Morning Oregonian., January 03, 1908, Page 13, Image 13

THRVMOFNIXG- OREGOXIAX, FRIDAY, JANUARY 3. 1908.
13
SAYS BATTLESHIP
IS A CUMPFirjr.'llSE
Reply by Admiral Burwell to
Magazine Criticism of the
United States Navy.
OUR SHIPS EQUAL TO ANY
Commandant of Puget Sound Navy
Yard Discusses Eternal Conflict
Between Guns, Armor and En
gines in Making Warships.
"The United States navy Is all right,"
said Rear-Admiral William T. Burwell,
commandant of the Puget Sound navy
yards and for two years commander of
tha battleship Oregon, In the Portland
Hotel yesterday. "That- article in the
January McClure's Magazine is correct
enough as far as It goes, but It does not
go far enough, hence conveys a wrong im
pression. What the writer of it says
about certain things is so, but it Is also
practically true of all other battleships
the world over. Not only this, but he
does not mention the good points our
ships have in oonsequence of these al
leged defects the writer apparently dis
covers. "Here is the matter In a nutshell: A
ship can carry just so much load, say
16,000 tons. This Includes, of course, Its
own weight. Now the gun man wants
16.000 tons of gunB on board; the engineer
wants 15.000 tons of engines and coal;
and the armor man wants 15,000 tons of
armor. Clearly then a battleship is a
compromise between all these require
ments. If you raise the sides as high as
those of the Dakota you of course have
splendid seagoing qualities and a high
place from which to fire your guns, but
look at the target you offer the other
fellow's guns! And of course these high
sides cannot be of as heavy armor as the
low sides. As for what he says about
the sides of our ships being too low I
will say that for two years I commanded
the Oregon, the lowest vessel of her class
In the world; and in all that time, except
once, I could have fired every gun on
board in all kinds of weather. The one
exception was a hurricane in the middle
of the Pacifio where no battleship could
have fired a shot. No one would have
fought In such a sea and gale. With
this exception the Oregon Is high enough
for me to fight with against any ship of
her size in the world In all kinds of
weather, and as I said before she is the
lowest in our or any other navy.
Battleship a Compromise.
"But If you make a vessel's sides too
low you have her on the old 'monitor
type that Is not usually seaworthy. As
I said before a battleship Is a compro
mise, and the Oregon is about as low
aa it Is safe to go. When she is at fight
ing range her decks are practically below
the horlson, only her turrets and upper
works showing. So you see how little the
hlgh-out-of-the-water Frenchman that
the magazine writer so admires wouM
have to shoot at, while we on the Oregon
would have a splendid target that
we could hit practically at every shot.
"The American navy has the heaviest
gun power in proportion to displacement
of any navy In the world. You cannot
have everything on one ship, so the
'. Americans go on the principle or first,
guns; second, engines and coal; third,
armor. If any one can improve on this
idea they are welcome to do bo. Increase
your armor, and you must reduce speed
or hitting power, and the American
battleship is built first to throw shells
Into the other fellow, not to have some
thing to hide behind while we plug away
at him with a bean shooter.
"The magazine writer points out the
fact that our ships have no heavy armor
above the water line, that Is, up six or
eight feet or so, as some of the foreign
ships have, but that our armor extends
down below the water line, where he as
' sumes It Is not needed because of the
protection given by the water. If our
hips were to fight always In sun water.
a small lake for Instance, his criticism
would be perfectly correct. But battle
ships must fight on the open sea, and
they therefore roll. This rolling exposes
perhaps eight feet below the water line,
and a shot put there when the vessel was
rolling away from the shooter would
punch a hole that would be fatal In most
cases. But we put the armor well down to
stop such shots.
Armor Plate Is Heavy.
"Of course it would be very nice to
have heavy armor above the water line
too, but armor weighs a bit, you know,
and enough to go around a battleship six
or eight feet up from the water line
would reduce our gun power and steam
ing qualities tremendously. The American
navy figures that It is better to have
heavy armor where it Is vital, that is
below the water line, so as to protect the
ship when she rolls, have speed and wide
steaming range so that the question of
coal will not be so Important as it is
to the enemy, and have two guns to shoot
at him with while he is protected behind
plenty of armor but can't either catch us
or get away from us and has only one gun
to shoot at us with. It is of course
matter of opinion but so it seems to us
at the present time. If any one can show
us that we are wrong we will gladly listen
to him. But when one writes such an
article one should publish both sides, all
the facts, you know, or the result may be
misleading, as is this article.
"The matter of having a break between
the turrets and the magazines is, of
course, a very Important one, but what
Is one to do? A shell exploding in the
confined space of a turret would force
its hot gases almost anywhere to which
was a connecting space, not only to the
magazine but to any part of the ship
for that matter. Whether the passage is
straight or around "a corner makes little
difference to gas under tons of pres
sure from an exploded lS-lnch shell con
fined In a turret. Explode such a shell
In any turret on any ship and the chances
are that that turret Is out of action for
the rest of the battle, no matter how it Is
made.
Openings In Turrets.
"As for the big opening in the turrets,
there you are up against a compromise
gain. A gun stuck out of a small hole
cannot be raised and lowered as can one
In a larger opening. And In action the
openings are toward the enemy only when
firing, then they are swung around so as
to be out of range, then swung into line
again the instant you want to fire again.
"So much for that magazine article. It
has been answered time and again at
more length and more carefully than I
can In a short casual talk about it- Now
as to the navy yard on Puget Sound, I
(ant to say that it Is the finest In Ameri
ca. It has the only drydock into which a
wounded battleship drawing from 30 to 33
feet or more could enter. We have one
now with 30 feet of water over the sill,
and will soon have one with 3$ feet. And
when a battleship as now built draws
over 3ft feet because of water In her hold
ahe would probably never reach any dry
dock but would rest on the bottom of the
ea.
"Pugot-fi'OTxnd, can fee defended easily Jby
means of submarines and even torpedoes.
So can the Columbia River. This river,
especially, is almost Ideal for such a de
fense. No navy in the world would
venture into such a trap where from al
most everv -oolnt on the shore torpedoes
could be shot out at it. and one torpedo
generally ends any ship. II eitner Jt-ugei
Sound or the Columbia River, country
were taken by a foe It would be by land
ing men somewhere on the beach and at
tacking by land.
I would like to see the mourn or xne
Columbia made a harbor that would take
any battleship, even If about to sink. A
vessel In that condition cannot wait for
tides. A matter of one or two hours
might mean the difference between reach
ing the dock or going to tne bottom, it
is eettinK to be a question to get the big
ships into and out of the Golden Gate,
esDeciallv In a heavy sea. A battleship is
not lik a cruiser, or a merchant vessel.
The bottom of the cruiser is pointed and
edge-like and when she touches a soft
bottom merely cuts down Into it; also
such a vessel has not a great top heavy
load to carry like the battleship. But the
bottom of a battleship is comparatively
flat, and -when she hits bottom, especially
In a bad sea, something Is likely to hap
pen. Her thin flat bottom and heavy
guns and turrets would not make a joy
ous mixture even with .tne sottest or Bot
toms."
SECTARIANISMS TEACHING
Mr. Odell's View of Contest for the
State University Appropriation.
SALEM, Or., Jan. L (To the Edi
tor.) The voters of OTegon will be
called upon next - June to decide
whether the appropriation of 1125,000
annually for the support of the Uni
versity of Oregon shall stand. Instead
of $47,500 as now fixed by a continuing
statute.
In consideration of this fact, I desire
to submit a few thoughts relative
thereto. Parenthetically, I say that In
the matter of the public or common
schools, I have nothing to bring up now
save in approval, but with the question
of support by taxation of the state,
colleges and universities, it la proper
to make careful Inquiry.
Taxes should not be levied except for
the common good, and whether the
payment of between 1200,000 and
$300,000 annually for the benefit of
less than one-half of one per cent of
the entire population,- or less, or less
than 2 per cent of the children of
school age, is a question for constitu
tional doctrinaires to solve. But let
me Inquire into the character of that
non-sectarlanlsm which ' has to some
been the slogan for college mainten
ance. One of old tells us who that
fellow is who "hath said in his heart
there is no God." Well, that fellow is
atill with us, Is quite numerous, and Is
Insisting upon the state supporting
Godless schools. It rue that they do
rot like the term Tdless.". but pre
fer non-sectarian; while the schools
within themselves are in no sense non
sectarian. They have been created and
maintained at the behest of the sect of
unbelievers, and sectarianism is as
much pronounced and more rabid
among this sect of unbelievers than
among the rock-ribbed Catholics, with
whom there is much to commend.
Upon the maintenance of schools for
collegiate students, there are two well
defined sects, and they divide upon the
question of Chlrstian education the
one is pro-Christian and the other is
anti-Christian. Both are pronounced
sectarian In their demands for control
of the educational functions of the col
leges and universities of the country,
with this difference the sect termed
pro-ChriBtian show their zeal for and
their faith In the needs for Christian
Influences surrounding the young dur
ing student life. They build schools of
their choice and pay for the education
of their children, while the more self
ish anti-Christian sect insists upon
having Its children educated at the
public expense, taxing the pro-Christian
sect as well as the antl-Chrlstlan
sect.
There are more students today In at
tendance at the schools under de
nominational : management than there
are in the anti-Christian schools. Hence
it will be seen that the majority Is
taxed to pay for the schooling of the
minority.
The sect of unbelievers in Christian
education has utterly failed to show
their faith by their works in the line
of building up and supporting non
Christian schools. Only two efforts
have been made on that line In Oregon,
and they died early and were burled in
their swaddling clothes. Lnder pres
ent conditions. It costs the taxpayers
of Oregon between $200 and (300 for
every student in the state schools.
This is claimed to be necessary In order
to' give good facilities. If that were
the only object, instead of sinecures for
professional crumb-pickers, as a mat
ter of economy It would be less ex
pensive to pay the traveling expenses
and tuition for each of the would-be
wards of the state for educational pur
poses, in Harvard University or any of
the great schools already established.
It could not be said that facilities are
lacking in any of these, f urthermore,
I hold that the duties of 'the State
Government in matters of education
extend only to the necessity of sup
port for the common schools good
common schools open to every child of
school age. Beyond this, only a com
parative few can hope to go, and that
few must be capable and ambitious to
succeed. All such can find a way to
obtain It, and the finding of the way is
really the best part of their education.
It requires wen-directed effort, the
foundation of success in life.
"Knowledge is power," and power
well geared Is a good thing, but If not,
It is very liable to produce a hot-box.
So, knowledge, if properly harnessed. Is
a good thing but if not, a hot-box
will be the sequence.
Any education that is not thoroughly
engrafted with the Christ-enjoined
command, "Render unto Ceasar the
things that are Ceasar's, and unto God
the things that are God's" is worse
than no education, because it only
proves an added force to pernicious ac
tivities.
So, the question for the voters to de
cide next June is whether the state by
taxation .shall continue to support by
increased appropriation sectarian
schools for th'e sect opposed to Chris
tian education. The denominational
schools are not for the propagation of
specific creeds. With the possible ex
ception of the Catholics, that depart
ment is relegated to the schools of
theology. But they place emphasis on
the broad belief in the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man.
W. H. ODELL.
CITY IS AMBITIOUS
Portland Will Strive to Excel
Record of 1907.
ENCOURAGED BY PROGRESS
Cost of New Year Celebration.
- msw iohk, Jan. z. Men who are
fond of figures say that New York's
Ne Tear celebration cost 31.750,000. At
one restaurant that night receipts were
over 320,000, 2000 quarts of champagne be
ing drunk. It Is estimated that the diners
around town made away with 42,000 quarts
or champagne and 66,000 quarts of claret,
not to mention the barrels of other drink
ables consumed. Souvenir hunters were
out in force and every hotel and restaur
ant lost great qualities of glass and
everything from small coffee spoons to
silver wine coolers.
;:l"lll!;i;ij;iiliiiliii!iibiiiiiiiw
HALF PRICK RISER CALENDARS.
lOo up while they last. 248 Alder.
X Perfect fitting glasses tX at Metzger'a, J.
All Indications Point to Greater
Achievements Iurlng 1908 En
tire state Begins the New Tear
. With Splendid Prospects.
Encouraged by the record of its achieve
ments In 1907, Portland begins the new
year confident of its ability to surpass
last year's phenomenal progress. There
is every indication that this confidence
is well founded. Every phase of the
city's Industrial and commercial life was
never In more prosperous condition, and
the record for the last 13 months will by
no means be accepted aa the limit of pos
sibilities lor 1908.
In building, bank clearances, shipping.
postoffice receipts and real estate trans
fers statistics for 1907 tell the same story
of unprecedented prosperity, while the
outlook for the coming year in every way
justifies the prediction that another rec
ord will be established. The metropolis
of the state has never entered on a new
year with brighter prospects. Financial
ly the state was never better situated.
The deposits In the banks of the state
per capita were never greater. The sta
bility of the state's banking institutions
was never better proved than by the re
cent announcement that two of the three
banks of the city which were recently
compelled temporarily to suspend busi
ness will be reorganized and that the
third also will pay its depositors dollar
for dollar. More building than ever be
fore Is planned, and the Influx of new
settlers and the development of addi
tional Industries was never so great.
At all times postoffice receipts are ac
cepted as an unfailing indication of the
growth of a city, and in this particular
Portland Ijas made a wonderful showing.
v mi me rcuciyui lui ikjjl moma esti
mated, the aggregate of the receipts of
the local Postoffice for 1907 was $630,147.23,
as compared with 3540,805.47 for 1906, or
an increase of 16.6 per cent. This same
record of unsurpassed prosperity is fur
ther reflected by the bank clearings of
the banks of this city, which, for the
year 1907, reached a total of $353,851,629.80,
the clearances for the month of Decem
ber, only, being estimated. For 1906 bank
clearances aggregated 3281,170,796.26, show
ing an Increase in favor of the year just
closed of 22 per cent. This growth has
been steady since 1902, when the bank
ing business of the city represented by
these clearances amounted only to 3154,-
320.103.09.
Increase in Exports, i
An advance In freight rates on lumber
products reduced the output of lumber in
this state during the latter part of 1907,
but with this exception there wag a re
markable Increase in shipping from this
port. Lumber shipments reached a total
of 39,494,528 feet, representing a value of
3609,388 for 1907 against 69,471,000 feet,
valued at 3881,305 in 1906. But there was
a big Increase In the shipment of wheat
and flour. During the year Just ended
2,715,772 bushels of wheat worth 35.675.058
were shipped from Portland while for
1906 only 2,54o,558 bushels of the value of
$3,627,966 were forwarded from this port.
A similar Increase in the shipment of
nour is noted. In 1906 there was shipped
318,895 barrels having a value of $1,252,
829 while shipments for 1907 aggregated
620,946 barrels worth $1,946,740.
. There Is substantial evidence of the
city's increased prosperity If one will re
fer to the assessment rolls of Multnomah
County, which reveal an increase in as
sessable values from $180,905,568 in 1906
to $233,141,068 in 1907. This increase in
property valuations has been attended by
a corresponding Increase in building. For
the year 1907 building permits were issued'
for the city of Portland to the amount
of $9,410,137 as against $6,943,471 for the
preceding year, or an- increase of 73 per
cent.
Growth In Population.
In view of these increased activities of
a material nature, Portland, with its
matchless climate and remarkably low
mortality rate, is peculiarly a desirable
place of residence, la fact its desirability
as a location IS perhaps best attested by
the enormous growth it has experienced
In population during the last few years,
the new city directory giving this city a
population of 235,000. Statistics gathered
at the office of the Board of Health
shows the death rate of Portland for
the year 1907 was only 8.27 per 1000 in
habitants, bettering the record of 8.47 per
1000 which was considered remarkable
for the preceding year. There were only
1860 deaths in Portland last year.
The unusual contentment of Portland
people is the result of prosperous condi
tions which prevail throughout the entire
state. According to the records of the
State Bank Examiner there are in the
state 141 state and private banks the capi
tal stock of which aggregates $6,000,000.
Of that number 105 have submitted de
tailed reports to the State Examiner
showing resources aggregating $38,345,-
808.09. Aside from these state and pri
vate banks the recent semi-annual re
ports to the Controller of the Currency
by the 44 National banks In the state on
December S last, disclosed an average
casn reserve of 42 per cent or an aver
age of 27 per cent more funds on hand
than Is required by law.
RACE SUNDAYS IN MANILA
J , B. Huntington Describes Sports
in Philippines.
J. B. Huntington, who recently left
Portland for Manila, P. I., writes to his
friend Joseph Buchtel entertainingly, an
nouncing his arrival at his destination
On the way he visited Yokohama, Toklo
and other cities. He was astonished at
the little horses he saw In Manila and
the burdens they carry. But it was the
races which attracted his attention. - He
says: "I was at the race track, where I
saw these little fellows run. They run
on a flat track, covered with four
Inches of sand to avoid mud on rainy
days. They carry as high as 140 pounds.
but generally 120 pounds. Under these
adverse conditions they can do a mile in a
little less than two minutes. But the
excitement and interest are as great as
though they were running in 1:40. Great
crowds attend these races. They are
well conducted and no waits. When the
horses are rung out they come, or else
they don't run. I saw 10 races in two
hours, and I was told that 18 races were
run that day. Ijots of money changes
bands through the bookmakers and in
side bets. The books are not the same
as those on the track at home In Ore
gon. Tou must place your horse. If
you play a horse to run second and he
happens to run first you lose your money.
They give prizes to winners in every
race provided seven horses start, and If
nine start the prize - to the winner Is
doubled. The law permits racing only
the first Sunday of the month, but the
cockpits are allowed to run every Sun
day. I think; I saw 000 peojol ax tha
m
m
Wi
S--.2
il
The Swine and the Flower
Oh me! I saw a huge and loathiome sty,
Wherein a drove of wallowing swine were barred,
Whose banquet shocked the nostril and the eye;
Then spoke a voice, " Behold the source of LARD!"
.
I fled, and saw a field that seemed at first
One glistening mass of roses pure and white,
With dewy buds 'mid dark green foliage nursed ;
And as I lingered o'er the lovely sight,
The summer breeze that cooled 'that Southern scene,
Whispered, "Behold the source of COTTOLENE!"
Natures Gift from the Sunny South
Hi
COTTOLENE U a pare and wholesome frying; and shortening
medium, made from refined cottonseed oil. There is not an ounce
of bog (at in it to make food unwholesome, greasy and indigestible.
As evidence of its superiority, COTTOLENE received Grand
Prise (highest possible award) at the Louisiana Purchase Exposi-
lion: and Gold Medals (also retresentinsr niehest awards In each
case) at the Charleston Exposition, the Paris Exposition, and the
Chicago World's Pair. In (act. In every case wherever COTTOLENE
has been exhibited in competition with other cooking fats, it has
Invariably been granted the highest award.
THE N. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY, CHICAGO
ra1!!!!!!!!!1"1!!!!!!!!!!!;!1'1?!!!
races, and I am sure there were woo at
the cockpit. There is but one race track
and six cockpits. Oockflghtlng is the na
tional game. On Sundays you can see
thousands of roosters staked out in the
churchyards. After the services the
owners receive the blessings of the
priests, away they go to the pits, and
there they stay, .to win or-lose. This is
the one place I have been where it makes
no difference who holds the stakes. II
you lose you must pay or never show up
there again. The day I was at the pit I
saw thousands of pesos change hands.
and not one word of complaint about the
stakes.
I shall probably not remain in Manila
long, as I want and expect to go out into
one of the provinces. There are some
great opportunities here. If you were 20
years younger I would urge you to come
and go with me. I have met a number of
Portland people. Major Case is here as
chief engineer of the water works. Fran
cis, who was In the Sheriff's office under
Frazler, is here. Crozler. who was pro
prietor of the Pendleton Tribune, is here.
Major Eastwick. who was In the Sec
ond Oregon, 1b here, and some other Ore
gonians. I am at work every day. No
trouble about employment here for com
petent men."
If Baoy I CctUng Teeth
Be but and use that old well-tried remedy,
Mrs. Wltulow", Eoothlns Syrup, ior children
teething. It aoothea the child, softens the
rums, allay pain, collo and diarrhoea.
MAY BUY WHITE BURLEY
Big Purchase to Settle Controversy
Over Tobacco.
WINCHESTER, Ky., Jan. i. R. K.
Smith, vice-president of the. American
Tobacco Company, Is here to meet mem
bers of the district boards of the Burley
Tobacco Society and Inspect 40,000 pounds
of white burley samples representing the
pooled crops of 60,000,000 pounds with a
view to the purchase of the entire crop.
If the purchase is made It will mark
the settlement of a long controversy be
tween the American Tobacco Company
and the white burley growers. Hundreds
of growers are here to attend the
meeting. ' '
Practically two-thirds of, the counties
composing the white bvarley belt had
.tu1 n vnlAA tnhncrn 1-a lore
Nude Dukhobor IMlgTims. j
FORT WILLIAM, Ont, Jan. . 2.
Twelve Dukhobor Pilgrims started out
yesterday without clwthing for one of
their strange marches through the
streets. They were, finally rounded up
by the police. ven men and five
women were in the party and they
mA.rr.hed half a YnllA in aennfv atHrA
before being stopped.
" jll '
?
Purity there is nothing else half so
important in beer. And nothing else is
nearly so expensive.
Purity means absolute cleanliness.
It . means freedom from germs. Even the air
in our cooling rooms is filtered. And every bottle
of Schlitz beer is sterilized after it is sealed.
It means an aged beer aged for months, until
it cannot cause biliousness. $f ?
Without those precautions, no beer can be healthful.
And who would
knowingly
drink beer
that was
not?
Ash for the Brewery Bottling.
Common beer is sometimes substituted for ScMitz.
To avoid being- imposed -upon, see that the cork or crown, is branded
,D n .ft 1
Sherwood St Sherwood,
2 Front Street. Portland,
That Mad
The Beer
e.MlwaMeeFa
PIOUS