The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-05
AMERICAN CONSUL
WAS IN DANGER
Gordon Paddock, Stationed at Tabriz
Was Within Close Proximity to
Target of Russian Artil-
lery Fire

Target of Russian Artll-
lery Fire.
London, Feb. 5.--The American consul
at Tabriz, Mr.. Gordon Paddock, had a
decidedly exciting times during the re-
cent fighting between Russians and Per-
slams there, according to letter from
an old resident which has just reached
London.
The American consulate is just in
the shadow of the old citadel, popular
ly called the ARK" The Ark was
one of the principal targets for the Rus
sian artillery fire, and it was shelled
hotly for several days, Many shells
burst over the consulate buildings and
around Mr.. Paddock's house, but for
tunately 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 serv-
ice 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 cruis-
ers ''Variag" and Korietzp were sunk
by the japanese at the beginning of the
Russo Japanese war. He saw the de-
barkation of the Japanese forces; was
afterward at Hardin in the times when
il was unsafe for white man to ven
ture into the STREETS after dark. and
in Mukden witnessed the most STIR
ing days of the reconstruction" of Man
churia.
This letter, which came by the first
mail to leave Tabriz after the fighting,
contains interesting news of the situa-
ton there.
"A good many bodies of Russian sol
diers were mutilated by the Persian
Fedais," says the writer, "but there is
no evidence so far as / can discover,
that there were any cases of torture,
although the Russians insist that there
were. A good many n-combatants
were killed or wounded-how many is
unknown--as might be expected in street
fighting in 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 a massacre of inno-
cent women and children by the Rus
SLAMS. In fact, they took women and
children as refugees into their camp
during the fighting.
Russian soldiers have done some loot
ing and robbing, and they do not seem
to be under perfect discipline. But
since the arrival of the commanding
general that has been pretty well sup
pressed, except that the Russian au-
4
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 the
hanging on the first instant of some of
the prominent constitutionalists here,
and the method of doing it was not too
civilized. The execution of Sigat-ul.
Islam, noted parsonage, and of Iiah-
Ill Uliman, late chief justice, has caused
much comment.
The new battleship, the keel of which |
was recently laid at Portsmouth dock |
yard, the first of the five armored ships |
of the l9ll-l9l2 programme, will be
known as the secret ship 1t is gem
erally known that she is to be the larg-
G st battleship built for the British navy, !
that she is to have an anti-torpedo bat !
terry of six inch instead OF four inch |
guns, as in older ships, and that there
is to be a great improvement in the |
to prevent sinking in case
she is torpedoed. Beyond this, however,
the admiralty are introducing changes
which are to remain a secret for the |
time being at least.
Usually the laying of the first keel |
plate is attended with some ceremony !
and naval attaches and others are in |
vited. On this occasion, however, only |
the dockyard officials, Miss Evelyn |
Moore, daughter of Admiral Sir Arthur
Moore, who performed the ceremony, |
and few ladies were present. News
papermen and photographers were rigor
DGsly excluded. The ship is to be COM
plcted in two years, but it is quite like
w that she will be ready for service |
before that time. Immediately her first |
plate was laid. workmen commenced put
ting other plates in position, so that
before the afternoon had passed, the YES
sci commenced to take shape. In fact,
4 great deal Of the material was ready
before the actual work Of construction
DIR. Fletcher. the dietetic expert, who
has been stopping in Copenhagen, has
finished a course of living on potatoes
md margarine. which lasted fifty-eight
lays. The object was to prove that
nan can live comfortably and do
reasonable amount of work on diet
ii potatoes plus a small amount of
nitrogen or protein. One thousand five
hundred drachms of potatoes per day
md 250 draehms of protein constituted
he entire nourishment which DIR. Fletch-
n took.
The American minister to Denmark.
Dr. NJ F. Eagan, has been observing
experiments in the laboratory of Dr.
on the results of various veg
table diets. The tests made by Dr.
were similar to ones made at
TALE. DIR. Egan proposes to send re-
,ort of his observations to his gov