Gilpin observer., 1910-07-21

army officers which assumed the posi-
blity that the Japanese were intending to land on
the Pacific coast Over at Newport, Rhode Island.
the naval war college had worked out the prob
lem which would confront the navy If the Japanese
fleet had succeeded in reaching the Pacific coast.
or course there were two answers to the prob
lem and one involved the defeat and the scatter
ing of the japanese ships. The army officers gave
consideration only to the condition which would
arise If the Japanese navy had overmatched ours.
and the Japanese had succeeded in landing great
army the Pacific coast
In working out these war games officers are
detailed TO represent the enemy and others rep
resent the forces Of this country. The moves
In the game are watched and umpires decide
which has the better of the matter When the
game has been finished the various moves, IL they
are deemed to be successful from the viewpoint of
America, become part of the plans which
recommended for adoption in case the war game
becomes dire reality.
In the war and navy building there are naval
secrets. Once time magazine contained an
article which said In effect there had been great
mistakes in the building of our battleships and
cruisers. The article met with some approval and
some disapproval at the hands of the naval ex-
perts. One statement In 1t to the effect that
when our battleshfps not heavily laden the
heavy armor plate was above water and that con-
sequently part of the hull, the most vulnerable
part made fair and unprotected target for the
enemy's guns
In making the comparison the writer of the ar
ucle said that one of the great British warships
the one most recently launched and considered
the most formidable, was protected by her heavy
arinorplate no matter whether she was heavy la
den or light laden 1t stated that this dread
naughts heavy armorplate extended below the wa
ter line at all times and the intimation that
the statement could not be disproved
AS soon as this article appeared inquiry was
made at the navy department concerning the truth
of the story that ships were unprotected at
certain times by their heavy armorplate and that
the reverse was true of of the British dread
naughts.
From a dark recess in vault there was
brought forth photograph which had been Sc
cured of the British ship which had been used for
the comparison. The photograph took all the
strength out of the written statement
1t is probable that In all the navy departments
OF the world there photographs OF the
ships of other nations These not hard to OBJ
tain for they on sale everywhere but there are
photographs taken under certain conditions which
are not supposed to be in common circulation
Some of these photographs show ships at a dis
advantage and they Of service to the naval
authorities of countries which one day may en-
gage in warfare. It is probable that a good supply
of photographs OF this kind taken of foreign YES
sells is In the possession of the United States au
thorities.
The state. war and navy building has its Sc
crets and while the show places In the structure
are not many, there is sense Of interest and
mystery which appeals to the visitors when they
wander through the corridors. nj time of war this
building is the scene OF the greatest activity, for
the three departments which It houses are those
which have to do with warfare In its very essence
The state department In perilous times has a work
no less Important than the work which falls to the
lot of the army and navy.