JELLICOE MOST
POPULAR OF Mi
BRITISH CH FS
Frederick Palmer Writes of Fight
ing Commander of Britain’s
Great Fleet.
MASTER OF HIS PROFESSION
No Matter What Difficulties Arise He
Is Always Smiling—The One Man
Who Cannot Risk Being Ab
sent From the Fleet—
Loved by Officers.
By FREDERICK PALMER.
London.—Of all the great leaders of
the war Sir John Jellicoe, command
ing the British grand fleet, is least
known to the world, and his is the
portrait which receives the most
cheers when it is thrown onto a
screen at a London theater. But the
British public knows nothing of him
except that he is the fighting com
mander of the ‘‘invisible’’ power of
the British navy.
When war was threatening it is re
lated that a meeting of admiralty
lords and others who would have the
say was held to decide who, in case
of hostilities, should command tho
British fleet. The opinions ran some
I thing like this, it is said:
“Jellicoe! He has the brains!’’
“Jellicoe! He is young. He has
the health to endure the strain. He
has the nerve.”
“Jellicoe! His fellow-officers be
lieve In him.”
“Jellicoe! He has been tried in
every branch of the service.”
That sort of recommendation helps
when a man has to undertake such an
immense responsibility. He was
given supreme command and the rest
left to him.
A Marked Man.
“From the time he was a midship
man, Jellicoe has been a marked man
in the service,” said one of his ad
mirals. “He is one of those men who
seem to be born with tireless energy.
No matter what difficulties arise, he
is always smiling. Both he and Beatty
were on the first attempt to relieve
the Peking legations at the time of
the Boxer rebellion. Captain Jellicoe
was then Vice Admiral Sir Edward
ieymoer's chief of staff. When he
was wounded and the little band of
seamen were surrounded by Boxers
and it looked as if every minute might
be their last, he was smiling as cheer
ily as if he had been on the quarter
deck. Nothing ever seems to ruffle
his equanimity. His personal charm
would win him his way anywhere;
but when you have served with him.
then you realize what a master or his
profession he Is.”
Only the commander in chiefs flag
which she flies distinguishes the flag
ship, which is in the center of the
fleet, from the rest of the gray fight
ers in their precise lines at anchor
in harbor. Sir John takes his exer
cise and his holidays pacing the quar
ter-deck. He never leaves the fleet
even for a few hours. The command
er in chief is the one man who must
take no risk of being absent if the
German fleet should come out.
Not tall, spare, his face tanned by
the breezes, he walks up and down
the deck, sometimes with one of his
aides or with his chief of staff, again
with one of his officials. Everyone in
the fleet is familiar with the quick,
light step of that slight figure with a
telescope always under his arm. If a
ship should come to anchor with a
bow out of line, he knows it. All his
fighting ships are under his eye and
every human being on the fleet feels
his personal presence.
Makes It Look Easy.
Descend a ladder under the shadow
of two great 13.5-inch guns and the
visitor is in a large cabin extending
Sir John Jeilicoe.
-Jkt‘
1 from side to side of the ship, which
in a house would be called the dining
room. Here when he was in port in
time of peace the commander in chief
would give his official dinners. In
time of war the cabin is partly
screened off, as there is more room
than Sir John and his staff need for
meals. Aft of this is what would be
called in a house the sitting room.
The furnishings are of the simplest.
Everything inflammable could be
moved promptly In case of action.
The few names in the visitors’ book
on a table were suggestive of the
fleet’s isolation from intercourse with
the rest of the world. One name was
the king's and another the prince of
Wales, and a few others were those of
high officials.
The visitor looked about in vain for
signs of the immense amount of offi
cial detail which would seem neces
sary for the focal point of a vast
campaign. Some staff officers and a
few records were all. The flagship
is kept cleared for action in this as
in all other respects. The actual di
recting of the three thousand ships
and auxiliaries of the British navy is
carried on in a space occupied in a
New York office by a lawyer and two
or three clerks. An orderly went and
came with messages from the wire
less room, which aside from the in
stallation, had space enough for the
wireless operators to stand and no
more.
Officers said that it was difficult to
contemplate how such a naval cam
paign as the British in this war could
have ever been conducted without the
wireless. Sir John could talk with
the admiralty in London or with any
ship, whether off Helgoland or Ice
land. He knew what each one was
doing. Let a German cruiser show
her nose in the North sea and he had
the news in a minute or two after she
was sighted..
His Fighting Admirals.
Beatty, who sank the Bluecher, is
the youngest of Sir John's young ad
mirals. forty four years of age, boy
ish and quick. Sturdee. victor of the
Falkland islands battle, smooth
shaven, as smiling as Sir John, is
quiet-spoken and rather studious in
appearance, he is an expert in naval
strategy.
In the British navy promotion is
by selection up to the grade oi cap
tain. A man with a single flaw in his
record as lieutenant must wait on
others before he can become lieu
tenant commander. Those with per
fect records in each grade are can
vassed by boards and those who have
shown industry and initiative are
chosen to go over the heads of less
active men. The aim is to apply the
system of civil life, where ability
rises and mediocrity must be content
with the lower rungs of the ladder.
Jellicoe, Sturdee and Beatty en
tered the navy as boys of fourteen.
None had any particular influence;
they made their way by industry. Sir
John has served in every branch. He
is regarded as possibly the ablest
ordnance expert in the navy, which
means that he knows the guns which
he will fire in section.
Despite his amiability, all agree
that he has only one criterion—suc
cess. If an officer fails he is super
seded. Most of these young admirals
sleep on the bridge even in harbor.
For the last ten years the average
British naval officer has worked hard
er than a man of any profession in
civil life. They have kept up the
grinding drill, which continues since
them said. “Our responsibility to the
nation requires that we neglect noth
ing that devotion to duty will accom
plish. Most of these crews you see
have been at their posts, whether gun
pointing or passing ammunition, for
five or six years. We want each man
to be letter perfect in his part.”
Prompt In His Decisions.
' In all actions thus far the firing has
begun at extreme range—eighteen
thousand yards. At that distance a
dreadnauglit painted the color of the
sea is a vague speck. But one for
tunate hit may be vital, and either
side wants to get that fortunate hit
first. The accuracy of fire both at
the Falkland islands and in the bat
tle of the Dogger Bank, officers said,
had been as good as at battle prac
tice.
Seen among his admirals, Sir John
Jellicoe seems the head of a family.
In frequent consultation, they know
one another in the fellowship of their
confined existence. If he had any
thing to say to one of them or they
to him, the definiteness of their re
marks and the promptness of his re
plies were impressive. Decision
seemed automatic with him.
He showed the visitors over the
flagship himself, calling attention to
things which he thought would inter
est them, as he led the way along
the cramped passages behind the
armor or pointed the way to enter
one of the turrets where the gun
crews were going on with their drill,
which they went through like so many
machines. Most of them were in the
late twenties or early thirties, mature,
experienced and confident.
“All they ask is that the Germans
will come out,” said an officer. “They
could not work any harder than thev
did before the war. But the war has
given them renewed eagerness.”
Thirteen Popular in Th:s Familv.
South Bend. )nd.—The thirteenth
baby of Mr. and Mrs. ("yde Kyles of
Mishawaka arrived at the Kyle home
on the 13th of October. The child is
a daughter and is the third one of th°
children to be horn on the 13th day
of the month. Mr. and Mrs. Kyi
were married on the 13th of f!
month.
Oriental Politeness.
In China when a subscriber rings up
the exchange, the oiierator may be ex
pected to ask: “What number does
the honorable son of the moon and
(tars desire?” "Hohi. two-three.” Si
lence. Then the exchange resumes:
i ‘Will the honorable person graciously
; forgive the inadequacy of the insignifi
cant service, and permit this humble
j ilave of the wire to inform him that
(he never-to-be-sufiiciently-censured
| line is busy?”
Look Well to This Day.
Listen to the salutation of the dawn
•"look well to this day! . . . For
yesterday is but a dream and toraor
; rowr is only a vision, but every day
■ well lived makes every yesterday a.
| dream of beauty, and every tomorrow
| a vision of hope. Look well, therefore,
1 to this day!—From the Sanskrit.
ROAD -
BUILDING
MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ROADS
Farmers Urged to Vote Against Eorids
or Taxes Whenever Plans Do
Not Provide for Up-Keep.
The progressive farmer believes in
good roads, as everybody knows. No
body needs good roads more than the
farmer and his family. Good roads
increase profits and enrich social life.
Poor roads cost more than good ones.
At the same time, we have reached
the conclusion that it is our patriotic
duty to advise our readers to vote
against road bonds or road taxes
whenever the plans for building the
roads do not include proper provision
for maintaining them after they are
built. It is just as foolish to spend
money to build a road, without at the
same time providing for funds to keep
It up. as it would be to spend money
to get a horse without providing feed
for him after he is bought. The South
has wasted millions and millions by
building roads without keeping them
up, and it is high time to stop wast
ing the people's tax money in this
fashion. We must aim not merely to
get good roads but to keep good roads.
Another important matter is that
of having all road expenditures made
under expert supervision. Secretary
of Agriculture Houston says: "The
nation today is spending annually the
equivalent of more than $200,000,000
for roads. Much of this is directed by
local supervisors and it is estimated
by experts that of the amount so di
rected anywhere from 30 to 40 per
cent is, relatively speaking, wasted
or misdirected.’’ Every state should
have a state highway commission, and
the people should not vote money for
any expensive scheme of country road
improvement until it has been ap
proved by experts.
...
me unra matter we wish to em
phasize is th» importance of the rot-d
drag. As we have said before, the
drag is undoubtedly the cheapest good
roads maker ever invented, and if
some commercial company had pat
ented it and sold it at five times its
cost, every county in the South would
be using it. It is so simple and cheap
that people will not realize what a
wonder-worker it is. The time to pre
vent next winter’s bad roads is now,
and the way to prevent them is to
make plans to have the roads dragged
Every farmer interested ought to see
his county road authorities and demand
action. Send to the United States
department of agriculture, Washing
ton, D. C., for a free copy of Farmers’
Bulletin 597, “The Road Drag and
How to Use It," and keep pestering
your fellow citizens until your county
gets the dragging habit.
1. Road building is too expensive
a business for you to intrust it to
An Improved Highway In Georgia.
men without expert knowledge. De
mand that your state highway com
mission approve your county’s proj
ects.
2. The cheapest way to keep dirl
roads in good conditions is by the use
of the drag. Demand that your coun
ty commissioners make plans for us
ing it to improve the roads you al
ready have instead of spending all the
road money building new roads.
3. There is no such thing as a “per
manent road.” hence no plan for road
building should be approved unless il
Includes provision for keeping up the
roads after they are built.—The Pro
gressive Farmer.
Narrow Roads of Benefit.
While it is bad policy to build roads
of such narrow width where traffic is
likely to become at all excessive, un
questionably there are many districts
where they would be a profitable in
vestment as compared with the fruit
less effort to maintain ordinary stone
or dirt roads.
Banish Poor Roads.
Good road-building material is found
in practically every county, according
to the University of Missouri exhibits
shown at the state fair. It ought tc
be used to banish poor roads.
Good Roads.
The improvements of good roads
and ditches is a matter which con
cerns every farmer who desires to in
crease the value of his land or the
farm property of the community in
which he resides as a whole.
Oil Helps Greatly.
Oil, properly applied, helps greatly,
but the dust must be removed, and
the surface broken up and loosened
about two inches deep; otherwise the
oil stands in pools or runs into the
ditch.
Crown Roads Before Dragging.
Before dragging a road it ought to
bo crowned properly and the drainage
attended to—in other words, put into
good condition and then the work of
taking care ot it will give the best re
sults.
Pessimistic Friend.
Hewitt—“I am a proud father.**
Jewett—“You’ll get over your pride
when the child grows up.”
WORK OF MAINTAINING ROADS
People In Many States Spending Much
Money for Improvement, but
Overlook Needed Care.
Too much stress cannot bo laid upon
the importance of maintenance in con
nection with the work of improving
the roads. The people in nearly ail
the states are filled with enthusiasm
for road Improvement and are spend
ing enormous sums of money in the
construction of superb roads; and yet
almost without exception they aro
making little provision to care for the
roads after they are built. This is
true not only in the various counties,
but under many of our state highway
departments.
To maintain the roads in good con
dition year after year requires a con
siderable annual outlay, but this out
lay is infinitely less than the loss which
must fall upon the people eventually
It they allow their roads to go to utter
ruin. The thing for all advocates of
good roads to do Is to urge continuous,
systematic maintenance and the set
ting aside every year of an amount per
mile estimated by the engineer in
charge to be sufficient for the proper
maintenance of the road—a course
which must make for economy and
efficiency.
Get Roads In Shape.
Use the drag to get roads into the
best possible shape for winter. They
may be bad enough at best, but proper
work will help greatly.
Profit in Road Dragging.
Good roads save money because:
They cheapen transportation to the
markets.
They reduce the drain upon capital
invested in horses.
They prevent waste of time, and
“time is money.”
They add to the joy of living, and
joy adds to the effectiveness of life.
Good roads may be had by dragging.
Great Road Improver.
The King drag is the great road im
prover.
Arteries of Community.
Improved public roads are directly
related to better country homes and
schools, to the reach and influence ot
country churches, to the timely mar
ket centers. They are the arteries of
organized community life.—Home and
Fireside.
Road Drags for Upkeep.
The road drag is not an equipment
for constructing roads, but it is in
tended for upkeep. It should not move
any large quantity of earth, but takes
a small amount ot wet earth to or
away from the center of the road. It
is important to remember that the
road drag does not build roads, but
helps to keep them in repair.
9
Using Taxpayers’ Money.
Thei'e is no better way to use the
taxpayers' money than by draining our
roads.
I
Pay by Check at Christmastime
YY7E all wish to be as liberal as we can at Christmastime. Yet we do
* ^ not want to spend more than we can afford.
One way of keeping track of our expenditures is to pay for all presents by check, and mark the
stub “present.” A few minutes work will tell at anytime how much has already been used
up for this purpose.
This is one of the many ways in which a checking account can be used to advantage.
n r
If you have none at the present time, open a checking account at the Loup City State Bank, the
bank that is more than a place to deposit money.
THE LOUP CITY STATE BANK
CAPITAL AND SURPLUS FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
Loup City, Nebraska
