THE NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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IVi HOSE In authority and those who
uu caiiuclh un inu queuiiun seem 10
have come to a conclusion as to the
lighting force at sea that should be l
maintained by the United States.
Were this model fleet now In exist
once and under review on some such
great occasion as the opening of the
Panama canal, tho spectacle seen
would be about as follows: ,
Forty-eight heavy-armored, big-gun, capital
ships, each weighing from 20,000 to 30,000 tons,
bhootlng ten miles and requiring 1,000 men for
its operation. There would bo one such ship for
each state and each bear the name or a state.
For each of these ships thero would be four
destroyers, or 192 in all, acting as scouts, escorts,
guardians.
For each capital ship thero should be two sub
marines, or 9C In all, these chiefly for the pro
tection of home waters. For the submarine as
It exists today is a terribly dangerous little craft
and one against which there is no protection. It
serves little purpose In carrying the wnr into an
enemy's territory, but it makes an invasion of
home ports a thing hardly to be considered. For
the submarine flotilla may go below the surface
of tho water at one point and may remain in
visible until it has traveled a hundred miles and
stolon in among tho great ships of the enemy at
anchor. Then, from Its tubes may be released a
score of torpedoes with their gyroscopes sot dead
on the unsuspecting men-of-war. Then, as the
submarines steal away unseen tho mighty crash
comes and tho huge ships of tho enemy are torn
and crumpled and go to tho bottom.
To these fighting craft should be addod six
ammunition ships, 12 submarine tenders, six
supply ships, six transports and six hospital ships.
Aboard these ships in
time of war thero
would be 100,000 fight
ing men, good and true
and trained.
This is tho sort of
navy favored by Secre
tary Josephus Daniels
of the navy, a non-military
civilian who would
convert these ships Into
trade schools while
they keep the peace. It
is the sort of navy rec
ommended by the gen
eral board of the navy,
tho nation's great experts upon the subject, gath
ered together to determine just such policies It
is the sort of navy that has been steadily advo
cated by tho Navy League of tho United States.
Just recently Secretary Daniels stated the
president's position to the house committee on
naval affairs, evidently with the president's con
sent. He said tho president favored "at least two
battleships a year" with tho idea nlways in mind
of keeping pace with the building programs of
tho other great nations.
The general board of tho navy, having merely
tho needs of the service In mind and not con
sidering tho matter of appropriations that con
gress might be expected to make, slated that pro
vision should be mado this year for four first
class ships. This need was due to the lack of
udequate appropriations for the two years past.
Hack of all of this Is the declaration in the
platform of each of tho three parties prominent
in tho last presidential election declaring for an
adequate navy for maintaining American prestige.
The general board of the uavy is, however, the
authority responsible for the drift of this coun
try toward the Idea of a definitely laid down
policy operative through a series of years with a
navy of a given strength as tho ultimate goal.
This general board Is also one of the "most Inter
esting organizations in the federal service, but
one that is little understood.
Admiral George Dewey, tho hero of Manila
bay, the only admlrul in the navy, Is president
of the board. The presiding olTlcer of tho execu
tive committee is Rear Admiral C. F. Vreeland,
who has been naval attache at St. Petersburg
and Paris, has commanded a division of tho At
lantic fleet, has served in important posts in the
department. These honors have como to Rear
Admiral Vreeland desplto tho fact that his first
service was as an enlisted marf, he having re
ceived his appointment to Annapolis from the
post of an apprentice seaman.
The next officer In rank with the general
board also came up from tho ranks Ho is Rear
Admiral W. H. H Southerland, who was an en
listed man before going to Annapolis. Ho com
manded tbo Pacific fleet and landed marines In
Nicaragua two years ago for the expedition that
penetrated to Managua and straightened out tho
affairs of that much-troubled Central American
republic. Rear Admiral A M. Knight, of the
genornl board. Is tho navy department's ordnance
expert. Ho Is the author of "Knight's Seaman
ship," the genernlly accepted authority on the
Bubject, and president of tho navy war college.
Read Admiral n. A Flsko is tho inventor of
tho sen-Ice Capt. A O. Wlnterhaltcr has seen
much service In far Eastern waters. Capt H R.
Knapp Is a mombor of the Joint board of the
army and navy and one of tho men who Is build
Ing the fortifications for the Panama canal zone.
Capt. John Hood was for a long time In com
mand of tho battleship Delaware, making her
tiu5 efficiency ship of the navy Capt. W. It.
Shoemaker routed those romantic Moro pirates
out of tho southern Philippine waters.
It was at tho closo of tho Spanish-American
war that the navy department camo to apprcciato
tho fact that It wub an administrative organlza
Jon with no individual assigned to do any think-
"WWfflftlM
'W.S.'V.' AW
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T&EteZTSbZZtPEZaz I2&3M?OZ$Rg
Ing. The law gave tho secretary only authority
to execute the commands or his superior, tho
.president of the United States. Tho chiefs of
bureaus are men in charge of tho execution of
certain work. Thero was no one to shape poli
cies. The general board was created In 1900 for
that purpose.
For threo years the general hoard concentrnted
upon a single idea that of determining a definite
building program for the United States It want
ed to look 20 years into the future, appreciate
what conditions would be nt that time and stead
ily develop the navy to meet those future condi
tions, it believed It would require 20 years to
develop tho right sort of navy, that hero was u
sort of work that could not be Improvised.
So, after three years or study, the general
board outlined a policy for a building program
for the navy. It called for tho development of a
fleet or 48 battleships In 1920. It wanted 192
destroyers to go with them and 90 submarines
and various other auxiliaries. It wanted the
fleet that the nation Is Just now coming to ap
preciate as tho proper fleet for its uses.
Tho general board recommended this building
program. Its recommendations went to the sec
retary and were pigeonholed They were not
even sent to tho naval committees of congress.
Each year tho general board reconsidered tho
question and each time the same recommendation
was mado. They got no rurther than the depart
ment flics.
mwvn&sg'tdimTzz&ms QF7mj ry?&
To have developed this fleet of 48 Bhlps by
1920 It would have been necessary, beginning in
1903, to make appropriations for two flrst-class
ships each year and for three ships once In threo
yenrs, always with the proper auxiliaries. So
would the end have been accomplished by 1920.
Later, tho provision for ships having been Inade
quate, the general board asked congress for aa
many as four ships in n year, as it has this year.
This was not because It believed four ships nec
essary each year, but because It wanted tho
model fleet by 1920 and former appropriations
had fallen behind.
Secretary Daniels was the first head of the
department who ever transmitted to congrcsB tho
recommendations of tho general board together
with Its arguments for tho navy that It thought
should be developed.
In Uh recent recommendations to the secretary
of the nnvj, tho general board stated that it
realized that thero was little hopo of reaching
the Ideal navy that it had planned for 1920, but
that It should be reached ns soon ns possible
thereafter. Continuing, it said:
"The board does believe, however, that this
result may be eventually attained by the adoption
by tho government of a definite naval policy nnd
the putting of It before congress and the people
clearly and succinctly. Hy this method respohsl
bility for any rupture of our peaceful relations
with other nations due to our naval weakness, or
any riutlonal disnster In war duo to tho same
caiiBo will be definitely fixed.
"Tho genornl board believes that the people,
with full understanding of tho meaning and tho
reasons for naval power, will instruct tho legisla
tive branch of the government, and Hint that
branch, with the same understanding, will pro
vldo the means. Uy the adoption and advocacy
of a clearly defined, definite policy, tho depart
ment with whom the responsibility first rests
will have done Its part and placed the responsi
bility with the people nnd the leglslutlvo branch
of tho government. If the people, having been
given the meaning nnd tho reasons for naval
power, fall to instruct congress, the responsibility
and the resulting material loss and national hu
miliation rests with them, and If the congress,
having been Instructed by tho people, falls to pro
vide the meaiiB, then tho responsibility Is theirs.
"The recommendations of tho board havo been
in pursuance of a llxed and doflnlte policy adopt
ed by the board for its guidance, nfter mnturo
nnd deliberate consideration of nil the elements
Involved nnd after a cureful estimate und fore
cast of th( futuro as to what would bo tho naval
development of thoso foreign countries with
which n conflict might be possible, und what
should bo our development to Insure peace If
possible, or superiority of force If wnr should be
forced upon us. Expressed In concrete words
tho policy of the board has been to provide tho
nation with a fleet equal or superior to that of
any probable enemy, as a gunrantor of peace;
nnd Its forecast was that a fleet of 18 battleships,
with tho attendant lesser units nnd auxiliaries',
ready for action by 1920, would accomplish thin
result "
HOBSON'S RETURN
PLENTY OF REINDEER IN ALASKA
Officials of the Alaska division, bureau of edu
cation, yesterday gave emphatic denial to a re
cently published statement that tho reindeer in
Alaska aro "deteriorating und diminishing." They
declare that, on tho contrary, tho Alaskan rein
deer aro constantly increasing in number and
improving in quality.
The recently completed tabulation of the re
turns contained In the annual reports of the
superintendents of the herds shows that there
were, June 30, 1913, 47.2GC reindeer in the C2
Alaskan herds, or a net increase of 23 per cent
during tho fiscal yeur This Is coiiBldered a fair
rate of Increase, especially slnt'p nearly 5,000
reindeer were killed for food and skins during
tho year. Only 3,fe53 of tho reindeer aro owned
by the government: CO 17 aro owned by missions,
8,834 by Lapps, nnd tho remaining 30.G32 nro
owned by 797 Eskimos and Indians, whoso income
from the reindeer Industry during tho fiscal yenr
wns fCC,96C The reindeer belonging to theso
natives have an estimated vulue of ?7C3.300
Tho government Is planning to go out of the
reindeer business as fnst as it can train natives
for individual owneishlp, tho policy belag to en
courage Independence nnd Initiative among the
native population. Distribution of reindeer Is
in chnrgo of tho United Stntes school teachers,
nnd It Is expected that the government will dis
pose of all Its :olndeer within tho next four yenrs.
W. T. Lapps, chief of the Alaska division,
said:
"Pasturage Is good In most parts of western
and noithirn Alaska, but a few reindeer herds
aro kept In the windswept regions along tho
northwest roast, where tho winter moss fre
quently becomes coated with Ico from alternato
freezing und thawing. Tills prevents tho herd
from securing proper food, and results In under
sized deer Mosquitoes aro also a cttuse of stunt
ed growth Herds at some distance trom tho
coast need to bo kept well up on the mountain
slopes to avoid tho mosquito pests
"The greatest Immediate menace to the wel
fare of the reindeer lies In tho tundra flros, start
ed In the region of tho mining camps Thero In
plenty of grats and foliage for tho deer In sum
mer, but In winter It Is tho tundrn moss that
furnishes forage, nnd to destroy It Is to deal a
body blow lo one of Alaska's mpst promising ln
dustrles."
AN OVERSIGHT.
"Why don't you label tho animals?" domandod
tho visitor at the zoo.
"They are labeled; signs on all enclosures."
"No sign on this enclosure."
"Well, we hadn't thought to label that animal.
That Is a cow,"
By M. QUAD.
It was all over with Prlvato John
Hobson. For two years ho had been
a member of Company C, Seventh regi
ment, stationed on tho frontier, and
over since tho first week ho had been
on tho blacklist. Ho got drunk; he
disobeyed orders; ho quarreled with
his comrades; ho fell nslcep on sentry
duty; ho left tho post without leave;
ho wns tho most slovenly man of his
company It was far easier to tell
what ho hadn't done than what ho had.
Prlvato John Hobson hnd been ad
vised, reprimanded, sent to the guard
house, mulcted of his pay, given oxtrn
duty and threatened with court-martial,
but after two years ho was tho
same man still. It was Inevitable that
tho end would como, nnd como it did.
Ho was court-martialed on about a
dozen charges and convicted on nil of
them, and tho scutenco was that ho bo
Imprisoned for ono yenr nnd then bo
discharged in disgrnco. It wns n duty
tho officers owed the regiment nnd tho
service, and yet they felt a bit sorry
for tho victim. Ho wns morally Irre
sponsible rather than vicious. Tho
devil in him had more likely descended
than developed.
"I'm sorry for you In n way," said
tho colonel, "but it was no ubo trying
to do anything with you. 1 never saw
a man llko you. You havo been
charged with everything but coward
ice, nnd If we had not bcon nt peace
with tho Indians that charge would
probably havo bcon Included."
"I know I'vo mado a lot of trouble,
colonel," ropllod tho man, "but nobody
can cnll mo a coward. If we'd had a
fight I know I'd hnvo been in it with
tho rest."
"Such men as you nro shirks whon
thero Is any lighting to bo dono. Your
barrack brawls don't signify soldierly
courage It's no uso to talk, however;
you know your sentence."
Hobson wns sent to tho gunrdhoiiBo
to wait for tho day when he should be
sent off undor escort, and tho sergeant
of the guard was surprised to sco his
prisoner shed tears.
"You ought to havo known It would
come," ho said, In sarcastic sympathy.
"Look horo, sergeant," said the man,
as ho crowded back his emotions, "tho
colonel called mo a coward."
"Well, do you find any fault about
it?"
"Do you bollovo I'm one?"
"Of course."
"And does Corporal Shnnley and nil
tho boys believe so?"
"Not a doubt or It."
"Good God, but I can't stand that,
surge! I've shirked duty and booh a
nuisance to everybody, but don't cnll
mo a coward. I'm to bo sent to prison
nnd disgracefully .discharged, but
leave mo ono thing to build up on
ngnin. Call mo a devil, n fool and a
lunntlc, but don't sny I'd shirk n fight."
"Lot mo tell you something, Hob
son," said tho storn-fneed old Ber-
goant, as ho looked tho prisoner up
nnd down In contompt. "Judging by
what Vvo seon of you I wouldn't agree
to diiVo a do?cn redskins off this reB
servnUou with a thousand men llko
you b .'hind me. Thnt's pnt, my man,
and you may swalldw it or no."
Hobson grew white-faced nnd turned
away und wept, while tho sentinel n
tho floor laughed unfeelingly und
asked him if he had any Indian scalp
locks to prove his bravery.
"Why, tho sight or a buck in war
pnlnt would havo scared him out or his
shoes!" was tho general verdict or his
comrades, and each and every ono
added a wish that ho hud never came
to the company.
That night Hobson dug his wny out
or the guardhouse, nnd tho various
squa-ds sent out next day in soarcli or
the deserter railed to get any trace or
him. Desertion was a fitting climax
to his cureor, and ho would likely bo
heard of next as an outlaw. Weeks
pnssed and dreary wintor gave placo
to spring Sometimes tho men won
dered about Hobson, but nothing wns
advanced to his credit. Ho had got
dear off, und no one thought to over
see him ngaln Indeed, thero wero
weightier things to think of. Tho In
dlans wore becoming restless, and re
ports of wnr dunces wero coming In al
most dully. They might go on tho
war path und massnero a dozen set
tlers nnd scalp a few teamsters, and
tho troops might havo a hot chaso to
dtivo thorn back over tho Republican,
but It would end there Tho Idea that
they might attack any of tho frontier
poets was too absurd. It was so nb
suiT that at Fort Wallaco no dofonslvo
pii'Tiurntlons of any sort wero made.
Even tho guard at tho powder muga
zlno wns limited to ono man.
On a certain Wednesday tho reports
wero moio uumorous und disquieting,
nnd the mn wore paraded and In
spected to bo rendy for nn order to
tako tho Held. If thero was any excite
ment It vnnlRhed as tho compnnles
mnrchod back to their quurters Tho
colonel looked down from the hill into
tho poncorul valley with his binocu
lars und felt relieved. Ho noticed tho
grazing herds tho curling smoko rrom
tho farmhouse chimneys tho plow
men In tho fields and the freighters on
the winding highway, and ho smiled
at tho Idea or danger. Tho hostlles
might do their bloody work over tho
ran go to the north, and over tho river
to tho west, but they would not como
within flrtoen miles or tho rort
That night at ton o'clock tho sen
tlnnel nt tho gate cried: "Halt1 Who
comes there!" Then ho cnllod for tho
corporal of tho guard, and ho for tho
officer of tho day, und ten minutes
later, tho colonel, who was about ip
seek his bed, was cnllod out IIo
found a man In citizens' dress with
tho officer of tho day nnd a sentinel.
Tho man was rough, unkempt nnd
ragged. IIo was hungry and footsoro
and exhausted.
"Who is It and what's tho news?"
queried tho colonel, in no agreeable
framo of mind.
"It's Hobson, Blr," nnswcrqd the ar
rival, as ho wearily saluted.
"Hobson? Hobson? Why, you nra
tho deserter nnd havo come to glvo
yourself up. Adjutant, why wasn't
this man sent to the guardhouBo in
stend of disturbing mo?"
"He has news, sir," ropllcd tho ad
jutant "Colonel," said tho deserter, as ho
leaned heavily against tho veranda or
tho commander's quarters, "I've bceu
living among tho Indians, greasers
and outlaws since I deserted You
may know that tho Sioux nro ready
for the war-path, but I don't bellovo
you know that old Concha and 600 war
riors are hiding along tho river over
thero and will move on you tonight.
It hns been planned for days, colonel,
and they'll bo hero to attack In tho
gray of morning I've known It for
threo days past, but I couldn't get
away to glvo you warning. I dodged
them tonight, nnd here I am and my
news Is straight. They'll Bweop tho
vnlloy clear and then rush the fort.
Now, send mo to tho guardhouse ns
a desorter and got ready for trouble'
Thore was a moment's silence ns tho
desorter finished. Thero had been n
ring of truth In Ills every word, and
no one doubted his news.
"Hobson, you aro no coward, and
you will not go to tho guardhouBo,"
frankly replied tho colonel, us ho ex
tended his hand.
Then men wont galloping down Into
the vulloy to warn tho settlors and
bring them in, and tho fort prepared
for defense. Orders wero Issued In
whispers and men moved about llko
shadows. In threo hours a breast
work of boxes, bales of hay, wagons
and turf covered tho most exposed
point nnd tho ono most likely to bo at
tacked: An hour later every man who
could fire a gun was crouching behind
it and waiting for tho expected attack.
"Sergeant," whispered tho descrtor.
as tho non-com. peered Into tils fnco
through tho darkncsB, "you said I was
n coward."
"Yes, I did."
"And you Bald that Corporal Shan
ley und all tho boys believed me a
coward."
"Woll?"
"Well, I'll make you all toko It back
tonight or go to h 1 trylngK'
Moving with tho footsteps of ghosts',
nnd leaving the crickets still singing
behind them, Concha's COO warriors
left their lurking placo under cover of
darkness nnd swept up tho valley.
Thoy found It deserted of human life,
but, conscious of their strength, thoy
pressed on to tho fort. At tho first
signs of daylight thoy raised a snvago
cry and made their rush. But for tho
extemporized bronstwork tho post
would havo been carried off-hand. Tho
rlflo fire surprised and checked them,
but they wero not panic-stricken.
They rushed again and again, and nt
length, nt one point, half a score ot
them broke through. Six or sovon offi
cers tried to drive them back wltb;
sword and revolver, and tho moleo had!
become bloody and furious, when a
man with clubbed musket dashed iu
and cheered as ho laid about him. It
was tho deserter. Ho cheered and ho
struck, and he struck and ho cheered,
and every tlmo tho musket stock
crashed down it shattered a skull. Ho
did not fight like a man, but llko a
dovll. Almost with his own hands ho
killed or drove back such as had sur
mounted tho works.
All nlong tho lino tho hostlles had
had enough. Two hundred or their
number lay dead on tho green grass as
Concha gave tho word to draw off, and
this heavy loss was to break tho pres
tige of tho Sioux chieftain and mnko
him beg for lasting peace.
"Hobson! Hobson! Whore Is Hob
son?" called tho colonel, as tho fight
was over and his heart beat with grati
tude for the man who had brought tho
warning.
"Here, Blr," replied Sergeant Davis,
as ho pointed to ono of tho 20 dead
men hiBldo tho breastwork a dead
man with threo dead warriors lying;
within reach of his hand.
"And I culled that man a coward!"
"And so did I. sir, and so did we
all, and mny God roiglvo us for it!"
(fnnyrlKht, 1DH liy VnWy Story Pub Co.y
First One-Cent Paper.
Tho first one-cent morning paper Id
America was tho New York Morning
Post, which was founded In 1833, with
Dr. II. D. Shepard as editor and Hor
aco Greeley us printer. Prior to that
by threo ears nn evening pnper called
The Cent soiling for thnt amount, had
hud a bilcf existence In Philadelphia.
Greeley, ho was born 103 years ngo,
started his career us a printer in
Poultnoy. Vt., in 1820. In 1831 ho ar
rived In Now York with $10 In his
pocket, but two years later ho began
business on his own account as printer
of the Morning Post. Tho following:
yenr Greeley, In partnership with JonaB
Winchester, established tho New York
er, of which Greeley wub edltor In
1840 Greely edited and publlsued tho
Log Cnbln. n campaign paper that
gained tho astounding circulation of
80.000.
Patient Klne.
Mr. Slmsby Woll, I boo tho militant
suffragettes havo 4burned Dulcato In
England nnd tho brigands burned Lao-Ho-Kow
in China.
Mrs. Slmsby Friday, tho thirteenth,
may not havo been fatal to tho hu
man family, but the poor cnttlo surely
suffered that day.