during builders' preliminary trials, while the fastest mile, with wind and tide favoring the ship, was made at the rate of 38.38 knots an hour.-N. Y. Times, 6/8. X-RAY EXAMINATIONS APPLIED TO THE METALLURGY OF STEEL.-The following is an abstract of a paper presented at the joint meeting of the Faraday Society and the Röntgen Society, recently held in London, by Sir Robert Hadfield, Bart., Mr. S. A. Main, B. Sc., and Mr. J. Brooksbank: (1) The possibilities of X-ray examination in steel manufacture will be readily apparent. The means which it provides for enabling the metallurgist |