The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-06
GUARDING NAv.\E SECRETS.
Prevails Throughout British,
Admiralty. from Churchill Down.

The recent appointment of Mr..
Wlnton Churchill to be head Of the
admiralty recalls the fact that there
IS no more jealously-guarded DEPART
ment than hat over which IL now
holds sway. The head of the navy is
the most reticent man in the cabinet
--When question time around.
an answer is given you
nay be quite sure that is doesn't
give Very much away.
All new ships are built with the
greatest secrecy possible. To begin
with. every man who is employed. in
whatever capacity, on a new warship.
mas TO take an oath that he will new
er reveal anything he nay learn. No
outsider is allowed anywhere near
the building yards. When the first
dreadnought was being built, for in
stance. the great vessel was guarded
so jealousy that no one. save those
actually employed on her, were all
owe within forty yards. To show
how strictly this order was carried
out. two post captains of the navy. in
uniform, were turned back by the po-
lice and private detectives on guard.
Each workman is detailed off to do
ms own particular share, n he is
not allowed in any other department
OF II buildings yards unless he car
rles a special pass for hat
Men who wander into other depart
n1ents without this permission are dis
missed instantancously.
SO closely are the new vessels
watched that. as a general rule( the
various workshops are guarded by
special armored fircproof doors. The
Keys of these doors are always in
charge of high officials who are re-
sponsible for the opening and shut
ting of them. Whenever the doors
are opened an entry is made in a
BOOK for the purpose. stating who
opened the doors, why he opened
them. and the time of doing so.
The actual plans of a new battle
ship are the most carefully guarded
of all the admiralty's secrets. They
are kept in rooms which rival any
strong-room of n bank. The draughts-
men have the whole plans in
their possession. Parts are given out
at Il time to different men. and ev-
cry draushtsman is carefully watched
in order that he can take no COPY of
the part of the plan in front Of him.
SO we'll are the complete plans di-
vided UP that ven if three or four
men agreed to act together they
would be unable to find out much
about E%ngland's latest dreadnought.
Whenever any portion of the plans
goes out of the strong-room it's move
ments are rs carefully watched and
checked as those Of the keys referred
to above.
Even when Il vessel is commission
ed there arc many secrets hidden
from the hluejackets themselves. 1t
is Known. for example. that t]orpedocs
carry on their heads a special appa-
ratus capable of cutting through the
strongest steel nets ever made. But
the ~blueiackets Of the torpedo branch
know nothing about this ingenious
c~ontrivancc. The secret is locked in
the captains cabin. ready for use in
time of war.
Visitors don't see much when they
&C on board one of his majesty's bat
tleships. The bluejacket who is show
ing you round is as. affable as posi-
BILE about the weather and other in
nocent subjects. But if he suspects
you are trying to pump him. then
all his genial name disappears at
once. When the German emperor
visited Gibraltar a few years ago the
greatest precautions We're quietly taxi
en-. in the politest possible way. to
prevent members Of the kaiser's suite
seeing too much. Sentries were plac-
ed at all sorts of odd n on
board all the men-of-war. Every
part Of the vessels was carefully
guarded, and more than one German
officer who had wandered" below
was politely shown the way up to
deck against.