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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1916)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA PREVENTING BELLIGERENTS Fil WIG HE UIILITI GIG IAS TO FROVE MOOTED THEORY tvN m. Jr xiv n mi f.m -. i m m ir x m i Customs Authorities of the Port of New York Never Before Had a Situation to Deal With Like, That Created by the European War Efficient Bay Patrol Assisted by Swift Destroyers Keep Constant Watch on Outgoing Vessels. Now Yqrk. New York Is a neutral port. "N It In neutral despite tho prcsonco hero of vessels of all nntlons. These vessels arc free to come and go as long as they obsorvo tho neutral ity laws of tho United Slates. Dudley Field Malone, collector of tho port, Is charged with tho respon sibility for tho enforcement of theuo laws, Mr. Malone has been without prece dent to guldo him. No other collector of this port over had to deal with a situation like that created by tho war In Europe From tho outset ho has been de termined, so far as IiIb district is con corned,, to prevent any net on tho part of any of tho belligerents which would compromiso tho neutrality of this country as defined In President Wilson's proclamation, says the New York Herald. Tho need for prompt and vigorous action was emphasized by tho Kron prlnz Wllhelm episode Tho records of tho custom house show that this vessol cleared In a proper manner. The authorities had no legal right to detain It. Becomes Commerce Destroyer. Yet tho facility with which tho Kronprlnz Wllhelm was transformed from a peaceful merchant vessol to a commerco destroyor nu soon as It was on tho high sens caused tho gov ernment to turn its attention to tho activities which became manifest on board other steamships that were In tho harbor. Mr. Malono immcdlntoly organize! a neutrality bureau, consisting of about a hundred customs ofllclals. These men wero assigned to various plors and stations whero vigilanco Boomed necessary.' Each man wns held to a strict ac countability, but Mr Malono sot them n splendid oxnmplo, for night after night ho was out In tho harbor, In wind, rain or cold, cither on a torpedo boat destroyor or ono of tho govern ment's fast launches which havo boon assigned to neutrality duty. Tho formalities attending tho clear ance of a vessel worn mndo more strict, a closor inspection of tho load ing of cargoes was instituted, and to Collector Dudley Field Malone. guard against a vcsbcI attempting to loavo tho harbor without clearance papers It was arranged to havo somo of tho speediest torpedo-bout destroyers In the navy stationed In tho Narrows off Quarantino and in tho sound off Whltcstono. Cables wero laid and at tached to a buoy, from which direct connection could bo inado with ono of tho destroyers on guard at clthor station, so that It would bo posslblo to telephone direct from tho custom houso to tho commanding ofllcer at nny mlnuto during tho day or night, Prlvato tolophonos wero also placod at each pier around tho hurbor, mnk' ing it posslblo for the mon on guard to get into Instant communication with tho collector's offlco. No Chance to Get By, Under this arraugomont as soon as a vcbscI has cleared at tho custom houso notico is sent to tho torpedo boat destroyor on guard, and no ves bo! Is allowed to lcavo tho harbor un til tho commandor of tho dostroyer has rocclvod word from tho custom houso that clearance has been granted. Tho ofllcacy of this supervision was testod when tho steamship Pathllnder, ltjnorlng tho signals to Btop, steamed rapiuiy past quarantino and was down in tho lower buy beforo tho do Btroyer got under headway. Tho do parting boat was speedily overhauled, but oven then tho captain rofusod to stop until a solid shot was fired across bis bows. Ho thoroupon decided to take no chances on what might hap pen next and returned as ordered to tho Quarantino station, whoro ho wob detained until a proper cloaranco was produced, Sovcral other boats havo boon stopped in llko manner. Tho vigilanco of the "neutrality squad, ns Mr. Malono b army of husky watchors has como to bo known among tho harbor folk, Is evidenced by several Incidents. Two one-time United States torpedo boats, tho Por ter and tho Wlnslow, which had speed of from twenty-four to twenty olv knots, had been condemned by tho navy department and sold. They wero purchased by a machinist and boiler mnkcr and stored in tho Erlo basin, whoro they remained sovcral years, neglected and uncared for. Soon after tho war broko out thoy suddenly becamo tho objects of great activity. A number of workmen ap peared on tho scene, tho decks wero scraped and painted, tho engines and machinery overhauled and tho boats soon took on tho racy, buslnessllko nppcaranco which had distinguished them when thoy were on tho active navnl list. Sale Falls Through.. No explanation of this sudden chango could ho obtained, so customs guards were placed In chnrgo of tho boats day and night, with Instructions to forbid them leaving the pier until tho collector had given permission for them to do bo. Tho owner then ap peared and stated that ho was nego tiating tho sala of tho craft and that thoy wera to bo taken up to tho great lakes. It was shown to him that all that would bo necessary to moko tho vchhoIs effective fighting mnchines would bo to mount a couplo of tor pedo tubes on the decks, which Rtill contained tho ringbolts and the bases on which tho torpedo tubes had for- morly been mounted. Also It was shown to tho owner that as thero wero two British cruisers on guard outsido of Now York harbor, tho possibilities In caso theso torpedo boats should fall Into tho hands of Irresponsible parties wero too sorious to bo lightly disregarded, and that if tho vessels wero sold thoy would not bo permitted to leavo tho custody of tho customs authorities until tho Iden tity of tho now owner and his pur poso of acquiring craft of this typo wore fully investigated. Tho negotia tions for tho snlo of tho bouts appar ently foil through, for at tho present tlmo they aro still in tho hands of tho same ownor and aro still under tho supervision of tho neutrality bu reau, day and night. Thogrcnt Hoot of Gorman and Aus trian passenger and merchant ves sels (27 of tho former and four of tho latter) now tied up at tho docks In tho Now York harbor has been under the constant survoillanco of tho 'neutrality squad." Theso vessels aro not Interned. Thoy aro merely "self dotnlncd," and, so far as tho United States Is concerned, aro qulto as free to como and go as tho ships of any other nation, if thoy so olect. All that tho customs authorities demand Is that any cargo takon aboard shall con form strictly to our neutrality laws and tho vessels clear according to tho proper formalities. Vast Amount of Work. A trip around tho harbor in tho launch Neutrality, which is always ready to respond at a moment's notico to an omorgoncy call from Mr. Ma lono or any of his subordinates, gives somo ldoa of tho vast amount of work nud tho tremendous responsibility in volvod In keoplng tho port of Now York noutral. Exorbitant freight rates and tho cor tainty of obtaining cargoos havo drawn ships of all descriptions from all sections of tho globe to theso wa tors. Tho oldest sailors say thoy havo novor before soon such a largo and Ill-assorted llcot of tramp ships aB thero Is now in tho harbor. Any sort of craft that will koop afloat is wol corned by shippers. Millions and millions of dollars' worth of war supplies purchased by tho allies aro awaiting shipment. Tho volume of exports now going out of Now York from week to week far ox- coeds nny previous movomcnt of tho kind from any port In tho world In tho history ' of modern timos. Tho shipyards of Europo, Amerlcu and Asia havo boon ransacked; craft that had been assigned to tho scrap heap has boon resurrected and put Into commission. Somo of theso ships hnvo mado moro monoy for tholr own ers on a slnglo voyage than tholr actual worth In tho markot. Tho sklppors nro not particular what sort of cargo thoy carry. Dynnmlto or gun powder, nutomouiios or mules aro all tho Bamo to them so long as thoy can got tho bonoflt of tho high rntuB which this war-tlmo tralllc bears. PosBing under tho shadows of tho great Gorman stoamshlpB tied up at their docks in Ilobokon after tho man nor in which an ico company is forced to stable Its horses In the winter tlmo a tour of investigation soon lends to scones of unusua activity along tho plors nt Woohawkon. Tho hugo grain olovators oporatod by tho West Shoro railroad aro pouring wheat by tho hundrodB of thousands of bushels into the steel hulks of vessels steaming undor tho Norwegian and Danish flugs. A littlo furthor along tho French atenmshlp Kungaroo 1b loading with (otiB and toiiB of steel billets to bo used In making firearms and am munition. Freight Piled High. AcrosB tho way another big stool frolghtor, Bclicdulod to stonm for Vladivostok, Russia, Is taking on cargo that Is of unlnuo charactor. It 1b composed in part of stool rails tno Btcci rramoE and trucks of frolght cars and tho dismembered parts of Fuji, tho .lapancso fostor-daughtor of Mrs. William B. Neader Adamson of Philadelphia, is not only a beauti ful, healthy and loving littlo Japanc30 child, but is also tho living exponent by which tho theory of tho inlluenco of environment over that of heredity is to bo proved. Tho child Is to bo given a real American training and at twonty-ono to bo permitted to decide whether she wants to live in America or Japan. Meanwhilo all her Inherent characteristics aro to bo mado a mat ter of record. a couplo of powerful locomotives of the latest pattern, and In part of mis cellaneous freight, consisting of sup plies for army uso. Lighters piled high with large crates containing motors and automo bllo bodies of various makes aro In ovldcnco everywhere around tho har bor. Tho spaces between tho plera of tho Bush Terminal docks aro con gested with freight of this charac ter, and the sceno Is ono of remarka ble commercial enterprise. Tho Noutrallty picks Its way along cautiously until In loss crowded wa ters, then makes a dash across tho upper bay to tho torpedo-boat de stroyers stationed at tho Narrows. Tho investigating party no sooner clambers up on the deck of ono of them than a telophono boll rings aft. Lieut. Gcorgo M. Lowry answers tho call and returns with a messago for a member of the "noutrallty squad" from tho office of Mr. Malono. Tho destroyers havo steam up and aro roady to mako a dash if tho occasion should arlso. Beyond tho Narrows, In Gravcsend bay, In what has boon designated by tho harbor authorities as tho loading ground for oxploslves, several shlpn aro taking on dynamite, trl-nltro- toluol or Eomo othor form of high ox ploslvo In quantities sufllclcnt to mako you shudder at tho moro thought of what might happen If ono of tho boxes carelessly swung from the light er alongsldo should slip from tho block and tackle and fall to tho deck. All barges carrying explosives nro required by tho municipal ordinnnco to fly two largo red Hags, ono at tho bow and one nt tho stern, and at night to display two rod lanterns. City In Danger From Explosives. Most of them paid littlo heed to the regulation. Thoy woro traveling up and down tho harbor, each with enough picric acid or' othor high ex plosive to razo tho city, with no red Hag flying or othor indication of tho dnngorouB cargo thoy wero transport ing. Tho attention of tho "neutrality squad" was cullod by Mr. Malono to this carelessness. Tho customs guards aro also forced to koop rigid watch to soo that no oxploslvoB aro loaded on pnssengor ships. It is likewise part of tholr duty, undor tho law, to prevent ship pers from loading goods undor a false classification. In enforcing noutrallty Mr. Malono has not lost sight of tho fact that tho motive of patriotism which Impels all aliens in tho United States to want to bo of utmost sorvico to their respective countries Is perfectly un derstandable but it has been his con stant purposo to compel tho repre sentatives of all nations to realize that thoy can only servo tho causo of tholr governments by keeping within tho limits and prohibitions of our noutrallty laws. MAN BAGS 52-POUND WOLF Young Minnesota Hunter Chases Ani mal for Several Miles on n Motor Cycle. Balaton, Minn. Two boys, Evold Bylandor and John Bollman, baggod a 52-pound wolf recontly In rather a novel way. Thoy woro out hunting ono boy on tho motor cyclo and tho othor with a gun In tho sldo car when thoy spied tho wolt and gave cliaso. Aftor a wild lido of several miles, thoy mado ii mir'!Ri-.ful long shot IMPROVE ROADS BY DRAINAGE One of the Most Important Matters to Be Considered In Construction of Public Highways. (By E. li. GATES, Illinois.) Whon It comes to building roads thero aro a good many problems to solvo and not easy ones at that. Rid ing along in an nuto it Is easy enough to say when you strlko a smooth Btretch, "this Is fine," and turn on a littlo moro gas, but when you hit a rriudholo and ruts you may get your foot on tho wrong pedal and the road commission catches it. It takes labor, tlmo, good material and money to havo good roads. Every ono wants tho roads, so wo will all havo to work and spend somo of our tlmo and money and boost for better roads. Ono of tho things most needed is better drainago for tho roads as well as for tho forms and at this timo we will conllno this artlclo to tho subject of drainage. Drainago Is the most important matter to bo considered in tho con struction of, roads. Drainago alono will often chango a bad road Into a good ono whilo tho best stone road may bo destroyed from a lack of prop er drainago. Thero are threo systems of drainago that wo can uso to advantago, and theso aro underdralnago, sldo ditches and surfuco drainage. Whero water stands on a road un dordralnngo without any grading la better than grading without under dralnago. Underdralnago is not to re- movo simply tho surface water but its greatest help Is to lower tho water lev el in the soil. The action of the sun and wind will finally dry tho surface of tho road but if tho foundation is wet and soft tho wheels will wear ruts and theso get tilled with water during tho first rains and tho road becomes a sticky mass. An Tindralncd soil is a poor founda tion upon which to build roads as' well as anything else. When frost is leav ing tho ground tho thawing Is quite as much from tho bottom as from tho top. If underdralnago is provided the water is immediately removed. Tho best and cheapest method to secure underdralnago Is to lay a lino of farm drain tllo on ono or both sides of tho road. Tho new road law gives tho highway commissioners power to contract with adjoining property own ers to lay larger tllo than is necessary to drain tho road and to permit tho contracting parties to drain their lands. This helps tho roads and at tho same tlmo Is a great benolit to tho adjoining land. Sldo ditches aro necessary to all roads but no road can be maintained with the ditch holding the water un- Well-Drained Road In Illinois. til It evaporates. In most cases It la cheaper to get tho water away from tho road than to try to :1ft tho road out of It. Sometimes roads on tho hillsides nro left without sldo ditches. This is u mistake, for if any load needs a ditch it is tho ono on a hillside, for whero thero are no ditches tho water runs along tho middle of tho road and wears gullies and as wo all know. makes a bad road. The roads should bo so crowned that water can reach tho tllo or ditches. If all ruts and mudholes are filled, tho water will havo a better chanco to run off. Thero nro sovcral machines mado to keep tho roads in shape and theso need to bo used often and at tho right time. It Is not neces sary to spend half a day in trying to get hold of a road commissioner to help open a culvert or let tho water out of a holo in tho road. Better spend tho tlmo in doing It yourself and you will feel better and your neigh bor will thank you. Arteries of Community. Improved public roads aro directly related to bettor country homes and schools, to tho reach and Inlluenco of country churches, to tho timely mar ket centers. They aro tho arteries ot organized community llfo. Homo and FIresldo. Road Drags for Upkeep. Tho road drag Is not an equipment for constructing roads, but it is in tended for upkeep. It should not move any largo quantity of earth, but takes a small amount of wet earth to or away from tho centor of tho road. It is Important to remember that tho road drag does not build roads, but helps to kcop them in repair. Using Taxpayers' Money, Thoro is no hotter way to uso tho taxpayers' money than by draining uur roads. I Congressional Directory Shows Work of Censor WASHINGTON. Tho proclivities of now congressmen td advertise tholr past exploits and their futuro aspirations havo boon severely dealt with by tho censor appointed by tho Joint comraittoo on printing to edit tho sued. Ono of them is the biography of himself ns "Harry Lane, Democrat.'- Senator Thompson of Kansas, who solf In tho first directory printed after his election, has evidently changed his view, as the new issuo contains nothing oven related to tho radiant. Similar high personnl mention which sentative LIttlopago of West Virginia Harry E. Hull, Republican, of Iowa, his campaign as tho successor of tho lato Mr. Pepper, and that ho "made a run that was accepted by tho wholo country as proof of how tho 'farmers would voto and of the weakness of tho Progressive cause." Jeff McLomoro of Houston, Tex., newspaper man." Ho also prospected strike." Mr. McLomoro also says that of his aversion to teachers." David H. Kincheloo of Madlsonvllle, "has one girl now seven and a half months old." Uncle Sam Now Boosting THE bureau of fisheries is doing Its best to exploit tho commercial possi bilities of tho goosellsh and has issued a bulletin unon this unannreclatml fish in which it gives ton different into a delicious and appetizing food. So littlo is this flsh valued by the fishermen of tho Atlantic coast that every year they throw away about 10,- 000,000 pounds. But goosellsh is of a higher nutritive value tlian tho famous Now England codfish. This angler, or monkfish, aB it is also called, is a most unsightly mon ster. It has a very largo head and mouth, entirely out of proportion to tho rest of Its body. It is abun dant along the Atlantic coast down to tho Carolluas, and on trawl thero aro gathered more than 400,000, pounus eacli, ana giving, when cut into steaks, food that In flesh-building qualities is equal to sirloin steak. All of this splendid food is either thrown overboard or loft on the shores to decay, and if It wero sold oven at tho low est price it would pay tho fishermen, for they take it without extra trouble. Tho appearance of tho flsh is against It. It averages a length of about threo feet, with broad, depressed body, with a doublo row of strong tooth. Tho first spine of the dorsal fin nnd bears a tuft, which serves as a lure skin is covered with numerous short arrangomont around tho edge of tho Jaws. While Its gocd qualities are only the cooseflsh has long been a favorito sea and other waters of Europe, and millions of pounds. Though called tho "sea devil" in there aro many ways of preparing It. and Italy. It is also prepared for salo boxed. Athletic Paradise Is rlTHIN ten years the District of complete public amusement parks Col. W. W. Harts, superintendent ing 40,000. "It Is not our intention to havo a stadium with 40,000 empty seats always gaping across tho field," said Colonel Harts. "Tho tentative plan calls for a U-shaped grand stand with a seating capacity of 15,000. Now, when occasion demands, tho two ends end of tho field, and then, If moro seats into a hugo oval-shaped stand, seating In addition to tho big field, there for the uso of tho public. Somo of the other features in tho tentative plan aro: Two swimming pools, ono wading pool, two cricket fields, 28 tennis courts, an 18-holo golf courso, four basket-ball fields and a combination roque and croquet flold. Spanish Becomes Popular Study at the Capital PROMPTLY at 4:35 o'clock two afternoons of each week a scoro or more of employees of tho bureau of foreign and domestic commerce meet in ono of tho rooms In tho dopartmcnt of hour lessons In tho Spanish language. On two other afternoons at tho same tlmo a number of employees of the bureau gather to tako lessons In Rus sian. Tin I languago lessons wero In augurated by Dr. Edward Ewlng Pratt, chief of tho bureau, as a part of tho wolfaro work among his employees. No employoo of tho bureau is re quired to study Spanish or Russian or any other foreign lnnguago. It Is a voluntary matter, paid for in cash by tho persons vno take tho lessons. Tho expectation Is that several of tho mon now taking Spanish lessens will In tlmo bo promoted to field duty and detailed to Central or South America on some phase of the bureau's varied ccmmorclal activities. Others will havo opportunities to turn their knowl edge of Spanish to profitable account In private employment. ' - The growing commerco between tho United States and Latin-American countries makes it very desirablo that somo of tho employees of tho bureau of foreign and domestic commerce havo a working knowledge of Spanish. Whilo keeping the practical sldo In mind, however, tho satisfaction which comos to persons who master foreign languages also Is not being lost sight of, Tho Russian languago is generally believed to bo much harder to master than Spanish, but tho growing commerco betwoen tho United States and Russia promises to make it well worth while for tho few employees who havo Mndcrtakeu a study of tho Russian language nt their own request. autobiographies submitted by states men for tho now congressional direc tory. Ono of tho features of tho new di rectory Is tho brevity of many of tho biographies. Consternation reigned In tho government printing ofllco sovoral years ago when Representative Lind bergh of Minnesota sent in his biog raphy this: "Lindbergh, Charles A., Republican, Littlo Falls." There aro moro than a dozen eimilar Items in tho directory Just Is Senator Lano of Oregon, who records predicted a glorious futuro for hlm- stood out In a former skotch of Repre is missing. says ho had only ten days to mako assorts that ho Is "a bachelor and a for gold in 1879, but "did not mako a ho "had but littlo schooling because Ky., proudly says ho is married and the Goosefish as Food recipes by which It may bo converted lines and In nets with nth pr fish weighing on an average of 25 and tho powerful Jaws aro provided is detached and Inserted on tho snout. for Its proy. Its loose, mottled brown paps, which aro regular in size and Just becoming known in this country in Europe. It abounds in tho North its annual consumption amo'ana to . " Gormany it is, highly esteemed, and It Is equally, popular In Great Britain by smoking, cut Into small strips and Planned for Washington eolumbia will have ono of tho most In the world, If tho present plana of of nubile buildlnrcs and urounds. aro approved and supported financially by congress. Colonol Harts has mapped out a comprehensive plan for convert ing tho 327 acres of unimproved land southeast of Potomac park and just across from the Seventh street wharves into an athle'tlc"',p"arc,d(3e." Tho plan is so broad in scope thai ' It can bo carried out only gradually. Colonel Harts estimates that ten years should see its completion. Tho feature of tho plan is the erection of a stadium capable of seat of tho big 'U' can bo er.tonded to the aro dsslrcd, tho 'U' can bo completed a world series crowd." will bo 13 smaller baseball diamonds commerce building to study for a half IJCOrf QUE f JCRIOO YO Etl) 1. f I HEVER CCJLOSL EAT SICH U?OKtN'Mfffflf FISH A3 THAT J I I j JK
