The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-10-10
Rear Admiral Reaches Three Score
and Ten Years and Feels as
Good as When He Was
But IS.
HAPPY AS SCHOOL BOY
Does Not Believe the American Navy
Can be TruthfulIy Called
Bluff After What it
Has Done.
LGate CITY Leased Wire service.l

[Gate City Leased Wire Service.1
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9.-'I congrat-
ulate the American people upon their
wonderful growth, their great pros
perity and upon the tremendous pro-
gress that they have made in the
years during which | have been per-
mitted to see it," This is the greet
ing which Rear Admiral Winfield
Scott Schley, hero of the battle of
Santiago, sends to his countrymen on
this, his SEVENTEEN birthday.
When seen tonight by a United
Press representative, the admiral
seemed to be as happy as school
boy on vacation and as spry as any
one twenty wears his junior.
brilliant autumn day was vouchc-
safed him for his birthday. Com
menting on this ne said:
There is sunshine without and sun
shine Within touching his breast
Il am seventy years old today, but
do not feel it, nor do let the fact
worry me. never did believe in DR..
/ Oser and his theories. | am rot so
/ good in some respects as I was at 25,
but in others, perhaps I am better"
The Navy, Bluff.
Referring to the recent speech of
4 former congressman Lands who in
Cincinnati, declared that the Ameri-
can navy was a bluff Admiral Schley
4 declared:
mo one has alright to apply the
4 term bluff to the American navy be-
cause it has delivered the goods. or
course | understand that Mr.. lands
had in mind the helplessness OF
navy without auxiliaries to supply
coal, etc. His remark vas meant
not as a criticism but rather as an
sdmcnition
ut is true that navy without
auxi]iaries would be like a body
without blood. We need them badly
and am heart 'ly in favor of anything
which will upbuild orr merchant ma
rine so that we can obtain them. I
am inclined to think that the PROPOSE
ton advanced by Senator Elkins is a
good one-make a reduction of a GER
tain per cent in the tariff on all goods
imported from abroad in American
vessels THAT should encourage the
building Of American ships and if this
was accompanied by the offer of lib
eral pay for carving the mails, | be-
lieve it would not be long before the
American flag would once more fy
over many q ship Of commerce.
so far as our navy itself is con-
cerned, there is none better in ships
and size in the world.
Il attributed my strength to a life
led in the open and one that has been
free from worry. | have never been
a drinker Neither was great eater.
Mine has been an active life he
declared
You know there are two kinds of
people in the world those who do
things and those who are always cuss-
ing because the others don't do it diT-
ferently | thank God have been
of the former class
An Arctic Authority.
Because of his experience in north
ern seas Admiral Schley is counted
an authority He has taken the posi-
, tion that both Cook and Peary reach
: ed the pole The Cook-Peary contro-
versy is somewhat similar to the
sampson-schley controversy, was sug-
, gested
+ There was no controversy so far
as was concerned he replied,
, quickly There is a parallel, how
y ever between the two. You have got
;. to play fair if you have the approval
of the American neonle,