Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-07-27

army officers was one which assumed the posi-
bity that the Japanese wete intending to land on
the Pacific coast. Over at Newport, Rhode Island.
the naval college had worked out the prob
lem which would confront the n&yy If the Japanese
feet had succeeded in reaching tSo Pacific coast
OF course there were two answers to the prob
lem and one involved the defeat and the scatter
ing of the Japanese ships. The army oGcers gave
consideration only to the condition which would
arise If the Japanese navy had overmatchea ours,
and the Japanese had succeeded in landing great
army on the Pacific coast:
In working out these war games, officers ire
detailed to represent the enemy and others to rep
resent the forces of this country. The moves
In the game watched and ump1res decide
which has the better of the matter. When the
game has been finished the various moves, it they
are deemed to be successful fror, the viewpoint of
America, become part of IT, Hans which are
recommended for adoption in (; :; the war game
becomes dire reality.
In the war and navy building there are naval
secrets. Once on 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 it was to the effect that
when our battleshtps were not heavily laden the
heavy armor plate above water and that con-
sequently part of the hull, the most vulnerable
part made fair and unprotected target for the
In making the comparison, the writer of the ar
ticle said that of the great British warships,
the one most recently launched and considered
the most formidable was protected by her heavy
arnorplate 40 matter whether she was heavy Ia
den or light laden. It was stated that this dread
naughts heavy armorplate extended below the wa
ter line at all times and the intimation was that
the statement could not be disproved.
AS as this article appeared inquiry was
made at the navy department concerning the truth
of the story that our ships were unprotected at
certain times by their heavy armorplate and that
the reverse WAS true of one 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 o: the written statement
It is probable that in all the navy departments
of the world there are photographs of the war.
ships of other nations. These are not hard to OBJ
tain for they are sale everywhere but there are
photographs taken under certain conditions which
not supposed to be in common circulation
Some Of these photographs show ships at dis.
advantage, and they of service to the naval
authorities Of countries which one day may en-.
gage In warfare. It is probable that 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 it's Sc.
crets, and while the show places in the structure
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 essenc.
The state department in perilous times has WORK
no less important than the work which falls to thu
lot of the army and navy.