The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-08-22

shop. Her young commander stood |
alongside and proudly. : pointed out
some Of her attractions. From his
transparent enthusiasm she might have
been a pleasure yacht instead of the
vehicfespf the most dangerous forns-7of
adventure that fighting -henS undertake
g Of course we. are not in the same
class with Horton and Hofhrook, '1.he
explained, .Ebut Il hope yon will hear
something from x Seventeen, point
ing to the number painted on the tur-
ret He observed also that this thing
could submerge in 20 seconds.
From this largest shipbuildlng sta
ton in the world, with its miles Of
smoking factories and with its rever-
berating clangor of thousands Of ham,
mers ringing upon steel, the party trav-
eled over night to the most extensive
naval base in the world. This was a
place where ships run in for repairs
for oil which is almost the only fuel
stores. Here they are replenished, re-
fitted, .repainted frequently, and then
disappear into the mists of the North
sea, of which~a typical one was en-
countered on the morning of this visit.
The shipbuilding district was a realm
of private enterprises, factories and
yards where rich firms carry on their
own work independently and with no
-visable traditions of discipline, and no
$outward signs Of professional comrade-
ship, except perhaps in : the: luxurious
offices decorated with models of dead
and gone ships. dating from eras of
wooden and iron hulls, where the di
rectors entertain their friends in peace
ful times and by brief but earnest
after lunch speech gave unneeded as
suranees they were: working as hard as
the men who wear gold braid.
The naval yards present an aspect of
their. own. Their whole area and their
activities certainly are as diverse as
those Of the shipbui1ding community,
but all is under one management. and
oneedirecting brain. - There is much
more to naval organization than meets
the eye in the big feet putting to sea,
and the shore force has it's all important
work even if less spectacular. and less
appreciated than that of the fighting
men. The naval captain in actual con-
troll of this establishment invented the
remarkably complex spotting system
which governs the fire Of ships in ac
ton, and probably he and the officers
of his staff draw pay which is a mere
fraction Of the salaries commanded by
the superintendent of a ship founder IS
yard, if the financial recognition gov
ernments give their naval officers can
be called pay.
Two years ago this was a great naval
base, according to reputation, but now
its extent and the array of docks and
shops and barracks has been so multi
piled as to make it a truly vast one
The force of skilled and common
workmen is larger than can be kept at
constant employment for they must be
able to grapple with emergencies and
with quick operations on a big scale
Wireless is a great aid. Every
ron coming into port telegraphs its
needs, even the humble submarine does
the same. The materials and the men
4bo
ply ships when. the fighting craft ap-
pear. There was an example on view.
One of the most massive and swiftest
warships in being was shored up inside
a drydock, and that necessarily one of
the largest docks constructed, to have
her hull seaboard. Incidentally advan-
tage was taken of the time, as is Gus
tomary, for thorough overhauling of
every detail of the ships machinery
from keel to topmasts. Fifteen inch
guns, turret machinery, every detach
able or movable fragment of the whole
complex creation was being. detached,
fanf inspected, scrutinized, tinkered,
polished and oiled.e- Several. hundred
workmen were engaged. Milessof wires
were strewn above decks. and between
dicks, apparently in hopeless tangles,
but the expert workers handling them
knew what all the ordered confusion
meant. The plain citizen who wraHg-
les to achieve a modest rectifica ton of
telephone wire gone wrong would
here find cause for prayerful wonder.
Doubtless all navies do the same
thing, but one gathered the impression
that it is about the ultimate illus+ra-
ton of efficiency in complicated and
concentrated work. Through it AL the
sailor man displayed' his adaptibility to
sleep ineimpossible places and positions
under impossible circumstances.
! The trip included a view of Beatty 5
battleship squadron. There they were
and that is about all that can be
said. They were prepared to steam for
faction. at, five minutes notice, and. they
did not care to steam for action with
cargo of newspaper men-and na