10
THE SUXDAT OKEGOXIAX, POTlTT.AtD, FEBRUARY 11, 1917.
PORTLAND RECRUITING STATIONS ARE BUSY
ENLISTING FOR ARMY, NAVY AND MARINES
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Naval Service Makes Special Effort to Fill 22,000 Vacancies This Arm Offers Highest Pay of Any in World,
Besides Teaching Trades and Affording Opportunities.
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!fers to young men are many. Under
previsions of an act passed by Con
: ress on August 29, 1916. a. young: man,
1 after one year's sea service, can receive
his honorable discharge if he deeires it.
'As he Is required to train four months
on land first, it Is possible to receive
his discharge 16 months after actual
enlistment.
"Every man In the Navy is trained in
not only thingrs military, but as a mod
ern man-of-war ie a mass, of complex
machinery, every young: man in the
Naval service must become something
of a machinist, or electrician, or rig
ger, or structural iron worker, , or
chemical worker, or become an expert
in handling high explosives.
"Phjeical training- is such that the
death rate In the Navy for the past
five years has been only 4.8 per 1000,
while the death rate among men of
the same ages in civil life has been
elightly above 8 per 1000.
Nary Fay la Hiitheat.
The pay in the United States Navy
is the highest of any military service
in the world. Promotions are more
rapid, due to the variety of trades re
quired. The pay ranges from $20.90 a
month to 77 in the first enlistment;
with longer service the maximum in
creases to about $95 a month. All war
rant officers come from the ranks, and
their pay ranges from $154 to $318 a
month.
'Another fact to be remembered Is
that 25 ycung men each year have been
appointed from the ranks to Annapolis.
Beginning this year, 100 will be sent
from the ranks to the Naval Academy.
That Annapolis is a democratic insti
tution is shown by the fact that one
of the young men from the ranks in
1915 has been elected by his classmates
as president of his class.
Several high school boys and three
University of Oregon students recently
enlisted in the Navy. There are great
opportunities for young men in the
Navy, and those who are made of the
right stuff will be heard from."
yet
PORTLAND is providing its quota
of men for the Army and Navy.
Warlike situations that have
been arising thick and fast have had
no little effect on the minda of young
Americans. They have been stirred by
patriotic appeals for at least prepared
ness, and they are coming forth man
fully and enlisting in' the various
arms of the country's defense.
During the past week there was
more than usual bustle in the several
recruiting stations in Portland. The
United States recruiting station in the
Dekum building received several ap
plications daily, and as there is a great
need for men in the Navy, special ef
forts are being made by Lieutenant
Commander J. H. Blackburn, who is
in charge of the office, to swell the
enlistments. He received telegraphic
instructions from Washington Thurs
day to keep the office open nights, and
a special recruiting detail was put on
duty immediately.
The United States Marine Corps
headquarters in the Panama building
has been attracting many applicants,
and recruiting is increasing steadily.
Captain Lovick Pinkston, who is in
charge, says that the war scare is aid
ing in swelling enlistments. He re
cently returned from a trip to the In
land Empire and has arranged to es
tablbish sub-stations at several points.
. Portland Keeps Pace.
The United States Marine Corps has
four divisions, known as the Eastern,
Central, Southern and Western. Port
land, as one of the headquarters of the
Western Division, is keeping pace with
the other stations.
The full strength of the Marine
Corps is 14,981. At present it Is short
of full strength by 2929 men, but it is
expected that this number will be ob
tained before July l.
The recruiting office of the United
States Army in the Worcester build
ing, which is in charge of Lieutenant
Colonel Charles A. Varnum, is making
a big showing in enlistments. Its
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jurisdiction comprises all of Oregon
and a small part of Washington. Dur
ing the past three or four months it
has been averaging nearly 100 re-!
cruits a month.
In November the Oregon district
stood at the head of the Army in re
cruiting, in proportion to population.
and has been making almost as cred
itable a showing since. Colonel Var
num says that a large number of re
recruits are coming from the outlying
districts, and are an excellent class of
men. It is his opinion that at least
one per cent of the Nation's population
ought to enlist each year in order to
bring the standing Army" up to the
proper strength. Such a proportion
would mean 100,000 enlistments a year.
Naval Militia la Recruiting.
At the Oregon Naval Militia head
quarters in the Morgan building there
has been unusual activity the past 10
days. A campaign for members has
been started in earnest, and applica
tions are coming in steadily. Lieutenant-Commander
Blair, who is now in
the East on official business, is ex
pected home soon. In his absence va
rious officers of the Naval Militia are
taking turns in looking after enlist
ments. The present enrollment is about 210,
and efforts will be made to increase
the membership to 500 as soon as pos
sible. According to Acting Adjutant-General
Wilson, there will be no special
efforts at present to obtain enlistments
in the Oregon National Guard. The
number of guardsmen, including the
Coast Artillery Corps, is about 2200.
While there is a recognized need of
more men in the Army, even from the
standpoint of preparedness, it is point
ed out that with the present interna
tional complications, the most urgent
need for men Is in the Navy. The full
strength of the Navy is 76,000, but at
present it lacks 22.000 men. In the
opinion of many high Naval officers
the United States should make every
effort to swell the Navy enlistments
Babies in Arms Barred From
Billiard Halls.
Proprietor Aalta Mother to Take
Infant Ont So as to Comply With.
Rosebnrg; Law.
TkOSEBURG. Or. Feb. 10. (SneclaLl
Whether babies in the arms of
mothers are minors susceptible to the
influence of card games, billiards and
pool was the mooted question that
threatened to divide the City Council at
Its regular meeting this week.
J. C. McElroy appeared before the
Council and asked that the present city
ordinance be amended so children under
the age of 16 years could visit his club
rooms in the event they were chaper
oned by their parents. Mr. McElroy
said he had asked a woman to remove
her infant from the clubrooms because
its presence there was contrary to the
city laws.
"If there is any place the children
cannot go," said Councilman . Creason,
let s close it up entirely.
"Then you would close even the men's
meetings at the churches," returned
Councilman Hamilton.
"And them, too," responded Mr. Crea
son.
Because of the drastic ordinance now
in effect here, a number of private
dances planned by the young pi.-ople of
the city during the remainder of the
Winter will be abandoned.
ARMOR OF KNIGHTS OF MIDDLE AGES GIVES
HINT FOR PROTECTION OF MODERN SOLDIER
Coats of Mail Appear Again on Present-Day Battlefields, With Masks for Protection Against Gas Attacks and
Helmets to Ward Off Storm of Bullets Submarines to Have Escape Doors.
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NORTH WANTSJDAH0 SPLIT
Different Interests Are Pointed Out
as Principal ltcasons.
LEWISTON. Idaho. Feb. 10. (Spe
cial.) The bill introduced in the Leg
islature providing for the division of
the state is meeting with unanimous
support in the northern part of the
state.
It is pointed out that on account of
the geographical condition the two
parts of the state have no interests in
common. The people of the south are
absorbed in dry land farming and irri
gation projects, while the interests
of the north are centered in mining,
timber and stockraising, as well as the
development of immense agricultural
areas.
The portion of Idaho seeking admis
sion to the Union as a separate state
has a population of approximately 100,
000, an area of 35,600 squre miles and
an assesssed valuation of $160,000,000.
The remaining portion of the state will
comprise about 225,000 population,
about 48.288 square miles and an as
sessed valuation of $240,000,000.
BURNS' BIRTH HONORED
Coos Bay Society Enjoys Dances
and Programme of Readings.
MARSHFIELD, Or., Feb. 10. (Spe
cial.) The Coos Bay Caledonian Club,
which now has a membership of more
than 70, celebrated its third observance
of Robert Burns' birthday in this city.
The event was made up of an informal
line of entertainment for the most part,
and a programme of Scotch songs,
readings from Burns poems, followed
by a luncheon and dancing. There
were 300 present, the largest attend
ance the club has enjoyed.
Dan MacDonald, of North Bend, was
master of ceremonies. There were
Scotch reels and individual sword
dances and Highland flings by the
Flanagan sisters, of Marshfield. and
specialties by local vocalists.
PEPPERMINT TO BE GROWN
to 200.000 men, especially as long as
there is the remotest possibility of war.
Lieutenant-Commander Blackburn, of
the Navy recruiting station, believes
that universal service will be the only
means to place the United States Navy
in its proper strength
In speaking of the present activity
in recruiting and the advantages of
fered in the Navy, Commander Black
ourn yesterday said:
"I cannot say positively that enlist
ment is being aided much by the pres
ent international complications. Dur
ing the past five months there has
been an appreciable gain In enlist
ments, but, of course, it has not been
as big as we would like to have.
"Enlistment in the Navy now is more
the result of systematic education as
to the many advantages the service of
fers. Most of the young men who en
list now make a thorough study of the
pltuation. Some of them have given
as much as five months' deliberation,
then have decided to join the service,
fully believing that they will receive
a kind of training that will be of more
value to them than any other kind of
experience.
"The educational work carried on at
the Portland office has had most grati
fying results. Exceptionally high
clasis men have been enrolled, and this
vicinity can well be proud of the re
- -'s it has sent to the Navy. We have
, receiving reports from all the
c .imandlng officers of the Pacific
fleet, the Asiatic fleet and the Pacific
reserve fleet, and, generally speaking,
the men sent from here are making
fine records.
Local Men Do Well.
"A report Just received regarding 11
men now on the cruiser San Diego Is
interesting. These men obtained from
this district have all advanced in the
service as follows: Two to first-class
petty officers, four to second-class
petty officers, two to third-class petty
officers, and the remaining three to the
highest ratings ehort of petty officers.
"The advantages which the Navy of -
Plans Indicate Increased Acreage
Near Buena Vista.
BUENA VISTA. Or., Feb. 10. (Spe
cial.) The success of the peppermint
experiment conducted on the island
near here during the last season has
led farmers in this vicinity to lay plans
for growing the plant during the com
ing season. According to experts who
have examined the soil in this neigh
borhood there is a large acreage on
which peppermint would thrive.
It is likely that some of the fields
in the low spots along the Willamette
and Luckiamute Kivers will be con
verted from hop-growing acreages into
big peppermint fields.
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NOTED ARCHITECT COMING
Charles Harris Wliitaker to Visit at
University of Oregon.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. Eugene.
Feb. 10. (Special.) Plans for the en
tertainment of Charles Harris Whi
taker, architect, of Washington, D. C,
and editor of the American Institute
of Architecture Magazine, who will
visit the University Architectural Cluo
during the week of February 25, are
well under way.
W. R. B. Wilcox, of Seattle, and
several prominent architects from
Portland, have been asked to attend
the lectures and exhibits of the school
of architecture during the week.
Y. W. C. A. Hostess to Co-Eds.
UNIVERSITY OF OREFON, Eugene.
Feb. 10. (Special.) All the university
co-eds gathered together Wednesday
following the mid-year registration for
their annual acquaintance party, undei
the auspices of the Y. W. C. A. This
party enabled girls arriving late to be
come acquainted with their future
classmates and to learn the "ins and
outs" of the campus.
BY RENE BACHE.
RARELY has such .secrecy sur
rounded any of the doings of the
War Department as that which
envelops certain experiments yith poi
son gas, flame- projectors and 6s
bombs that are now in progress.
American military authorities have
taken up these new weapons of war
and with full intention to make uje
of them are trying to develop them to
the highest attainable point of effi
ciency. But as to details not a word of in
formation is beinsj given out. Thewe
war devices for the destruction of hu
man life are being perfected, with im
provements on the latest European
models, by the bureau of ordnance.
That is all that is definitely known
except as regards contrivances in the
way of armor, etc.. for the safety and
protection of the men engaged in oper
ating such weapons.
FIriuc Protection VliHolved.
Upon this matter much attention is
being bestowed. So fur as the flame
projectors are concerned, no means of
protection have as yet been discovered,
when an enemy employs them none,
that is to say, except gunfire. They
inflict frightful burns, destroying the
flesh to the very bone. Their range
is only about 30 yards, hence tiiey
cannot be t mployed to advantage save
at close quarters.
Against the poison gas, on the other
hand, whether delivered by liberation
from tanks with the help of a favor
ing wind or by the explosion of bombs,
there is adequate defense by masks.
Trfe earlier device for the purpose
(dating back less than two years) was
nothing more elaborate than a wad of
cotton steeped in chemical, held in place
over the mouth by two pieces of tape.
But the gas mask in its up-to-date de
velopment is a rubber helmet. For the
protection of soldiers engaged in hand
ling the gas-producing apparatus, the
War Department has adopted a special
equipment closely resembling the head
piece of the mine rescuer's armor and
supplied with oxygen from a steel flask
connected with it.
Gas I Kept In Tanks.
The poison gas (chlorine or bromine)
is stored in the form of a liquid In'
portable cylindrical tanks. When al
lowed to escape it rapidly volatilizes,
spreading in the shape of a greenish
yellow "cloud, which, being heavier than
air, creeps over the earth. But. inci
dental to bombardments or owing to
accidents, the tanks are often broken
or rendered leaky and endanger the
lives of the men in charge of them.
Whence the value of the "oxygen hel
met." A similar armor, but of new and spe
cial pattern, has been adopted by the
Navy Department, and is called the
"submarine escape" dress. It is a rub
ber jacket combined, with a light
weight oxygen helmet the costume
being designed for emergency use, in
case an undersea boat happens to be
disabled and unable to rise to the sur
face. In such a situation the men on
board would don such armor suit and
leave'the submerged craft by tne "es
cape door." -
Submarines Have Escape Door.
Every one of Uncle Sam's submarines
now building is to be provided with
an escape door a novel and ingenious
arrangement by which, under such cir
cumstances as above suggested, each
man in turn could crawb through an
opening into a water-tight and air
tight compartment within the outer
skin of the boat, shut the door behind
him and then emerge into the sea
through another door. Air under pres
sure would keep the water from enter
ing. Once out. the men would float
to the surface.
If it were necessary for a snbmarine
to remain submerged for an extraor
dinary length of time, the men could
put on their armor suits and use the
apparatus" for breathing, the oxygen
flasks being refilled at intervals from
tanks of the as.
Such a tank of steel, four feet long
anU 10 inches in diameter, filled with
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gas at a pressure of 2200 pounds to the
square inch, holds enough oxygen to
supply one man for 16 hours. Of course,
oxygen is ordinarily utilized to keep
the air of a submarine in breathable
condition. but the above described
method of employing it is one of great
economy.
Oefentlve Problems Prmrntrd.
Meanwhile, the War Department is
working out the problem of providing
suitable defensive armor for wear by
American soldiers in the field. Les
sons of the present war have taught
that such protection Is of utmost value
and our fighting men must have it.
They must have helmets, bullet-proof,
and also armor to cover the vital parts
of the body.
For trench fighting and certain other
work, armor today is so important as
to be practically necessary for wire
cutters and bombers. The former ex
pect to die it is their business but
they must survive as long as possible
to accomplish the utmost of their task.
The bombers run ahead of charging
infantry, throwing bombs into the ene
my's trenches and dugouts. They must
stay alive, for this purpose, as long
as they can.
Fourteen per cent of the wounds re
ceived by men in the trenches are in
the head. Experience has proved that
relatively few of such wounds are
fatal when a steel helmet is worn.
Bullets that hit the helmet often glance
off; when they penetrate, they are
likely to do comparatively little harm.
Before long, it is thought, the mllitary
helmet will be made to cover the en
tire head and face, with slits for the
eyes.
Middle A sen Ulve Hint.
The body armor adopted for use by
our own Army is expected to take a
form curiously reminiscent of the chain
mail of the middle ages. Such mail,
composed of a network of steel links,
was very expensive. It was worth the
money, however, because it was light
of weight and accommodated itself
readily to the movements of the wear
er. At the- same time it was proof
against spear, arrow or sword thrust.
But the modification of it contem
plated by the War Department is com
posed of small rectangular steel plates,
fastened together at their corners by
steel rings. The arrangement of plates
thus formed into a flexible sheet is
attached by brass rivets to a couple
of yards of strong khaki cloth. In
the middle of the cioth is a hole,
through which the wearer passes his
head, so that the armor garment af
fords protection both to his front and
back.
Such a garment (fastened at the
sides by strap buckles) hangs down in
front far enough to protect the abdo
men, as well as the chest. It is sup
plemented by a "collarette" of similar
design of khaki cloth covered with
linked plates of steel, which defends
the neck and shoulders. When. In
addition, a helmet is worn, the entire
person from the thighs up (barring
the face) is rendered measurably bul-iet-proof.
One can easily realize how useful
such armor would be in the hand-to-
hand trench fighting with bayonets and
knives, which is so conspicuous a fea
ture of warfare under the new condi
tions. A man thus protected would be
wound-proof, relatively, to an antago
nist devoid of any means of defense
of the kind.
Steel Can Proposed.
The War Department is considering
the question of adopting for service use
a light steel cap, to be worn beneath
the soldier's hat. It is much more
comfortable than the helmet, being bo
much less heavy, and yet is strong
enough to afford some protection
against shell splinters and fragments
of grenades. The idea is that it would
take the place of the helmet satisfac
torily at times when the men were
Idle in the trenches and not engaged
In actual fighting.
"In days of old, when knights were
bold." largely for the reason that their
steel clothinir made them safe from
attack by ordinary weapons, armor was
.--o expensive that only men of wealth
could afford to buy it. A satisfactory
suit of such protective material the
best of steel, wrought and fashioned
by a highly trained artisan cost a
price that would In our day be equiva
lent t'o 110,000 or more. The common
soldier, of course, had no defense of
the kind: it was his business to be
slaughtered.
The situation in this regard, how
ever, is now radically altered. Armor
is cheap. Suits of mail of the ancient
kind could be made today at small cost
stamped out of steel plates by ma
chinery, by the thousand, in styles and
sizes to meet the market demand. It
would not be worth while, as in old
times, for the wealthy man lo employ
a professional armorer to supply him
with metal clothing of up-to-date pat
tern. In these .days it is the common
soldier who needs armor, and, thanks
to modern mechanical improvements, he
can be provided with it at an expense
of only a few dollars a suit.
EZRA B. HARRISON DIES
Soldier, Teaclier and Government
Employe Succumbs at Farm.
On January 31 Ezra B. Harrison
died after a stroke of apoplexy at his
home near Oregon City.
Mr. Harrison was born in Mount
Pleasant, Pa. When a young man he
joined the Army and came West. He
served until wounded. losing the use
of his right arm by a gunshot.
Afterward he came to Oregon, where
he taught school in various parts of
the state, and in 18S5 was the first
man appointed from Oregon under
civil service to a Government position
in Washington, D. C. He held this
position until 1913. when he returned
to his farm near Oregon City, where
he lived until his death.
He is survived by his widow and
five children Arthur P. Harrison.
Washington. D. C; Aryan Y. Harrison,
Baltimore, Md.; Lloyd Harrison, a mid
shipman aX Annapolis Naval Academy:
Harold and Helen, living with their
mother near Oregon City.
Rate Reduction Date Extended.
KLAMATH FALLS. Or., Feb. 10.
(Special.) Secretary Fred Fleet, of the
Klamath Commercial Club, has heard
from Y. R. Bishop, of the firm of
Bishop & Bahler, attorneys, of San
Francisco, that the California Railroad
Commission has given notice that it
bad extended the effective date of the
order reducing freight rates from Feb
ruary 4 to February 19.
Hermiston Asks for Road.
PENDLETON, Or.. Feb. 10. (Spe
cial.) A body of Hermiston business
men appeared before the Umatilla
County Court Thursday and petitioned
for a road south from that city to
Hlnkle and into the Meadows country.
There is some objection to this road
from Stanfield and Echo, but the Her
miston residents contend these objec
tions are purely selfish.