The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-04-07
away from the expedition led tho. In
pursuit OF IL straight 10 spring.
Pershlns Won His Way.
Much has been written and printed

about Brig. Gen. john ]. Pershins.
United States army. the commander in
chief of the punitive expedition sent
across the border into Mexico To round
up Francisco Villa and his followers.
Many Of the things which he has ac-
complished as soldier have been
printed, but there are some things
which seem 10 have been overlooked
by the record searchers.
No one seems 10 have given as yet
the exact circumstances connected
with Pershing's coup I'm the Philip
pines, by which he won his star rs a
brigadier general. He was captain of
cavalry and he happened TO be near
the Lake lanao counsy with his
troop at time when there were no
officers OF superior rank present. al.
though there was "A considerable body
OF troops in the immediate vicinity.
In the section OF the country in
which Pershing was stationed there
was some cavalry, some infantry, and
If memory is all right, some field ar.
tillerymen. There were troops enough
there OF the different branches TO
form. when combined, a miniature bri-
gade. There were the elements pres
ent necessary for mixed brigade. but
there were not troops enough 20 make
il proper In n military sense 10 call
the assemblage brigade.
However. il was brigade in form.
and Pershing happened 10 be senior
captain present. In the absence OF
majors, lieutenant colonels and col
onels he therefore became the com
manding officer OF what. for courtesy's
sake, was called a brigade. lie took
his troops, cayalrymen. infantrymen
, and artillerymen into the Lake Lanao
district and there fought hard fight
and cleaned up what was "A very dirty
situation, or at least so one might ex-
press IL from "A military point or view.
Following this exploit Theodore
Roosevelt. who was then president OF
the United States. mentioned Perish
ings name in "A message TO congress.
saying Mat he wished that he could
promote the captain 10 "A majority or
a lieutenant colonelcv, in order TO
show appreciation of his fine service
in the Philippines.
The law is such that the president
OF the United States cannot promote
an officer except TO the grade OF brig
adler general When the opportunity
came, Roosevelt promoted Captain
Pershing and made him Brigadier Gen
eral Pershing.
Controversy over Submarines.
A controversy still IL waging In ma
val circles and in legislative circles
concerning the usefulness OF sub
marines. AS has been pointed out be-
fore in Washington dispatches. there
is a wide difference OF opinion among
the members OF the senate naval com
mittee over this submarine matter.
The chairman OF the committee IL In
said favors submarines at the expense
of dreadnaughts. while most OF the
members take issue with the chairman
and favor dreadnaughts at the ex-
pense OF submarines.
For year and five months now this
submarine matter has been causing
disputes In congress and in the Ameri-
can navy. In September, 1914, "A Ger
man submarine, the U.9. performed q
feat which astonished navy men all
over the world The U.9 went a long
distance from its base and sunk three
second-line enemy cruisers. At that
time II was said that upon the report
OF the captain OF the U-9 when II final
~ was turned in might depend the fu-
lures OF the navies OF the world.
Some time ago, after the exploit OF
the U-9. IL was reported on seemingly
good authority that one OF the under
the-sea boats had made a voyage from
the vicinity OF the North sea TO the
BOsporus without replenishing its
fuel This feat was 50 much more ex-
traordinary than the voyage OF the u
that naval officers I'm America began
TO believe that dreadnaughts were TO
be done away with for all time and
that the future nayies would consist
principally of speedy battleship cruis-
ere and OF an enormous number OF
submarines.
Then all at once there came stories
that the British navy authorities had
found means which were effective TO
Offset the attacks OF submarines and
moreover to cut short the career OF
tho under-the-sea boats before they
could get In their deadly work. Then
the American authorities, naval and
legislative, had 20 study the subject all
over again. They tried hard TO get the
truth concerning the British reports as
they tried hard 90 get the truth con
cerning the reports which came from
Germany. The stories have been 80
conflicting that the camps are about
equally divided today between the
submarine advocates and the dread
naught advocates.
Many Experiments Made.
All sorts OF experiments have been
made by the naval authorities or the'l
world TO protect warships from under
n e-sea torpedo attacks. No one 1
knows definitely. as has been intimat.