Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-02-13
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GOSSIP


III tHe SCieuttuc AMERICAN makes re-
ply to the charges against the Ameri-
can Navy contained in the Mcclure
article by Artist Reuterdahl The first
article aims to show that the various
boards which have determined the
characteristics of the American Navy
have had a majority of their member
ship composed of sea-going officers,
contrary to the statement made by
Reuterdahl. The second one contra
diets the statement that none of our
battle ships has its main armor belt 6
inches above the water when fully
equipped. 1t is asserted that our ves-
sells show from Is inches to II feet 9
inches of armor belt above the water
line when fully equipped. AS to the
alleged low freeboard of our ships. the
Scientific American points out that.
with the single exception OF the Dread
naught, there is not ship in the Brit
ish Navy with the forward deck 2S feet
high. AS to the broadside guns, the
writer holds that they are as high as
similar guns in the German and Japa-
nese navies, and from = to AZ feet
higher than those of some of the mod
ern British battle ships. The writer
concludes that American ships in the
matter of heavy armor are ton for ton
superior to the ships of other navies.
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The results of exhaustive expert
ments conducted by the Bureau of
Chemistry of the Department of Agri-
culture to determine the poisonous ef-
feet of such drugs as boraX benZoic
acid, benZoate of soda, sulphate OF
copper, sulphur dioXide, formaldehyde
and salicylic acid when used as pre-
servatives in foodstuffs have been out
lined before the House Committee on
Agriculture by DR.. Ii. w. Wiley, chief
of the bureau. The main conclusion
is that the expulsion of these and kim
dred drugs from the body shortenS the
term of the average mans life in the
United States, and that kidney dis
ease so prevalent among Americans,
is largely the result of constant intro
ductiOn into the system of such sub
stances. Dr. Wiley told the commit
tee he had discovered that salt solu-
ton was a perfect substitute for sui
phur in the whitening and drying Of
fruit, and he exhibited samples of ap-
pies so dried to prove his statement.
DR.. j. Walter FewkeS an inveStiga-
tor employed by the Bureau of Eth
nology, who has been looking into the
origin of the first inhabitants of the
Island of Porto Rico, now reports his
conclusion that the West Indies were
formerly connected with South Ameri-
ca, whence came the primitive Carrib-
cans to Porto Rico, and not from Yu-
catan, Florida or elsewhere, as held
by the scientists who accept the the
DRY OF a prehistoric island extending
almost across the Atlantic Ocean from
the caribbean Sea to Africa. This IA
bled Atlantis, now supposed to have
been submerged in some change in the
earth's crust, has served as the hypo-
thesis to account for immigrations of
primitive man, mammals and plants
from the Old World to the New, thus
accounting for the ruins of Egyptian
pyramids ard architecture in Yucatan.
DR.. Fewk~ virtually skaters this the
DRY by asserting that the ridge of the
Antilles extends from north to south
instead of from east to west.
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be removed is again recommended in
the report of Secretary of War Taft
on the Philippine Islands. This course.
he says, is necessary in order to have
these Industries attain their former
prosperous condition, and he believes
that the removal of the duty would not
injure any American interest nor af-
feet the prices of sugar and tobacco
in this country. lie also urges Con-
gress to remove the present reStric-
tions on the acquisition of mining
claims to authorize the iDsular gov
eminent to conduct an agricultural.
bank, and that our coastwise laws be
made inapplicable to trade between
the United States and Philippine
ports. The President concurs in the
Taft recommendations and gives espe-
cial praise to Governor Smith and his
associates for their conduct of affairs
in the Philippines.
-
William J. Bryan appeared before
the House Committee on Election OF
President and Vice President for the
purpose Of urging TIE passage of bill
providing FOR publicity of campaign
contributions to the political parties
He took the ground that all argu-
ments used in elections should be used
publicly, and all means employed to &C.
cure the election of or to defeat can
didate should be means which the one
using them would not be ashamed to
have the world know. He insisted
that the most important thing TO ba
done was to make the campaign con-
tribution known before the election.
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Secretary Cortelyou made It known
that he would begin at once the with
drawal of the government funds from
various bank depositaries in order to
replenish the working cash balance of
the treasury This action is taken
after hearing from the bankers in all
parts of the country, most Of whom
say that the stringency is now thing
of the past The Withdrawals may
amount TO S20,OOO.OOO or S25,0G0,O00.
The first call for $10,000,000 has been
made upon the New York banks
The Navy Department has an
nounced the first step in an expert.
ment designated to demonstrate the
utility of the submarine in naval war
fare by transporting to the Pacific two
of the smaller type of submarines on
GOLFERS, so as to join the feet there.
If that is successful, the larger SUBJ
marines will be handled in the same
way. The Shark and the Porpoise
have been selected for the test. They
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