Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 January 1908 — Page 1

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA SATURDAY. JANUARY II, (908

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A AA A AA A AAA AA AAA'ftA AA A A Aak «»«AAAA AAAAA A A A A AAA A A A A A AAAAA^ Is Uncle Sam’s Navy Junk?

American Warships Totally Unfit For Service, According to Henry Reuterdahl’s. Amazing Criticisms—Cause of the Latest Navy Controversy and the Good It May Do—Bad Effects of Padlocking Naval Men’s Mouths.

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By robertus LOVE. totally unfit to cope with the battleAK broke out In the United ships of other nations.^ Mr. Reuterdahl States navy only a few days also severely arraigns the bureau sys-

after the great tleet of sixteen battleships sailed for the Pacific. Happily the war is being fought in the bureaus at Washington and with words instead of swords The outcome may be nothing more than a lot of talking, and it may be a complete reorganization of the navy. The war opened when Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownsou tired at President Roosevelt his resignation as chief of the bureau of navigation, a highly important naval post. The president fired back an acceptance, immediately appointing Commander Cameron McRae Winslow to succeed Brownsou temporarily and later giving the permanent post to Captain John E. Pilisbury. With Browuson's resignation the fighting began along the whole line, chiefly from masked batteries, because officers of the navy caunot stand iu the open and fight in an af fair of this kind without making themselves liable to court martial. And right here may be found a basic reason for the weakness of the American navy, if it is weak, as charged in

the indictment.

Admiral Brownsou resigned because Surgeon General Presley M. Rixey of tbe navy, with the president's approval, insisted upon tbe appointment of n doctor to command a ship iu the service. To be sure, it is not a fighting ship. It is a hospital ship, useful after a fight and frequently quite handy after a frolic. Dr. Stokes, the naval surgeon who is to command the hospital ship Relief, is educated In medicine and surgery, but what he does not know about navigating a ship is obvious. Admiral Browm on. who is backed up by the rest of the officers whose

tem, which he holds Responsible for these alleged mistakes in construction, and earnestly recommends an advisory

board. Says Mr. Reuterdahl:

""What is needed is quite clear. The secretary of the navy, being a civilian, generally with a short term of office, must have expert advisers. There must be a board behind him whose opinion he is legally authorized by congress to accept. This board, in the first

of*tBe IF own gfoirnJ. TTTtf xuretru system has been the growth of years, it Is a machine, an automaton, working along the lines of least resistance, and the belts which control its wheels are

made of red tape.

Article 232 of the navy regulations Is the padlock. Under this regulation any officer of the navy or any emploj’ee of the navy department is forbidden to make public any opinion or expression concerning any policy or person in the navy or in the department. Under the working of this regulation let us suppose that a certain officer knows absolutely that the construction of a ship is faulty, that the pattern is archaic, that the craft will be as perilous to Its own crew as to an enemy. lie must keep his opinions on the subject padlocked. He must make no public protest. That is the situation in the American navy and

navy department today.

How does it happen? Red tape. During the early daj’s of the civil war Secretary Gideon Welles of the navy department the benevolent looking old gentleman with the chin whiskers whose likeness we observe iu the history books, promulgated the order. It was a wise order for wartime, inasmuch as many merchant mariners were becoming naval officers in the emergency, and some of them were iu-

education is technically naval, holds adopted by our navy, go abroad and

place, must know exactly the views of c n ne(1 t o talk too much. The war the actual seagoing service. In the sec- closed, the reason for regulation No. ond place. It must have no hand Itself 252 passed awaj\ but the regulation rein carrying out the details of its own mained. It remains still. Under its advice. It must delegate this to oth- 1 influence ns a curber of protest It is ers. Every country lr the world but conceivable that an insane man in

authority might build a battleship out of cheese, with funnels of butter, and send the craft on a cruise to equa-

torial heat.

England’s Opposite Course. Protest is now raised against article 252 of the navy regulations. It is stated by those Informed on the subject that Great Britain makes a special effort to have her naval officers express opinions on points of vital interest to the navy. That is the opposite course to ours. In recent years a considerable quantity of official red tape has been reeled up and thrown overboard at Washington. The general Intention seems to be to make each governmental department as businesslike as possible, holding fast to that which is good, but taking that which is not good by the nape of the ueck and chucking it into outer darkness. Of course it is quite possible to go too fast and too far.iu this, but with the general public discussion which follows or accompanies every reform to serve ns a balance wheel the chances are that no irretrievable mistakes will be made. Now that the president and influential members of congress on both sides of the partisan fence have expressed their determination to reorganize the navy it is to be hoped that the padlock will be taken off the mouths of those on the inside. But even if It be true, as charged, that our battleships are more imposing than formidable—and the charge remains to be proved—the American manhood aboard them stacks up quite favorably with the human element in any other navy, and Mr. Ueuterdahl’s plain language is not likely to invite an attack from a foreign power.

ours has a body of this kind at tbe head of its navy, and it is this which President Rooseveit In 1903 recommended that congress provide for

ours.”

Criticisms of Guns and Armor. As to construction, Mr. Reuterdahl declares that the guns in our ships are placed too low to do effective shooting, particularly in rough seas. The protective armor, he says, is chiefly below the water line, whereas it should extend up to cover exposed parts. This critic lays stress upon the fact that the gun turrets.are placed directly above the powder magazines, with an opening from turret to magazine, so that in the heat of action there is great danger of the ship blowing Itself up by sparks dropping into the magazine. He cites several instances of disasters from this very cause during gun prac-

tice.

According to this authority, American inventive genius is Ignored. Our Inventors, unable to get their ideas

that no man should command a ship who lacks knowledge of navigation. Back of this is the old fight of the line versus the staff. Line officers are willing to take pills from staff officers provided the latter be competent physicians. but they dislike to take orders from doctors. They have been educated to believe that a ship’s captain should be able to navigate a ship.

Fine Fuss Stirred Up.

The incident of Admiral Browuson’s resignation has stirred up a flue fuss in the administration department of the navy. Outsiders are taking a hand in the discussion, and congress probably will devote more or less time to a con-

sideration of the navy’s needs.

The country at large has discovered that the navy is run by a bunch of bureaus with headquarters at Washington. with frequent clandestine quarrels between the bureaus. Now a demand arises that bureaucracy be elimi-

nated for the go the navy.

The most sun- ^ ,g feature of the present controversy Is one that has no

sell new notions to foreign nations. Then, some years afterward, our naval bureaus adopt these Innovations after having seen them in successful use in foreign warships. This puts American fighting ships five years behind the times. Mr. Reuterdahl declares that this is so because the bureau system “as at present constituted Insists on doing all Its work itself except In some Isolated Instances. Every little specification must be worked out by a bureau. The taker of a contract in the navy department cannot use his brains at all. He must simply follow out these specifications mechanically.” Coming right on the heels of our glorious fleet’s departure, these astounding criticisms were calculated to stir up a hornets’ nest, and they have done so. If our battleships, which cost us a matter of $10,000,000 apiece, are only beautiful baubles of Junk propelled by steam, of course all of us want to know It and to know the* reason why. If these deficiencies, granting for argument's sake that they exist, are due to the naval constructor’s jealousy of

direct connection with the protest of the rank outsider, the people want to Admiral Brownson. It is an article In i know that too. They want to know

the current issue of a leading magazine by Henry Reuterdahl. associate of the United States naval Institute, Who undertakes to tell what our navy needs to make It an effective fighting fopce. Mr." Reuterdahl maxes the •mazing assertion that the great ships of our navy, at sight of which we doff our hats In awe and which we have believed to be the finest and fittest craft afloat, are really antisea structures, not at all up to lacking In the primary essentials construction for taking care of while doing damage to an .my. vewela ami la manj

Just why It Is that American inventions must be imported from abroad

“after taking.”

Public Protests Barred. It is quite well understood that In the naval bureaus, as elsewhere in the service, there are ofiScera who privately deplore the methods pursued In building and equipping vessels of war. But these men have padlocks on their mouths when anybody is In hearing. They are not permitted to express an opinion which possibly might reflect tipon tbe wisdom of some one higher bp, no matter how sure they may be

DIRE DISASTERS TO COME.

J. F. Crowell Thinks American Speculation Will Lead to Anarchy. Revolution in America which will make the French revolution look like a tempest in a teapot, the confiscation of great wealth and estates wrongfully acquired and general chaos as a result of abnormal and unsound speculation were recently predicted at Chicago by Dr. J. F. Crowell, once associate editor of the Wall Street Journal and chairman of the social and economic section of the American Association For the Advancement of Science, says a Chicago dispatch to the New York Sun. After considering the field of legitimate speculation, which, he said, did not include the domain of manufactures. agriculture, transportation and banking. Mr. Crowell said: “The encroachment of the speculative spirit upon these industrial and commercial fields spells danger. The leaders of great enterprises today probably do not adequately appreciate the smoldering fury of the discontent which their own management of business has steadily engendered In the hearts of a thinking populace. “There are dangers in this direction which the hoggishness of corporate greed has done more than anything else to bring to a crisis in American society. “The statement attributed to R. T. Crane to the effect that conditions in the United States parallel those before the French revolution is true, with this difference—that the French revolution was a tempest in a teapot compared with what might happen here in America.”

A Submarine Carrier. It Is reported that the construction of a novel type of vessel^bas recently been arranged for by Japanese officials, the builders being Messrs. Vickers. Sons & Maxim. This vessel will be used for the transport to Japan of two submarines now under construction, says the Engineer. In addition to this duty of Iransport. the ship is to be so designed that it can take the submarines into action.

Baby Show by Clubwomen. Clubwomen In San Francisco, according to a special dispatch to the New York World, will give a baby show to prove that clubs are not responsible for divorces.

BACE JOURNALS YOUNG MEN CHEAP

Our Own Newspapers Must Be Depended Upon Writer (lives Valuable Advice Concerning Colored Press*

Permit me to say a few words through the medium of your paper concernicg the benefits our race derives from tbe Nergo paper.*. In my opinion the editors of our race joarnals are among the greatest benefactors which tbe Negro people have. v It is my good pleasure to have fifty Negro papers to come to my office each week and while it i%not possible even with the assistance of a secretary to read closely all of these, yet we manage to look briefly at all of them and thereby keep ourselves posted in the doings of our people in every section of our great country. We would not under any circumstances be without the information which these papers bring; they tell us of the better aide of life, and the wonderful progress which the race is making against the many trying odda which are against

it.

We are not in sympathy with the unfavorable criticism some time made against our race jonruala because they do not furnish as much reading matter at a small price as do the daily papers but it is a fact that very little is said by the daily papers about the virtue and good qualites of our people, while the crimes of bad member* of the race appear under glowing headlines, and were it not for the fact that onr Negro Editor inform themselves and bring before the Negro people the noble acheivements of the race we would become discouraged and giye up the task of building up a strong progressive race of people. The ministers of the gospel are doing a great work and I do not underestimate their value when I say that they are largely dependent upon the Negro papers for much of the ‘information which they give out from time to time, and yet seme of them a^not suberibe and pay for a paper published by their own people, nor do jthey make an eflort to extend the circulation of such journals as are fighfltfg the battles cf the race. Three or four hundred Negro papers published in the United Sta es are ro the race what our mighty navy is to our great goverj^' - ent, and will if given the support served be able to repeal ev^ . anfriendly, unmanly attact made ^‘nst it. But, Mr. Editor, while I have?rtbU much for the race journals, may I make bold to say a wo r d more about broadening the vision and scape usefulness of these journals? Have th»y not been a bit too racial in their general make up, and is there not a little danger of making those of our people who read our own papers feel that they are more of aliens than citizens of the coqtry ? Would it not be helpful to the race if we could uniformial ly speak of ibis as our countiy, our governor, our president, etc. What should it matter if some cf the other race persist in calling this a “white man’s country,” or if in speaking of the people of any particular section they make it clear they do not include any but the white people? The fact remains that we are a part of the people, and are not wards either, tax payers. If you do not enjoy all privileges of a free American citizen, keep in mind that ycu are entitled to them and that being deprived of those rights will not cause us to lose our interest in tbe country, but we will labor to build it up and contend in a peaceable way fer those rights until they come to us. E. C. MORRIS —The Baptist Vanguard.

Observant Young Miss Talks About Our Young Men Her Ideal Possesses Character Health

Intelligence and a Job

JIM CEOW LAWS

CALL ISSUED

Colored Citizens of Boston Promote Meeting

BOSTON, Mass.—A call for a meet ing uf colored citizens to be held a+ Philadelphia on April 1 has been sent oat to representative colored men all over the country by tbe Rev. William H Scott, president of the Suffrage League of Bos*on and vicinity; Bis hop Alexander Walters, president of the National Afro American Council, and William Monroe Trotter, presi dent of the New England Constitution

and Suffrage League.

The call saya the conference is to have special reference to demands to be made of political parties to plat forms for the next national election and to determine what conditions for the presidential monination most de serve the support of the colored voters.

Tan. 18 In fifstory. 1782—Daniel Webster born at Salisbury,

N. H.; died 1862.

1818—Richard Yates, war governor of Illinois and afterward United States senator, bom in Warsaw, Ky.; died 1878.

With apologies to Cleveland Journal. Are Indianapolis young men cheap? Yes, and very. I am going to tell you why I think so. What I say may apply with equal force to young men in other cities, but I am dealing directly with India napolis. My opinion is based on care ful observation, covering an extended period. As a basis from which to discuss, I may give you briefly my opinion of the ideal young man. My ideal young man has character, health and a voca tion. He is intelligent, industrious and ever seeking the best in every thing good. There is nothing so fine as chatacter. Deliver me from tbe ’doubled tier”—the man (or woman) who appears to the w rid as pure, when in reality he is foal to the last notch. If good St. Pctter would al low us to look into his record book there would be alarming revelations. Moral: Quit your meanness. Health is a valuable asset to success. It U attained oj all who obey the simple rules found in any elementary book of hygiene. A vocation is really a necesary adjunct to respectable living; an avo cation is a voluntary appendage to the daily routine. Intelligence is the .-passport to true happiness; industry s the automobile which carries you to the land of coaleatment and a love tor the best marks the difference be tween man and beast. You will pardon my seeming diversion, but I desire to bring out the above sentiments, so that you may have something to compare our India ( napolis young men with. I want you to think out (not out loud, but to your self) how many are “weighed the bal ance and found Wanting.” My present essay will deal specifical ly with the young men who psse as “social lights.” I think most of them come nearer being ‘‘social shadows.” At least, that’s what we girls think, for we find very little substance to

them.

What has become of the gallantry our fathers had? How many of our young men practice social calling? Most of our homes may as well be mausoleums, so tar as the calls made to them. Is it a question of car fare? It certainly cannot be attributed to the lack cf hospitality. For we are only too glad to receive callers. If the young men do make calls, they select some particular home where the girls are “fascinating,” and they wear a path out (and they’re welcome, too) going there. Why do they not call on some of our qniet, family girls once in a while? So far as “taking a girl out” goes, why our boys often dodge taking a girl to church And that is on’y car fare (often not that) and a email coin in the colieciion basket. Chances are they will either evade the street car or the collection basket. Let there be a party, concert or assembly.” it is a caution to see the young men “stag” it. They go alone and to their discredit, they come away alone. Despite the breach of etiquette, many of us would gladly consent to them “seeing us home,” at the late hours. But they do not even ask that permission. We girls must be each others **beau,” or else go alone. We often do the latter, though I confess it is embrassing. Mariiage! What kind ot husbands will such young men make? Occasionally one breaks into matrimony.” That’s all. A cheap beau, he makes a cheap hus band. The wife has the alternative of goin£ to work or applying for a divorce. As a bit of advice, I say, young men of Indianapolis, turn over a new leaf and do better. It is no wonder that our race is called “weak” when our young men are no stronger. I do not know what becomes of your money Most of you draw good salaries, but you cannot write a check for five do) lars five days after pay day. And you don’t spend your money on us

girls.

THE BLACK PHALANX. Brothers, your manhood is assailed ! Brothers, ’tis said that yon have failed To keep the peace which yon began ~ When freedom said : “He is a man.” Higher plains must now be wonRouse up! the world is gazing on; Bestir you ere yonr chance is gone ! Fall in! Black Phalanx. Behold yon other, grand array Nhose march no mortal hand can stay; Their ranks like walls of granite prove. With sturdy strides they upward move. And scattered only here and there A black face shows among the fair. Few dnsky sons the vangnard share — Front! Face! Black Phalanx. Internal strife must disappear, Tradncers cease to snub and sneer; Foul envy who with deadly aim. Drives home her dagger dipped in shame. Must, by the rays of learning’s lamp. Be driven from onr restles camp; Then we will hear one solid tramp — Close up ! Black Phalanx. From strong and elevated fort The guns of foes give loud report: Their missiles mercilessly fall;

Commission Speaks On the Question in Report WASHINGTON, January 6.—Th e twenty first annual report of the Interstate Commerce Commission, which was submitted to Congress to-day, gives much attention to the “collision horror/* and- shows the work performed by the commission during the last year in the discharge ot its official duties. Much of the time was occupied in giving administrative construction to various provsions ot the law for the guidance of ehipsers and carriers. The report says that in order to obtain the best result of legisation with the least possible delay there was obvious need of a correct and unifurm inter pretation of thevgtatne. Therefore, without reference to questions arising in particular cases, and to avoid un* neccessary controversy; it had seemed the commission’s duty to construe the law in advance wherever it appeared obscure or ambiguous, that the obli gations of the railroads and the rights of the public might be promptly un-

derstood.

On the color line the ’report says: “The broad question of the right under the thirteenth and fourteenth amendmen a o the constitution toaegregate white and colored passengers has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. Accepting these decisions as conclusive upon the constitutionality of such laws, the commission has held that the separation of white and colored passengers paying the same fare is not unlawful if cars and accommodations equal in ail respects are furnished to both and the same care and protection of passengers is observed. “While, therefore, the rersonableness of such regulations as to interstate passenger traffic is established, ■ijr o means follows that carriers mav aiscrimin ate between white and colo s -lingers in the accommoda tions which they furnish to each. V If a railroad provides certain facilities and accommodations for first-class passengers of the white race, it is commanded by the law that like accommodations shall be provided for colored passengers of the same class. The principle that must govern is that carriers must serve equally well all passengers, whether white or colored, paying the same fare. Failure to do this is discrimination and subjects the passengers to undue and unreasonable prejudice and disadvantage.”

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BARNETTJjOSES Recount Fails To Elect the Chicago Jurist

CHIGAGO, Jan 7.—The result of a recount of votes cast a year ago last November for Thomas Lantry and Ferdinand L. Barnett, colored, candi dates for the Municipal Court bench, announced late this afternoon, showed a gain of 267 voles for Judge Lantry. Barnett’s loss was243 votes. The re count was made on a petition by Bar nett, who charged fraud and error in the original count.

Again in 1907 the collections of fines and costs James McNnlty, city clerk, broke all previous records and the two years of his term of office, just past, shows a net g^in in coilections of $47, 298 68 over the 1 preceding two years. This, too. in the face of the fact that Wm. M Fogarty, who preceded him • n office, broke all previuos records. Collections, as fchown by a table prepared yesterday by Mr McNulty, were $40,295 84 in 1904; $39 967 93 in , 1905; $57,145.15 in 1906, and $70,467.30 in 1907 Thus it will be seen thaJ tbe collections in 1906, under McNulty’s direction, exceeded the record-break-ing fcogarty collections by many thousand dollars and^bat the 1907 recordbeats tha^r 1906 by $13,262.15. Tne call of Republican State Chairman James P. Goodrich for the selection of delegates to attend the national delegate-naming conventions of February 4 in the various congressional districts of the state has created a new activity on the part of the Indianians who aspire to be members of the Hoosier delegation to the Chicago meeting Each district now has one or mors avowed candidate for the honor, and in several sections the contest promises to be of the closest sort. f'ince it is some time until the national delegates actually will be named, it is impossible to name all the aspirants to the positions, for other candidates will drive up to the starting post between the present and electing time, but ia many instances poll- j ticians long ago announced their desires to have the honor conferred upon

them.

The Seventh District—Mkrion County—leads them all in number of aspirants with four. The quartet is composed ot Mayor CharleVA^Bookwalter. United States DistrictAl ney Joseph B. Kealing, Republican^ National Chairman Harry S. New and Ferd Gardner. The report of Isadora Wulfson, inspector of weights and measures, shows that he has been a most diligent offiiciai during the year just ended. He has made 8 769 visits, inspected 7.974 dry and liquid measures, 4,579 scales and twenty three yardsticks. The receipts of the office amounted to $2,326 SO. When Mr. Wulfson took charge of the office the position had never been considered anything more than a reward for political work. Is was run without system, with no thought of profit for the city* In spector Wulfson has systematized the tbe work of inspection and scrupulous ly accounted for every penny receivedBy the time his term expires he will have made the office one cf consider able profit to the city. As to tbe sum saved to residents by the inspector’s efforts to put a stop to swindling in weights and measures, that cannot be computed. It is enough to say that he has worked faithfully to protect the people and that they appreciate his efforts.

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1871—King William of Prussia crowned But let them strike one solid wall.

Eri* Railway’s Pension System.

emperor of Germany at Versailles.

1806—Strike of the cotton mill operators at Fall River, Maas., which began July 25, 1904, settled through the me-

diation of Governor Douglas. ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS: Tonight and Tomorrow Morning.

• Sun sets, 4:57; rises, 7:16. Moon rises.

The Erie is working out a pension ' Moon’s age, 15 days. 8:54 p. m.. and one-half by tbe men. I planet, from west to east; seen near to-

- . night %

Let sense of right your hearts inspire. Let firmness cool the toeman’s ire; Men waver not beneath their fire —

Steady ! Blacx Phalanx.

Now move in one unbroken line And leave results to One Divine, On men who cowardly go down The world will spurn and God will frown. Put selfish motives down beneath And march to victory though ’twere death. And shout with the last expiring breath —

Forward! Black Phalanx. * “A. J. ALLEN.

Coroner of Marion County who is seeking renomina—V u ition to this important office before the Republican prima/ nt ® iries The SotHMttde unanimously indorses him