Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-04

diately assured Of strong, resolute,
wise character, fully adequate to any
duty that might De imposed upon him.
His forehead is high and clear, and his
eyebrows are somewhat inclined 20
overharg his eyes, | could easily have
taken him for on admiral, who had
wcathered thousand gales and hun
dred fights.
About the first thing he said. how
ever. showed how much l would have
been mistaken In my surnise. II didn't
know thing about the duties of the
Office when I first came here" he said.
I've made them study. Ny profess
sion has accustomed me to get my sub
jccts, and 10 amsss and systematize In
formation. One Is obliged TO learn how
10 do that ia the law. Il was not long
before I cot knowledge enough of the
nature OF my duties 10 be aole TO attend
% them"
The principal subject OF your strdy
was ships. suppose2"
THE designing ard Building Of ships,
their armament and management, are
the substances of what hare To look
sfter. Matters 81 minor detail are left
IN u measure 20 my subordiDstcs, but
the direction Of everything belongs to
me. and the greater their Importance.
Inc more entirely, Of course, are they
usy basiEcss. Crniscr No. IL, Pr in
stance, was built according 10 my ideas
don't mean that drew the plans"
Tho work Of bril,iirg these shipa
taersS slow TO an outsider. Is there no
means ~ hurrying it-for instance. By
distributing the work 20 number OF
Errs. instead of giving It oil TO one7''
NO said the secretary. shaking
his head. ''Is would not be possible
for us to tern them out faster than we
nrc now doing. The works at Dethle-
hem. after delay Of four years, arc
now working NJ a rate more rapid than
Is the case at ~ foreign ship yards.
Their plant Il now perfected. after
many difficulties and disappointments,
and ut an immense cost. Very few firms
Ia the country can afford TO put so
much capital into plant and let IL re-
main unproductive Sd long. There
would es no gain ia cheapucss or
promFtuess were the work done by the
y.vernment-and the government, II
course. has no. the plant. A frrn which
g~ts a contract can sublcs parts OF iss
contract 60 other firms, a. its own risk
aud expense. Tbs delay has been. not
in the construction OF the vessels, but
N getting the arrnor. The Bethlehem
company has just begun 10 deliver the
ermor, at the rate 81 SEQ tons per
mouth. We also have y contract with
carnegie & Co. 20 deliver 500 tons a
~ firms abroad
us The quality II our srrnor - good
a. thas in England or elsewhercT'
"It "a bettcr-it il the best up 20 date.
" Is an alloy 81 nickel and steel. which
rces not crack. " receives the slot.
and seems - become homogeneous with
:. like a SNOWFALL thrown into snow
ban& r. Is recent invention. and.
frcu hat Point Of view. IL I. fortunate
hat rr we're delayed - long IN getting
s,~ arrnov. III Il hsd been delivered
twe years ago. as We exp~csesi. II would
have Keen nov On. ~ date. AZ a j..
orr arrsersd cruisers and hn~-of bsssie
ships will be sh- best u their kind in
thc world
.'fsss until sAes are cnnpistr--
"Unt1 tkev are ecmplfss. 80 ara
practically dsfessei~ss s<ssn<s aaT 80
ton thzf sstschs So :
Thea II Gaia
Yen ne, say this. sstd th> ss<rs-
tary siswiT. smpss.ixine ia ~eftSs
III yua are rnsax ~ write ssetss sfss
q
srsssa 49,. tAnae tke-~ sasiesss 1899 ksli@s'
- vsIeefsssss chllk. u 80 ks>f asssiss<a
~sr. woesd hs*r asa sssF rsssfe sssxS