Solomonic

Before vacationing Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams hung a matter requiring the wisdom of Solomon. The time for awarding the Navy's annual pennant to the battleship most efficient in engineering, gunnery and communication was drawing near. Two battleships, New Mexico and Maryland had tied for first place in the complex system of scoring. Never before had a Secretary of the Navy to meet such an unprecedented crisis.

Great is the rivalry among U. S. battleship crews for the efficiency pennant, highest naval prize, fondly called the "meatball." Secretary Adams knew no uninspired solution of the tie would do. Last week, inspired at last, the Navy Department announced that when the Maryland and New Mexico are apart on separate cruises this year, each may fly the pennant. When they are together in the same fleet, the New Mexico shall have it on odd numbered days of the month, the Maryland on even numbered ones. This compromise seemed Solomonic indeed-until the crew of the Maryland realized that the New Mexico would have the "meatball" seven extra days, the seven 31sts of long months.