Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-24
FOR PRAIRIE
SAILORS
PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING NAVAL
TRAINING STATION ON GREAT
LAKES.
HELP TO WEsTERNERs
Iowa Men Who Enlist in the Navy
Could Acquire knowledge of Sail
ing Before Going on the Ocean -
Plan is Favored by congressman.
lBY II. ]. MAHIN.l

[BY II. J. MAHIN.l
Washington, D. c., Nov. I'll AS
resultant development OF the move
ment started few days since in
bill providing for a naval training sta-
ton near Chicago. fresh water sailors
recruited from Iowa and other states :
of the vast middle west and tralneu
on the great lakes promise to become
a highly important factor i'll the Unit
ed States navy OF the future CON
gresham Cousins. Iowa's member OF
the naval affairs committee, declares
himself heartily in favor OF this move
ment and he will be strong factor
in the house in the party backing the
bill. e
Treaty Shuts Out Ships.
To aid in the development OF this
inland navy there is a strong feeling
in Washington that the Rush Bayou
treaty OF 1877 which limits TO almost
nothing the naval force of Great Brit
ain and the United States on the
great lakes. should be so revised that
war ships suitable for training pur-
poses should be permitted to cruise
on the inland seas where storms rise
enough to give the newest recruit
from Iowa or Illinois ample opportuni-
ty to acquire the sea habit"
Location Near Chicago.
1t has been recommended that the
new naval training station be situated
at Lake Bluff, thirty-two miles north
of Chicago on Lake Michigan. There
| is good harbor there for ships cut
tiers which are the limit for training
| facilities on the water unless this
Rush.Bagot treaty be revised. Both
Great Britain and the United States
are forbidden to have any fighting
/ ships on the lakes by the provisions
of this treaty. The rule OF course
4 was made TO fit time OF possible war
and unsettled conditions that does not
exist today.
There have been many efforts to
abrogate the Rush Bagot treaty. Ship
builders on the great lakes wish TO
Z have it effaced from the laws of the
two nations so that they can build
war ships for Uncle Sam inland and
float them out to the sea through the
st. Lawrence river One thing that
Mr.. cousins and his colleagues on the
naval committee may attempt to bring
about will be the RESTING of the joint
high commission which failed few
years ago to bring about any ADJUST
ment of the differences existing be-
tween Canada and the United States.
Station Would Do Much Good.
IL an arrangement to get the big
ships on the lakes is not made the
, naval training station will only afford
: the troops concentrated there training
which must necessarily be supplant
, ed by transportation to the seaboard
, and assignment to the North Atlantic
) training squadron. For troops to gel
| all the training necessary to fit them
: for duty on the great fighting SHIPS
1 before they leave the west is consider
e ed highly desirable. since as II is nov
!. it takes quite a time to fit marines fol
t real sea duty after they have left tnen
{ inland training schools.
/ Just before Senator Dolliver lef
S Fort Dodge this fall he bought horst
\ and decided to bring the animal witt
: him to Washington so that he conl'
get the use of it at the capital. A
u it is a fine animal the senator did no
y like to ship it in the regular way 81
he decided to take a whole car an
: have man to accompany the anima
:. AS the man and the horse did not fl
- more than half the car at the mos
= they filled up the other end OF tn
- car with about ten tons OF good low
+ hay. Mr. Dolliver did not realize jus
4 what a good thing he was doing 10
~ himself until he happened TO look u
n the price oil hay in Washington.
m is $22 ton here and those ten ton
Il were bought in Iowa for 50 a ton. Nc
% only will the entire expense of tn
T. transportation of the horse be paid fo
d by the difference but the senator wi
d. make little on the side.
% There is one good thing about TIL
lie judgeship contest" said an Iowa SCI
lie ator to an Iowa congressman the othe
h. day, Eve can not make much of a mi
<. take in our choice; all the candidate
$. are fine men,"
ell Yes" answered the congressma
I'd who will have his joke on every que
ton, and it is comfort to know thu
ID whoever is appointed will have the e.
e, dorsement of the supreme court
e. Iowa.
m There were good many duplic
s. tons in the endorsements given Il
candidates for the judgeship to sy
10 coed Judge Shiras but none more Ii
- ticeabe than that of the members
!. the supreme court. The court w;
~ exceedingly impartial in giving its e
~ dorsement and practically each al
~ every one OF the candidates is SO ia
10 ored.
-, - Y +
Goes From Bad to Worse.
Na4hi -r,nvc trun nj ,nncriDa tino II Il