Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 142, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1917 — Page 3

SEEK ANTIDOTE FOR SUBMARINE

Inventors Strive for Means to Rid Sea of Menace to Shipping. EARLY ACTION IN AMERICA Thousands of. Letters Received by Boards ot Inventions In England and United States but Few Practical Ideas Advanced. London. —The New York Herald’s naval correspondent writes: A development of the war which will receive special attention from the historian is that which Is connected with the mobilizing of Inventions for fighting purposes. In Germany science was harnessed to the Moloch of destruction before hostilities began, and all the resources of technical knowledge were brought to bear for the purpose of devising new methods of killing. It ■was the use by the Huns of poison gas and similar contrivances which awakened the allies to the necessity for mobilizing Inventions and the imaginative enterprise of thoughtful men and painstaking investigators. As-a result there were established In Trance and England boards of Invention connected with the naval and

military departments, for the examination and trial of such plans and proposals as seemed to be of value. By these measures the flow of invention was directed to channels from which 4t was hoped might issue a provision of new weapons and new kinds of munitions helpful to the, forces by land and sea. j Early Action by America. With ready forethought America, 'while yet at peace, provided her own bureau of invention. She should b'e, therefore, more ready to utilize her natural inventive genius now that she has become a participant in the war. It is comparatively easy to find men of expert judgment and experience to Inquire Into or advise upon the feasibility of schemes and proposals, mflny of which are only rough hewn but may contain the germ of improvements; but what is less simple is to detach and detail the right kind of officers from the naval and military servlces-to carry forward the work of experiment and investigation to a point of usefulness. Just at present the attention of inventors is directed particularly toward finding an antidote for tlie submarine. It is said that the consulting board of the United States navy received in one -week more than two thousand letters, each containing what the writer believed to be a solution of the submarine menace. How many letters the British board of inventions has re-, ceived on this subject has not been made public, and yet it is manifest that no device has been discovered the practical application of which is an assured success. The explanation of this unsatisfactory state of affairs seems to rest mainly in the inability of the inventor to grasp rightly the factors In the problem. The principal obstacle to effective dealing with the U-boat is its invisibility, its quality of submersion for a considerable length of time, during which it can travel comparatively long distances under water and change its position without discovery by the watchers on the surface. It is true that it must come up at times to recharge its electric accumulators or to give its crew freslr alr. It must more often put its periscope above water, and the circumstances in which its attack is made may oblige It to emerge for-.the purpose of bringing its gun into action. - - The Real Solution. In these conditions it may be treated -* as a surface boat, and proposals for dealing with it, whether from the air or the sea, have already attained a high degree of efficiency. Again, where the U-boat is forced to operate or to reach the scene of its activity through narrow channels or constricted waters, the value of nets and mines as a deterrent has, as official records chow, been proved up to a point. Nevertheless, to overcome the submarine, it is not sufficient to be able to 1 obstruct its passage in certain limited areas, or merely to be prepared to deal

WORKING FOR THE MILITIA OF MERCY

Receiving and labeling packages of knit goods at the headquarters of the, Militia of. M trey in New York. The organisation aids the families of enlisted man. ■

with it during Its brief intervals of emergence. Something more Is wanted than this. The real solution of the problem will, depend upon the possibility of discovering its whereabouts under water and making that discovery either on the surface or in the air. This is the fruitful field for Investigation, and this is clearly the direction Indicated to inventors as the line along which to devote their thought and study if they are seeking an antidote to the submarine peril. The limitations thus set up not only narrows the scope for suggestion but the number of persons whose equipment by training and experience is likely to fit them for. the task. In order to save themselves from an inundation of useless or impracticable schemes, it is surely worth the while of the various Investigating boards to issue to wouldbe correspondents some rules by which the latter might be guided in making suggestions. Much disappointment would thereby be prevented and much waste of time and trouble.

Raise Flags Underground.

Shenandoah, Pa. —At the Draper colliery the other morning the inside employees raised-two American flags 1,000 feet below the surface in the mammoth vein gangway in honor of two of their workers, Edward Phillips and Robert Hahn, who have enlisted. One flag was set floating at each chute from where the men worked. Every employee of the inside workings was there.

Rodin Gets Aztec Sculptures.

Mexico City.—Reproductions of some of the more famous examples of Aztec sculpture have been sent by the Mexican government as a gift to Rodin, the French sculptor. Rodin in return has promised to send a reproduction of one of his works to be placed in the National Academy of Fine Arts.

TRUSTS HIS FOE; IS SHOT IN BACK

St. Louis Man’s Generosity to Enemy Costs Him His Life. IS VICTIM OF TREACHERY ....... “Fighting Jimmy" Paul, First in Front Line of Enemy, Is Mourned ■by French Foreign Legion—Even Wounded Attend Funeral. Paris. —Generosity toward the enemy cost the life of James Paul of St. Louis, q member of the famous French Foreign legion. Paul was known as "Fighting Jimmy,” and he never failed to live up to his name. To be called one of the bravest men in the legion is a great Jymor, and that was an honor held by “Fighting. Jimmy.” Twenty-four hours before one of the general attacks by the French in their recent offensive in Champagne. Paul was sent out with a body of picked men to “worry” the Germans’" first line with bombs. Paul was the first man over the parapet and got safely through, together with several other Americans. After trying in vain to keep off the attackers with machine guns, the Germans scuttled into their dugouts. Paul, who was in advance, threw a dozen grenade into a dugout and called upon the skulkers to come out. Victim of Treachery. Only one German appeared. He threw up his arms, shouting “Comrade,” assuring Paul the rest of the men inside were dead. Without taking the trouble to search the man for hidden weapons, Paul turned to another dugout. The instant his back was turned the German drew an automatic pistol and fired. Paul fell backward just ns his fellow legion members followed. The German fell with bayonet wounds in his body. Two of Paul’s best friends, Arthur; Berry of "Boston

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND. i

MAJ. GEN. HENRY G. SHARPE

A new snapshot of Maj. Gen. Henry G. Sharpe, quartermaster general of the war department. As the “rustler” of supplies for the army he has a mansized job and will have a bigger job before the war is over.

and Christopher Charles of Brooklyn, knelt beside him. Paul lay on his back and there was a smile on his lips. “You are not badly hurt, are you, Jimmy?” asked his friends. There was no reply, and they turned the body oven The bullet had penetrated the heart and death must have been Instantaneous. Wounded Attend Funeral. After that, any German showing fight was ruthlessly bayonetted. Those who surrendered were spared, although their trip from the front to the fear was far from- pleasant. After the position had been thoroughly cleared out, the legion members retired, bearing with them Paul’s body. Every man who could attended the simple funeral. Even wounded men hobbled out to the improvised cemetery. Paul had been decorated for bravery at the battle of Belloy-en-Santerre, on the Somme, in July, 1916. At that time, single-handed, he held a sector of a trench after his seven companions had been killed. Someone once referred to St. Louis as a German city. “That’s gpt true,” exclaimed Paul. “It is no more a German city -than Paris. True, there are Germans there, but you find Germans everywhere. You will find that St. Louis will send over some mighty good soldiers.”

WEST VIRGINIA BANS LOAFING

Rich and Poor Alike Must Work at Least 36 Hours Weekly, Says New Statute. Charleston, W. Va. —All loafers look alike to the law In West Virginia. A statute just passed by the legislature provides that every able male between the ages of sixteen and sixty must work at least 36 hours, weekly at “some lawful and recognized business, profession or employment.” - — ; This hits ’em all, both great and small. The law is effective, no matter how big an income any individual may enjoy. Students are exempt during school session. Violators may be fined SIOO or be put to work by the state, in which case their dependents get the small wage allowed. The purpose of this law Is to make every able-bodied male do something useful during the war.

ITALIANS BUILD FINE ROADS IN ALBANIA

Rome.—Thanks to Ital<>Austrian rivalry,- after the war Albania will hav? the best system of wagon roads of any Balkan state, Greece apd Roumania In* eluded. A few days ago a new road, 450 kilometers long, connecting Santi Quaranta with Salonlki, was opened to the public. The road is a "mbFuiFenFToTtanah labor and engineering. Over 300 kilometers lie through high mountains and deep gorges. A motor car can cover the distance between the two cities in about 20,hours. M . * In a few days a new- piece of road, 110 kilometers long, will be opened to the. public and will connect Avlona, on the Adriatic, with Salonlki.

LAUD DAVE ROBERTSON

Manager McGraw Says Giant’ Outfielder as Great as Cobb. ' Temperamental Southerner Is Great Ball Player, but Wants to Have His Own Way—Batted .307 - Last Season. John J. McGraw’s declaration that Davy Robertson, Giant outfielder, is as great a ball player as Ty Cobb, if the Giant star cares to be, was almost the cause for breaking out American 'flags and holding a public mass meeting to send thanks by the citizens of ’ Elizabeth City, N. C., where Dave first attracted attention. Dave temperamental. He is a Southerner with the Southerner’s contempt for the Northerner’s brusqueness. He Is a great ball player, and he knows it fairly well. s But Dave wants to be great In his own way. If he doesn't feel like stretching his legs in a sprint to first base, why it’s nobody’s business, so he does as he pleases. McGraw has been grilling Robertson for a long time, using his own successful wajr in making a great man of his potential great. This year, according to McGraw, Robertson is going to step out as the only real rival of the famous Georgia .peach in all- • around ball playing. Dave has added

Dave Robertson.

a few promises of his own, and it may be that he will forget temperament and try to make them stick. Last year Dave busted into the first days of the season with a few welltimed crashes that placed him at the head.of the batting list with no trouble at all. He played like a fiend, or a Cobb, and he made such a furore that everyone, McGraw included, said the star had at last begun to shine. It was premature praise, for Dave struck a slump, forgot his good resolutions, and ended the season with a batting average of .307, barely within the hall of fame.

BLOWING SAND RIGHT SMART

Exhibition Game Between Giants and Tigers Called on Account of Unusual Wind Storm. Ball games have been called off on account of jvetness, but seldom on account of too much dryness. This is what happened to the Giants-Tlgers contest scheduled for Oklahoma City exhibition. A high wind took all the moisture out of the diamond and scattered the sand diamond so that it couldn’t be played on. The visiting players took a look at the situation and refused to go on. “Why, the whole infield is up in the air,” said one of them, as the wind scooped a wagonload of sand out of second base and deposited it in the pitcher’s box. Even Oklahoma City natives admitted it was blowing “right smart” and did not blame the players.

KIT BRANSFIELD’S OLD JOB

Hard to Find Player to Replace Former Pirate at First Base—Those Who Have Tried. In 1915 Kitty Bransfield, now a National league umpire, was first baseman of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since then twenty men have had chances to fill the position without success. Del Howard, Homer Hildebrand, Bill Clancey, Joe Nealon, Allan Storke, Harry Swacina, Warren Gill, Jimmy Kane, Bill Absteln, Jack 'Flynn, Ham Hyatt, Bud Sharpe, Fred Hunter, Bill McKechnie, Jack Miller, Ed Konetchy, Doc Johnston, Hans Wagner, Bill Hinchman, and Warren Adams have all had their crack at tlie job, and not one has made good. It is doubtful if any dub has this record.

DAMON AND PYTHIAS JEERED

Does Nbt Make Hit When Pulled in Baseball Games—Class D Clubs Offer Many Thrills. Competition may or may not be the life of trade, .but it Is certainly the life of basebail. A game between a couple of pugnacious, hard-fighting Class D league clubs offers more thrills and real enjoyment than a pink tea affair between big league outfits. The Damon and Pythias business doesn’t make a hit with thejtpns. The fate of the universe may not depend upon the outcome of a baH gaute, but the bugs like to see the players apt as if it did. Baseball without the fighting spirit and the “pep” is only, as the English say, “glorified rounders.”

CUBS AND GIANTS UNDERGO MANY

OLD-TIME CHICAGO AND NEW YORK PLAYERS

When Fred Merkle went to ifce Cubs he found not a single player who was with the team in 1908. when the Cubs won the pennant from the Giants through Merkle’s oversight in not touching second. All of the old Cubs are gon-?, though four still remain in the National league. Evers and Reulbach now form the coaching squad of the Braves. Schulte plays the outfield for Pittsburgh, while Zimmerman, the kid Infielder of 1908, now is McGraw’s third baseman. Of the 1908 Giants, only Kcrsog is left In New York and he has been a Gotham inhabitant only off and on—McGraw having traded him away twice and traded him back twice. Charley put in terras in Boston and Cincinnati. Like Zimmerman, Doyle and Merkle, Herzog was a rookie infielder in 1908. He came into the league that season. Marquard, now with Brooklyn, went to the Giants in the fall of 1908, while Leon Ames, though a veteran of the Giant pitching staff in 1908, still is pitching good ball in St. Louis. Matty, of course, still is in the league as manager of Cincinnati, but Big Six is no longer in active service.

WITH HAMLET OMITTED

« Did you ever, in the days , J when the world was young, see J • Booth as he stalked through , J “Hamlet’s” lines? Ever sit en- ‘ • thralled in pit dr gallery while . ’ the great master spoke his roll- J • Ing words and acted his immor- » I tai role? And then, perchance, J • did you td see some would-be * I tenderer of Shakespere struggle J ’ with “Hamlet,” even though he ’ ! might do the best he could? > • Then you know what it is to J I see the Pittsburg club without « ' Hans Wagner in the show. . —J

SPLENDID PLAYER IN MINORS

Beals Becker Led American Association in'Batting Last Year—Would Help Any Team. There is a marvelous player still in the minors who has no business there. He is Beals Becker, who led the American Association in batting last season and is out to repeat this year. Becker would strengthen any number of major league teams, yet nobody seems to

Beals Becker.

want him. They pay large sums every year experimenting ■with incompetents while this seasoned, dependable star is permitted to stay in the bushes. Sporting Life,

WHOLE FAMILY IN BASEBALL

Outfielder Thrasher of Athletics Has Four Brothers Interested In National Game. Frank Thrasher, the outfielder of the Athletics, formerly with Atlanta of the Southern league, is not the only baseball representative of the family. His brother, Ralph, who has retired to farm life, was pitcher for a team at Watkinsville, Ga. His brothers, Ike and Loring, are candidates for the infield and outfield of the Atlanta team, and another brother, Cloyce, aged seventeen, is a member of the Oconee High School team of Watkinsville.

DIAMOND NOTES

This country went into the war admirably prepared for baseball. • • • LI Hung Schang is the most improved veteran player on the Athletic team. ♦ • * Several of the Brooklyn players are to get bonuses if they hit up to certain marks. • • • Those “bean ball” pitcherg would Jms handy with the hand grenades in the front trenches. Barry McCormick, one of the American league’s new umpires, appears to be a capable official. Ed Lafitte, the former Buffalo Fed pitcher, is now a full-fledged dentist, and is practicing his profession. Portland is drawing big crows to its home games, and maybe Hugh Duffy wishes he had stuck on his job. ♦ • • The Cardinals are getting the money in St. Louis. Miller Huggins seems to have a good ball club after aIL

Cincinnati politicians are grooming Garry Herrmann, chairman of the national commission, for mayor of Redland. • • • Manager McGraw Is trying to convert George Kelly, the nephew of Bill Lange, from an outfielder into a pitcher. 1 Newark’s great strength so far has been iff its pitching, for which, without a doubt, wise old Tom Needham is responsible. • • • Fred Mitchell, who is getting fair results with the disjointed Cubs, has developed a fine all-around player in “Dutch” Reuther. .__ _ * » » Larry Chappelle would save money If he purchased a mileage book. He makes so many trips between the minors and the majors. • • • The White Sox are getting some good pitching and winning quite regularly. Faber, Scott and Cicotte have all shown winning form. The Three ! league, which voted to adopt the double-umpire system, will have to get along with one to the game, according to President Tearney. * • • The Boston Braves got Inside tho nlayer limit by releasing Catcher Arihuf Rico to Springfield of the Eastern league under an option of recall. Hal Chase is playing the same fine brand of ball that he once showed in the American league and displayed for the Cincinnati Reds last season. h Twenty-five no-hlt games have been played in the American league sine? 1900, according to' one historian, and of this number only five are credited ta left banders. • •• A - ’ \