Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-02-03
AMERICAN HAD
EXCITING TINE
DURING BATTLE
Consulate at Tabriz Was
Target for Russian
Artillery
New British Batt|eship Will
Be Known as the
Secret Ship
BY Associated Press.

BY Associate Press.
LONDON, Feb. 3.-The American
Consul at Tabriz, Mr.. Gordon Pad
dock, had a decidedly exciting time
during the recent fighting between
Russians and Persians there, accord.
ing to letter from an old RESIDENT
which has just reached London.
The America Consulate in just in
the shadows of the old citadel, popu-
larly called the Ark" The Ark was
one of the principal targets for the
Russian artillery fire, and it was
shelled holly for several days. Many
shells burst over the consulate build
ings and around Mr. Paddock's house,
but fortunately no one was injured,
and the principal damage was the
destruction of the flagstaff from
which the stars and stripes were
flying.
During ten years in the consular
service Mr.. Paddock has been a
spectator of many interesting events
in far parts of the world He was
stationed some years at Seoul, in
Korea, and there witnessed the naval
battle when the Russian cruisers
"Variag" and Korietz" were sunk
by the Japanese at the beginning Of
the Russo-Japanese war He saw
the debarkation of the Japanese
forces; was afterward at Hardin in
the times when it was unsafe for a
white man to venture into the streets
after dark, and in Mukden witnessed
the most stirring days of the recon
struction" of Manchuria. ,
This letter which came by the first
mail to leave Tabriz after the fight.
ing, contains interesting news of the
situation there.
"A good many bodies of Russian
soldiers were mutilated by the Per-
sian Fedais," says the wrighter, "but
there is no evidence, 50 far as can
discover, that there were any cases
Of torture, although the Russians in
sist that there were. A good many
non-combatants were killed and woun.
ded-how many is unknown-as
might be expected in street. fighting
in a walled town like this. Some
were killed in the Russian attacks
on the houses occupied by the Fedais,
near the Russian camp, but there
was no such thing as massacre Of
innocent women and children by the
Russians. In fact. they took women
and children as refugees into their
camp during the fighting.
Russian soldiers have done some
looting and robbing, and they do not
seem to be under perfect discipline.
But since the arrival Of the CON-
handing general that has been pretty
we'll suppressed, except that the
Russian authorities have destroyed a
good many houses of leaders of the
Nationalist party; in other words, of
the recognized government before this
affair. The worst feature of the
matter from non-political viewpoint
seems to be ne hanging on the first
instant of some of the prominent
constitutionalists here, and the
method of doing it was not too civil
lized. The execution of Sigat-ul-
Islam, noted parsonage, and Of
Ziahul4Uliman, late Chief JusticeI
has caused much comment.
The new battleship, the keel Of
which was recently laid at Ports
mouth dock yard, the first Of the five
armored ships of the 1911I1912 pro-
gram. will be known as the "secret
ship" 1t is; generally known that
she is to be the largest battleship
built for the British navy, that she
Is to have an anti-torpedo battery of
sixlinch instead of fourinch guns,
as in older ships, and that there is
to be great improvement in the
compartments to prevent sinking in
case she is torpedoed. Beyond this,
however, the admiralty are introduc-
ing changes which are to remain a
secre for he time being at least.
Usually the laying of the first keel
plate is attended WITH some ceremony
and naval attaches and others are in.
vNed. On this occasion, however,
only the dock yard officials, Miss
Evelyn Moore, daughter of Admiral
Sir Arthur Moore, who performed the
ceremony, and a. few ladies were
present. Newspaper men and photog-
raphers were vigorously excluded The
ship is to be completed in two years
blu it is quite likely that she will be
ready before that time. Immediately
her first plate was laid workmen
putting other plates in
position, so that before the afternoon
had passed the vessel commenced to-
lake shape. In fact, great deal of
the material was ready before the
actual work Of construction COM
DR.. Fletcher. the dietic expert, who
has been stopping in Copenhagen,
las finished a course Of living on
and margarine, which lasted |
IS days. The object was to prove |
hat a man can live comfortably and
10 a reasonable amount of work on |
diet of potatoes plus small amount
II nitrogen or protein One thousand
I've hundred drachms of potatoes per |
lay and $50 drachms Of protein con-