The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, January 25, 1917, Image 7
EXPLAINS REFUSAL
’T/f.
“ETidently the intereets of peeee
and the claim* of nationality Alike
*• v require the Turkish rule aver alien
• . • ' ; . , ' - . V races shall if possible be brought to
411 ICC i UDIICV nc A PC WATC an and we may hope that the
AIXICj AmiXlrl rCALt nu 1C expulsion of Turkey frotp Europe
uriTu Turin nr irask? ■ fWill contribute as much to the cause
,• tI11 ll ItltlK KfcAMirlj ** peace as the restoration of Alsace-
• ' | Ixjrraine to France; of Italia Irre-
' •' . ! denta to Italy, qr any of the other
PFACF THRRIlfiH SlIFFP^ A^d note 61 ange8 ia<ilcatod ^ tlie
rL/lUL I lintfUUlt OliullLtJU ‘ Evidently, however, such terri-
' • : j torial rearrangements, though they
i may diminish the occupations of war,
Balfour Says Future Peace of, the P rovide ?5_i u ^ icient securi ty against
| its recurrence. If Germany, or rath-
Vforld Cannot Be Insured .by Trea- er those in Germany who mold its
opinions and control its destiniee
ties and I^aws as Germany Cannot
/ Be Expected to It expect a Treaty
Obligation.
The Entente Aljfes in a note ad
dressed by Arthur Balfour, British
foreign minister, to Ambassador; ized through and through on. a mill
Spring-Rice and delivered to the'tary Ijasis; they may still acd&hiulate
state department amplify their* reply | vast "store’s of military equipment;
to President Wilson’s peace note by; they may still persist >ri their meth-
eaplaining in detail why they believe - ods* of attack so that their more pa^
it impossible at present to attain a cific neighbors will be struck down
again ^et out to domineer the world,
they may fin,d that by the new order
of things the adventure 1$ made
more difficult, but hardly that it Is
made impossible. *
“They may still have ready to
their hand a political system organ-
\ __
peace which will assure them such
guarantees as they consider essential.
The note also explains why the Allies
demand the expulsion of, Turkey
from Europe; restoration of Alsace-
Lorraine to France, of Italia Irre-
dentia to Italy and other territorial
changes set forth.
Those who.think the future peace
of the world may be insured by in
ternal' treaties and international
laws, the note says, have ill-learned
the lessons taught by recent history.
After charging that German influ
ence in Turkey had resulted in‘con
ditions as barbarous and more ag
gressive than were known under. Sul
tan Abdul Haml$l, that it had been
shown Germany cannot be expected
to respect. treaty obligations, Mr.
Balfour says:
‘!So.long as Germany remains £he
Germany which without a shadow of
justification overran and barb&rous-
y \y ill-treated'a country it was pledg
ed to defend, no state can regard its
rights as secure if they have no bet
ter protection than.a solemn treaty.”
Otlior Victims.
Asserting, that Belgium was not
Germany’s only victim and ' “that
to ■ nute"*crTtt r
1'ages. r whieh accompanied > its con
quest” the note recites the “reign of
terror” atUtfidftftt upon Germany's
method of warfare, and in-that con
nection says; -
V
before they Can prepare themselves
for defense. If so, Europe, when
the war is over, will be far poorer in
men, money and municipal* better
ment than when the war began; the
hopes of the future/vorld entertain
ed by the president will be as far as
ever from fulfillment.
Treaties Not Respected.
“There are many who think that*
international treaties and laws may
provide a sufficient cure. But per
sons have ill-learnea the lessons so
clearly taught by recent history.
Gther nations, notably the United
States of America and Great Britain,
were striving by treaties* or arbitra
tion to make sure that no such event
would mar the'peace they desired to
make perpetual, while Germany
ptood aloof. Her philosophers* preach
ed this splendid wari power was pro
claimed as the true end of the state;
the general staff forged with untir
ing energy the weapon# which at jhe
appointed jhoment they hoped power
might be achieved. - • » .
“These facts * prchTSd . clearly
enough that treaty arrangements for
maintaining peace was not likely to
find much favor at Berllnr they did
rttfl 'yrftve IftAt aucli 'Teiv
made would v be
KEPOKT OF C01HSS10I!
TAKES CARE OF CHARLESTON
NO HOPE OF PEACE
HERMANS STOPPER
JLpkSa-*.. - j—«/• -
R«tf*4aas and
at La*t
tlanicte
Keep* Recommendations
, Secret Rut Carolina Port is *
Well Provided For.-
I 1 T i— . •
While Secretary of the Navy Dan
iels and chairmen of tho House aud
Senate naval committees were keep
ing the Helm commission prelimi
nary report on Charleston, Pensacola
and New Orleans navy yards confi
dential pending the final formulation
of the naval appropriation hill on
the House side, President Wilsoq,
who had received a copy of the re
port in the routine, transmitted it to
Congress, aqd it was sent te the pifb-
lic printer td be printed as a docu
ment, The salient, part of the pre-
liminiry reports as" to Charleston is
contained iri the following recom
mendations: -
First.- That ife^is necessary and
advisable to improve the navy yard
in order to meet the requirements of
suck portions ofthe fleet as may be
assigned to it for .maintenance and
repair, Including additional facilities
as a submarine and destroyer base,
and to utilize to the greatest pos
sible advantage its facilities within
DIPLOMATS FORESEE LONO DE
LAY BEFORE PRESIDENT
Halt !■ Dobrad)*.
BELLIGERENTS FAR APART
I^a-st Note of Entente Allies Iteal*
Crushing Blow to Oianco of--Fur
ther Negotiations Along Present
Linos—league for Further Safety
May Ik* Entering Wedge.
Long delay before President tVik
son makes his next peace move, ahd
a total change of the directimi-of
peace negotiations, were accepted as
certain'by diplomatic Washington.
The White House aud the state
department both refused to discuss
the p‘eace situation, following the
publication of the supplementary
Entente peace* note, .but it was ap
parent that the administration feels
that negotiations along present lines
The advance of the Teutonic allies
in Roumania apparently has been
brought to a standstill, for the time'
being at least, by the reinforced Rus
sians and Roumanians. In the lat
est Berlin official communication the
only, successes reported for the in- 1
vaders were gained • through a sur-l
prise attack betweqfl the Such^tza'
and Putna valleys, where the armyi
of Archduke Joseph captured an of
ficers, two hundred and thirty men
and one machine gun from a hostile
position.' south pf the Oitus. hoad,
whero a stroifg Russian attack was
repulsed with artillery and machine
gun fire. '
On the other hand the Russians
and Rounpanians put down a German
-attack "south of Monastir-Kachinui,
on^the Kasino river, and southwest
of Pralea, surrounded a German, po
sition and raptured a large number
op meh and four machine guns. The
Russians' are shelling the towns of
Tultcha and Isakcha, across the Dan
ube in Dobrudja, while the Bulga
rians’ guns are active against hostile
S hipping and military positions near
ialatz and Isakcha.
KEEP UP ALL YARDS
t .. .
NAVAL NEEDS OF COMOIY
MAKE STATIONS IMPERATItt,
—,
RECOMMEND PROGRESS
'M
the limitations of the.capacity of the have about been exhausted.
The attitude of l>qth groups of
belligerents has convinced the presi-
once
utterly ineffectual
dry dock and Jhe .thirty-foot ap
proach channel to the navy yard, al
ready provided for by Congress in
the latest naval appropriation bill.
Second.- * That recommendation
concerning further development 'ol
the Charleston navy yard is deped-
ent upon strategic and other consid
erations, which cannot be definitely
determined until the commission has
completed its. survey of the South
Atlantic, Gulf, of Mexica and Caraib-
bean region. • \ '
Third. That in order to^ provide
necessary improvements indicated in
item one, above., including extension
and destroyers, the commission rec
ommends that an appropriation be
now made of one million two hun
dred thousand dollars for this pur-
poss. ^ _ V - ' •
It should he understood that these
recommendations of the Helm com
mission apply to the general needs
T-bey-do^-not tako Into
dent that mutual statements of “ob
jects of war” cannot be secure^ in
such form as to 1 insure peace,
c While the president will not aban
don his peace plans, it is expected
that the next, move wilL.be along
entirely difffefent lines. The presi
dent and his advisers believe that
the disturbinb effects' of the pres;
ent peace agitation in both groups
of European countries should be al
lowed to subside beforp, a new move
is made. They now are searching
for a diplomatic qpen^hg that will
. . fog.
of basing facilities for submarines a new line 9* I ,ea € e proposals^^ q*h e underwater boat was llberat-
* - ■ ’but no definite plans have been ■ -* * *-
made. * . ' • -
Diplomatic representatives of both
the Entente and Central powers in
Washington took the position that
the latest note of the Entente was a
severe blow to the president’s peace
DUTCH INTERN U-BOAT
Warship Takes Submarine Found In
Dutch Waters.
A Flushing dispatch to Reuter’s
says that a Dutch warship brought
into Flushing Monday night a Ger
man submarine, which was found in
Dutch waters. Tire submarine will
be Interned.'' The'submarine was a
mine layer fropj Zeebruggee and had
a crew of thirty-two. She bad stray
ed out of her course during a thick
account the building equipment^ that
will be’ considered if Congress gives
^ ‘The 'war staffs^ofr the Central i piain.s j he Germany, which, without
powers are well content to horrify I a shadow of justification, overran
'the world if at the same time they and barbarously ill-treated a coimtfy
This became evident only when w^r | secretarv Daniels the. additional
had broken ouVthough the demon- twelve million dollar^ he k asking
Stratton when it came was over
whelming. So long as Germany rh-
not based on the success of the
Allies’ causer- effecutally blocked
further Efforts to ‘mediate between
statements of peace terms submitted
for the prosecution of the building ^ both groups of.powers. .
y
ean terrorize it.”
The people of Great Briwvn, Mr.
Balfour says, share P^egident Wil
son’s desire for peace, but does not
believe ft can be durablejuntH it is
*hased on success. Such peace, it is
argued, cannot be expected unless
these three conditions are fulfilled:
Necessary ('onditiona.
“Existing causes of international
unrest shall as far as possible be re
moved or weakened; the aggressive
aims and the unscrupnitnis methods
of the Central po^rs should fall
into Misrepute among their own peo
ples; and, finally, that behind inter
national law and behind all treaty
arrangements for preventing or limit*
ing hostilities some form of interna
tional sanction should be devised
which would give peace.
It is regarded the conditions may
be difficult of fulfillment, but the
hope is expressed that they are in
general harmony with President,
Wilson’s ideas. The note declares
confidence so far as Europe is con
cerned. none of the conditions can be
satisfied even, imperfectly unless
peat* is secured bif the general lines
indicated by the Allies’ joint- note.”
Text of ^iote.
The text of Mr. Balfour's note fol
lows:
“}n sending you a translation ot
the Allied note I desire to make the
following observations, which yioii
should bring to the United States
government: ^
“I gather from the general tenor
of the president’s note that while he
is animated by an intense desire that
peace should come soon and ‘.that
when* it comes it should be lasting,
he does not for the moment atjeast
.concern himself with the'terms,_on
which it should he arranged. ^His
Majesty’s government, efltirely shares
the president’s ideas; but they feel
strongly that the durability of peace
m.ust largely depend on its character
nod that no stable system of interna
tional relations can be built upon
foundations which are essentially
‘and hopelessly defective.
it was pledged -to defend, no states
can ^regard its rights as secure if
they have no better proteclion than
a solemn treaty. • *
CYush and Intimidate.
“The case is made worse by the
reflection that these methods of cal
culated brutality were designed by
the Central Powers not merely to
crush to the dust those with whom
they were at war, but to intimidate
those with whom they were at peace.
Belgium was riot ’only a victim; -it
was an example. Neutrals were in
tended to note the outrages which
accompanied its conquest, the reign
of terror which followed its occupa
tion, the deportation of a portion of
Us population; the cruel treatment
of the remainder.
“These nations happily, either pro
tected by British fleets or their own
from German armies, should suppose
themselves safe from German meth
ods: The submarine (has within its
Limits) assiduously imitated the bar
barous practices of their views.* The
staffs of the Central powers are well
content to horrify the world if at the
same* time they can terrorize it. „
If Teutons Succeed.
“If the Central powers succeed it
would be to methods like these that
they will owe their success. How
can any reform of international re
lations be based on a peace thus ob
tained? Such a peace would repre
sent the triumph of all trie forces,
which make war certain and make it
brutal. It would advertise the futil
ity of all the methods on which civ--
ilization relies to eliminate the occa
sions of international dispute and to
mitigate their ferocity.
“Germany ana Austria made the
present war inevitable by attacking
the rightlT^)f one small State- and
they gained their initial triumphs by
violating .the treaty guarantees of
the territories of another. Are small
states going to find in them their fu
ture protectors or in treaties made
11v them a bulwark against aggres-
V ^
program at government yards. Tt
Would take about one million dollars
to equip the Charleston yard to build
two gynblht's and two destroyers,
according to Secretary Daniels’ tes
timony recently beforp the House
committee.
MAY WITHDRAW MILITIA
At the German embassy It was
stated that there was nothing that
Germany could do toward peace in
the face (Tf the latest Entente note,
and that the entire peace situation
now rests with the president.
Diplomatic Washington saw', one
opening in the peace situation which
might offer a basis for a new “pro
posal by the president. The replies
of both the Entente and the Central
powers to the first peace note, while
apparently blocking present efforts
to end the war,, agree heartily with
the president’s proposal for the cre
ation of a league to enforce peace.
It was pointed out that with this
agreement as a basis the president
might be able to initiate negotiations
looking to the creation of a world
league, even while tfte present war
is in progress. A conference called
to consider the creation of a world
league might eventually ' e develop-
into a generaKpeace conference
ed after the captain had signed &
declaration that he had not beep in
touch with hostile forces through
out the day arid that, consequently,
the presence of the boat in tho ter
ritorial waters of Holland was .not
the result of a hostile pursuit.-
IN PRESIDENT’S HANDS
Prospects are That Soldiers Will Be
Home Soon.
Although Villa’s operations have
injected confusing factors into the
situation in Northern Mexico and
along the border, there is every in
dication that the. administration is
going forward with its plans for
early withdrawal of Pershing’s-ex-
pedition and demr bilization of the
National Guard.
impossible to set a definite date for or might be used to bring about the
the troop movement because of the consideration of peace terms as a
uncertainty-of transportation Tacilk separate conference,
ties and because, the situation at the It was believed in Washington
horde* and beyond constantly is that proposals along this line wolild
changing. It has been indicated, meet'with favorable consideration,
clearly, however, that unless there 1 at least among the Central powers.
ConimisNlon Recommends Kitiidrawal
’ 4 of American Troops..
After Tuesday’s cabinet meeting,
at which Secretary Lane made his
final report on the work of the Mexi-
can-Ameriran point commission, it
became, known that the withdrawal
of Major Gen. Pershing’s troops from
Mexico and the sending of Ambassa
dor Fletcher'to the Mexican capital
may be expected in the near future.
No formal announcement is expect
ed, but the decision Of life adminis
tration probably will he made known
through action.
No definite date for the withdraw
al o>v the American troops has been
set, but as a result ot the conclusion
of the work of the joint commission
the question is now entirely, in Pres
ident Wilson’s hands. M
THREATENED WILSON
Credited
was some unexpected development
Pershing’s withdrawal and the re
turn of the Guardsmen would be or
dered within a few days, possibly by
tLe end of this week.
Border dispatches transmitting ru
mors that the Guardsmen would he
ordered home, within five days were
heard by war department officials
without comment. Gen. Funston has
exercised a wide discretiofT regarding
details of troop dispositions, and it
is assumed generally that the exact
Despite the fact that the peace reply
of the Teutonic allies specifically re
ferred to the league of nations as a
matter to be taken up after the set
tlement of the war, it is believed
that they would not refuse to enter
upon the consideration of the ques
tion at this time if *the diplomatic
situation seemecHtamrable.
Meanwhile, the '^mministration is
prepared to pursue its policy of
seerpey regarding the peace negotia
tions until the next move is made,
sion s.
’“Germany, by land and s,>a . will
“This becomes clearly apparent if j have to prove-itself bv, victory. Are
we consider' thb- main eonditions
which rendered possible the calami
ties. Trofn which the world now' suf
fers. It would conquer great powers
in its lust for gain.'
^That this last evil will be greatly
miticafod iT the Allies are success
ful is manifest and 1 need not labor
on the point. f
Expulsion of the Turks.
“It has bpen argued, indeed, that
the expulsion of the Turks from
Europe ' forms rib proper or logical
part of this general scheme. The
muintemuHo of the Turkish empire
during many generations re-
was
. garded by statesmen of world-wide
authority as essential to the mainte-
name of European peace. Why, it
. is asked, should the cause of peace
be now associated with a complete
^ reversal of this tradition policy?
‘•The answer is that circumstances
~jiave~coriipletely ehahge(T It is un
existing treaties no more than scraps
of paper? If .the violation of the
most fundamental canons of inter
national law be eroNvned with suc
cess will it not be in vain that the
assembled natidtis labor to imprav
their condition? None will,profit by
their rules but powers who br4ak
Hum. it is those who keep them
that will suffer..
“TJhough the people of this coiin-
* on \ try share, to- the full fhe desire of
icadq^he president for peat e they do not
believe peace ean be durable if it is
not to be based on the success of the
Allied cause. For-a durable peace
can hardly be expected*unless three
conditions are fulfilled.
“The first that existing cause of
international unrest shall be as far
asl^ossible removed. 'The speond is
that the aggressive aims and; the up-
scrupuious methods of the Central
powers should fall into disrepute
date will depend largely on his*as- or even beyond that time,
sessment of conditions along the Both the president and the state
border and in the territory where department have before . them the
Villa is operating. text of Ambassador Gerard’s Berlin
speech declaring that relations be-
•l/II 1 tween the United States and Ger
> LLA Al- many are more cordial now than at
any time since the war began. It
has been suggested that the matter
.may call for a mild officla'l reproof,
although the administration is
known to be anxious to avoid any
action which ^worild disturb, the
strong standing of the ambassador in
Berlin.
* . ■ • X * • w*
■ ^ • . *\ •
raliforaU Agitators ar
u
With Deadly Intention.
That President Wilson's life was
threatened by an anarchistic organ
ization known as “The Blasters,* of
which Thomas J. Mooney, on trial
at San Francisco for murder, was a
to be presented on Mooney’s trial,
.Assistant District Attorney Edward
A. Cunha declared Thursday in Su
perior Court of San Francisco in his
opening address to the Jury*
“I will prove,” said Cunha, “that
these men plotted revolution against
the government. I will prove that
they saldMn an edition of The Blast
that 'weather cock in the White
House had better watch. Suppres
sion of the voice of the diseontentsd
leads to assassination.* 1
FATAL DUEL OVER GIRL
Bandit' Comes Back to Attack City
4
Ho Recently Ixioted. ,
Francisco Villa and his maijo com-
ma >1 ay:itn is at the gates of Chi
huahua City, passengers arriving
from the state capital Tuesday said.
After defeating Gen*. Hernandez and
his Crrrairza^ command of fifteen
hundred / men in the vicinity of Sate-
vo Villa drqve the de facto column
o Lajolla,- eighteen miles north of
Satevo. where another defeat was
administered and the column was
forced to retreat to Santa Yskbel arid
then to TPalomas, only eighteen miles
west of the city, the passengers said,
— PLAN NAVAL EFFORT -
EOST-ONE CHURCH
Dedication Put Off Became BuiMing
Failed to Arrive.
Germany to Put Orest Exertion in
tho Atlantic. . . ;
*
Amsterdam reports: The German
naval staff, bent upon completely
crippling the shipment of supplies,
arms and ammunition to England
and France from North and South
neMwiar* to consider now^j^tha araon g their own peoples. The thirdt!!? tt ? ri 5. a ‘...^!w W . < l r ! t *L°“ t .„*
the creation of a 'reformed Turkey
meditating,between hostile races in
t.the near East ‘was a scheme, which
had the Sultan been sincere and the
powers united, could ever have been
realized. It certainly cannot be real
ized now. The Turkey of ‘Union
and Progress’ is at least barbarous
and is far more aggressive than the
Turkey of Sultan Abdul Hamid. In
the hands of Gerinany it has ceased
even in appearance to be a bulwark
of peace and is openly used as an ih-
. strument of conquest. *
• Armenian Massacre*. .
“Under German officers German-
Tiirkish soldiers are now fighting in
land from which they had long been
expelled, and a Turkish .government,
controlled, subsidized* and supported
by Germany has been guilty of mas
sacres in Armenia and Syria more
horrible than any in the
is -that behiftd international law and
behind all treaty arrangements ffut
preventing or limiting hostilities
some forrii of international sanction
should be devised which jvould give
pause to th^ hardiest aggressor.
These conditions may be difficult of
fulfillment. . -
“But we believe them te be in gen
eral harmony with the president’s
ideas and we are confident that none
of them can be satisfied, even impet-
feqtly. unless peace be secured on
the general lines indicated (so far as
Europe ts concerned), in tho*Joint
note, therefore, it ft that t^i^ coun
try has made, is making and is pre
pared to make sacrifices of blood and
treasure unparalleled in its history.
“It bears these heavy buydens not
merely that it may thus fulfill its
treaty * obligations, nor yet that it
history even of those uhhnnpy coun- may secure a barren triumph of one
plan of which the German raider’s
activities are only one feature. This
was learned on reliable authority.
Fighting submarines ef the latest
and most powerful types, are to co
operate with this and other raiders
and every passible effort will be
piade to cut off England completely
from overseas shipments.
Tiie chief aim is said to be.th^ pre
vention of -acCuirffilationTif ammuni
tion and supplies.Jor th& spring of
fensive. German * commanders are
saidto have received thn strictest
orders to avoid loss of life and any
— Mit
group of natiops ov£f another. - It
bears them because.it firmly believes
that on the success of the Allies de
pends the prospects of peaceful civ
ilization and of those internattonal
reforn^s, which the best thinkers of
the new world as of the oM hope
may triumph.** .
Queer things have happened to
churches because of fire and flood
and storm and battle, but it remain
ed for Windsor Bark Congregational,
of Chicago, to be lost, strayed, stolen
or delayed in transmission.
Members of a suburban congrega
tion last summer selected a likely
looking' ddtfiee from the ratalpgue
ot an Eastern house which manufac
tures, portable buildings. Last-Octo
ber the day of dedication was set,
but the church did not arrive. Since
then tracers and Investigators have
from timer to time revi v'ecl hope as to
the_dedication, but woven times the
day has been set only to lead to di:j-
appointmenL;
REGULARS ARE ENOUGH
Young Man Killed and Other Is in
X' * , .■ • ■
Jail In Washington, Pa.
Each jealous over tho attentions
pdld by tho other to a pretty girl
caused a fatal duet between Thomas
Donaldson, aged 'twenty-one, jmd
Henry I^ahgford, aged twenty-five,
in Burgettstown, Pa. After attend
ing church services during Which
they discussed their differences the
young BfOU retired to the railroad
yards where they engaged in a duel
during which Donaldson sustained
fatal wounds. Langford v;as arrest
ed immediately and taken to jail in
Wafchmgton, Pa., where he is held
otr~a •charge of murder/ ' ?.
TILLMAN TIRED
Senator Has Nq More to Say About
CandHlttcy in 1918.
To Chester man who wanted to
know whether Senator,.Tillman ex
pects to be a Yandhlfate. for re-elec
tion next year the/ senior Senator
replied thus:
“Replying, to your letter of Jan
uary 15,. I have already said publlo-
ty ill the Senate twlcs^what my pur
pose was in regard to* running for
the Senate again. I am tired of be
ing bothered by newspaper men on
that subject and don't intend to
speifk more specifically.”
Funston Says They (’an Take < are of—— MAKE EMENDED GAINS
Border Rauls./ * *
Majbr Gen. Frederick Funston ^on.
his return frqm a visit.to the puni
tive expedition in Mexicci*. expressed
the opinion that # the menace of tior-
der raids by Mexican bandits and
rebels has been reduced to such an
extent that' the regular forces now
are sufficient, for , protective pur
poses. * . ’ .
Gen. Funston added that “for the
present we do not look for any more
raids across the Tine,” and declared
if there should be any the regulars
would be sufficient to forestall
them. '
SpeHal Committee of Naval Offlssrs -
, Urge Submarine and Aviatf—
• Bases—Sites Should He Detenfcfe-
* ed Xfter Moat .Careful Stwriy
Improvements Urged for Charles
ton. ‘ '
Retentionsf all existing navy
yards, establishment ef submarine
bases on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pa
cific coasts and a thorough acronan-
tical survey of the coast of the Unli
ed States and its possessions wars
recommended to congress Wednes
day in a preliminary report by a spe
cial commission of naval officers ap
pointed by President Wilson.
The commission consisted of Rear
Admiral J. M. Helm, Chief Constrnn*
tor W. L. Capps, Civil Engineer It.
K.* Rosseau, Capt. W. G. McElroy and.
Commander L. Hussey. It spent snv- *
eral months making inspections
along the coast and announced Wnd- *
nesday more time will be necessary
before complete reports can be mads
on many questions.
On the abolishment ot navy yards
the report recommends: “That II Is
unnecessary, undesirable and inad
visable to abolish at this lima any
existing navy yard or naval sUtftaa
Within the continental limita of Us
United States.**
The-commission said the dsvstop-
ment of the New Orleans navy yard '
to a first class naval base >“18 to hs
considered as remote” owing to ils
distance from the mouth of the Mri-
sissippl river and strategic reasons, •
.but that this yard should bo retained
up to capacity of Its-floating dry
dock.” 4k — —^—
The commission was without snf-
ficient engineering data to make a
satisfactory report .regarding further
development , of . the navy yard at
Charleston, S.-C., so it could handle •
the largest'ships ot the navy, but an
nounced that immediate steps should
be taken to improve the yard so as
to permit full utilization of its pres
ent dock and repair facilities.
The report said it was inadvisable
at this time to consider the possible
development of the Pensacola navy
station except its utilization aa a
supply base and as a base for enb-
marines and destroyers.
In arriving at its conclusions tbs
commission says “that full consid
eration of the present and pro apse
tlve size of our navy, its require
ments, not only in peace, but during
the far more exacting conditions •!
war, should bring convincing evi
dence that the abolishment at thin
time of any existing naval yard er
station within the continental llmiln
of the United States would b# quite
without Justification.”
The report explain! that this
should not be taken to mean that
there might not he transfer of i ork
from one yard to another or hanges
in methods of handling work at dif
ferent plants. It declares . that the
present equipment of many yards to
inadequate In dry docking facilities,
berthing space, storage facilities,
machinery and other details.
“It is not only unequal to tbs re
quirements of the fleet,” says the re
port, “but will be seriously inade
quate for its proper maintenanee
when the fleet is completed to Mb'
present authorized strength.** '
Not all the yards .“are ideally lo
cated*’ to meet strategic and ether
requirements but * the commiseton
concludes that such considerations
“n ust have little force” in. view sf
actual conditions and the actual re
quirements of the present and pros
pective fleet.
The report nays in answer to the
statement that a greater concentra
tion of yards qrould be economieel;
“that the question of economy as de
termined by. concentration of naval
repair establishments must yield ab
solutely to the far more serious aee-
essities of the fleet as undue son-
cenTration of such naval repair
tablisl
involve
aster.’
These facto and the fact that there
in a large., iriyestment in existing
yanls, the use uKWhich they could be
put for fleet repair purposes and lor 3
taking care of merchant ships that
would be taken over In rase of war .
‘ leaves tne commissiori with as
doubt in-its mind’^as to th© advisa
bility of their retention. Itovrecom
mendation includes the present and
tho "near future.”
The commission nays “it is unable
at .this time to determine locations
for aviation bases but recommends
in addition to the comprehensive
coast survey an investigation ,by a
board to be appointed by the secre
tary of the navy of climatic, air and
industrial an well an other conditions
where a base should be located. It
says there is no particular reason for
haste in their establishment, for in
case of necessity there would be no
great difficulty in finding suitable
bases quickly.^* __ « •
'"There is a divergence of opinion
in naval circles,? the commisdon re
ports. over the location of subma
rine bases and there is little prob
ability at present naval authorities *’<
will agree on the subject. Generslly.
the commission advocates bases sa
the Atlantic, Gulf and pacific coasts
but suggests no place.
sKments might virtually easily
veAn time of war military dto-
British Add to Progress Near Beau-
eomt sur-Ancre..
The British in Franc# have ex
tended their gains of . Wednesday
near Beaucourt-aur-Ancre. The
French and Germans in the Vosges
mountains, in Lorraine and near
.Soissons, are engaged in artillery
duels which .are described by - the
French war office as being of a
“rather serious character.** The big
guns of the belligerents also have
beqn active near Ramscapelle, Dlx-
mude and Het Zas, Belgium. .
'* Refugees in France.
M. Malvy, minister of the interior,
told the French chamber of deputies
that after the battle of Charleroi,
France llad seven hundred thousand
refugees to care* for. By the~end of
the year T916 the figure had reach
ed one milliom Tnekidlng one hun
dred and twenty thousand persons
repatriated from Switzerland-.
i ‘ # 1
Want ft.OO<b Women Workmen.
The British ministry of munittoas
issued an appeal for eight thousand
more women to work in munitions
factories.
** 'j.
. . ggHjlljL;
if
- X •
*