The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-23

 Mir. Barber's intention to fiil 1t with his collection of relics and curicsitfes and open 1t as a museum to residents and visitors free of charge.
 A few weeks ago in making some necessary alterations some of the flooring and walls were uncovered with the result that number of very sn- tercsting LoyaIist inscriptions and relics were discovered. proving that the house had been hiding place for the followers ofFthe Stuarts during the rule of Oliver Cromwell.
 When Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll learned Of the discoveries she at once called on Mir. Barber and ex- plored the house.
 As she left she iaughingiy turned on the ex-Mayor and said. You positive iy must charge all American and other visitors an admission fee of one sfiii- ling and hand the receipts over te the Soldiers Orphans Charities.'
 This MT. Barber has now decided to do at any rate for this coming summer.
 wcnN Decrease Estimates.
 The British Cabinet has abandoned its decision te decrease the Naval esti- mates for the coming year. As the re- suit of pressure brought by Admiral Sir John Fisher and of the alarmist agitation against Germany. the Naval estimates will not only not be cut down, but will be- considerably augmented The only reduction of expenditures will be on the Army, but this reduction win be more than obifterated by the coming increase of expenditure on the fleet. The decision was tsrongiy opposed in the Cabinet Only a short time . ago. Foreign Minister, Sir Edward Grey. ridicuied the idea that naval expendi- ture revived agitation for more ships, and told the citizens of London that they might sleep safely in their beds.
 The advocates of economy ridicule the so-ca1led German Peril, and de- ciares that the recent German program Is unrealszable owing to the condition of German financfes and the slowness of her building system.
 At present, Engiand's navy is four times stronger than Germany's ana constitutes . three-power standard, aI- though live years ago when the Rus sian fleet was a threatening reality q two-power standard was deemed suf- ficient. as
 A probable secondary cause of the Cabinet's decision is the Czar's attempt to force the Duina vast program en- tailing~the expenditure of a million and a quarter dollars. This scheme will be persisted in even if the, Duma re- Jects. it. but no one familiar with the state of the Russian Admiralty be- Keves that 1t wIlI become a reality ,withinxa reasonably. distant future. It is regarded as the project of the Czar himself and his immediate clique who always regarded Admiralty activity as a source from which to i'll their own pockets. 3E
 More than usual activity is being displayed in the training and exercis- ing. of Engiansiia fleet. A remarkable experiment has just been carried out in order to determine the readffess of the Home Fleet for unexpected war. Within one hour. a buEle-biast signal at Portsmouth. the fifty-two ships com. posing the Portsmouth division of the feet were manned with their shore con- tingents and ready to put to sea.
 Under normal conditions each of these ships has three-fifths of its crew, and practically ali its officers on board. The remaining two-fifthe to the number of four thousand live in barracks on shore. Tho bngie signal was given at eight o'clock and by nine four thousand men had marched two miles to the harbor with their baggage taken on board, and gone to their war station. Every man was aware of his exact po- sition. Within another hour all the men were back in barracks and the ships demorslixed.