The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-15

the engineer.
Its running free already" growled
the navigator.
The wardroom mess of the Aneri-
can cruiser were at breakfast, and the
hum of their conversation drifted I'D
through the skylight with the odor of
the good things that the naval officer
finds for hfs table in so civilized a port
as San Francisco.
The paymaster was in an argumenta-
tive mood, which was not unusua. for
a man who had pronounced views on
all things, from the advanced method
of polishing brass-work to the latest
doctrines Of Empirical Psychology"
and when he had his talking-tacks
aboard his mess-mates looked for fun.
LOOK at the activity in her dock
yards" he was saying: ''look at her
purchase of transports; look at her
mobilization of troops! AS sure as this
is the twentieth century, Japan wants
the Hawaiian Islands and the Philip
pines, and is going to fight for them."
"Well, if she does, old man. said
Jack Bowers, the senior watch, well
simply own a few more Asian archi-
pelagoes."
81 doubt it." replied the paymaster.
eff this war comes, we're going to get
the only licking we ever had"
A chorus of indignant groans greeted
this.
ooh, it's very well to groan," he went
on: "but let me tell You that the Jap
anese have engines of warfare that you
don't even dream off,
''They can certainly fight" said the
engineer. Russia learned that"
There is no other country on earth
with Japan's knowledge of advanced
electricity and the higher mechanics"
went on the paymaster. "Her mechan-
ical experts are simply marvels. Why,
their discoveries and inventions are al
most beyond belief.
When / was in Japan I made a
great friend of a native scientist, who
simply laughed at Maxim's aeroplane
and Langley's steam-motor when I
spoke of our fiying-machines. It seems
that Serakichi, a remarkable chemist
over there, has devoted the last ten
years to inventing new compounds and
contrivances for the sole use of the
government in wartime. My friend
took me on a fifty-nile drive back in
to the country, and from the hilltop
we could see his works ten miles away.
A magnificent collection of foundries,
smithies, and machine-shops were
smoking at a great rate, and we could
distinctly hear the roar of the i'm
mense FORCES from where we were
standing"
why didn't you go in and look
around bit?'' asked the junior watch.
Because, my friend" was the an
swer, given with some asperity, there
was a scowling little Jap soldier on
guard. who poked his snickersnee at
us and told us to get out of that"
ST didn't know you understood Jap
anese,' remarked the engineer.
ST didn't have to- said the paymas-
ter.
We'll, what's all that got to do with
these high old fiying-machinos that
you were talking up just now?"
Simply this: Sorakichi has evolv- |
"a an airship that makes thirty knots |
against the wind and is perfectly con-
,rollable.''
"Oh, yes,' laughed the engineer. 81
you proved it by taking ride
in one"
mo; but a great many other people |
nave proved it by observation" an |
swered the paymaster.
Yes? Where? In Tibet or the
Mountains of the Moon?''
I'm the United States of America, /
not long ago. You may remember
when it looked as if we might have !
reports of mysterious airships
began coming in, first from various
Western towns, and then from differ
ent spots in the interior
Yes, and a lovely fake they turn
I'd out to be-" growled the executive.
Did they?" asked the paymaster.
newspapers dropped the subject after
being unable to find out anything
bout them. We do know this, how
ever-the airships began to appear
shortly after the arrival of the Jap
cruiser NanlWa Kan at the 1Olueu
cate; they appeared only at night, so
hat no one could inspect them crit
cally; and they were invariably seen
near one of our military depots, mod
srn forts, or masked batteries"
During the chaff over the paymas-
er's new dogmatism the. navigator
,ame in from the deck and took his
eat. well, old Adams marine mon
ter is coming down from Vallejo at
asst he said.
l.what's that?'' asked Chisei, the
title doctor who had recently joined.
Thankful s-Maine-classmate
# Bowers" explained the Junior
watch, hastily. stood first in 'math
nd languages, and was wooden IN
else. especially conduct
Resigned and blew out to emma
)rifted back two years ago, and been
uilding a monstrosity in a FaleJo
ockyard. Let's go and look at her.
The officers crowded up DO the quar-
erdeck and looked over the brilliant
anorama for the approaching stran-
er. Abeam Of the cruiser to port