Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-16
Quien Sabe
HIS COLYUM

There WAS 4 most compelling person around
yesterday selling me 4 tonne called THE Weak
er Vessels" or come such title anyway a book
full Of pictures Of the American Navy. \ sort
Of historical review of u navy we once had. of
course. bat with actual photographs If Scv-
eral ships We still have. strange as il may seem.
What with the screams If Baron r. Il. and
the other writing aud lccturing gentlemen uf
the gaw,iclrus S,huni. one gets rather confused
about whether ~ really have nny more navy.
IN such 4 moment III doubt il Nv soothing tn look
al 4 whole book NJ hwy. even though most ~
il j. ra>Sc. II ~ lu 4 relief 20 turn from
the latest submarine report in the daily paper
t. 4 big-as-lifc picture II our suprr-drrad-
naught Gncrraphubia passing under Brooklyn
Bridge. II would BE- a still greater relief il
We only knew that our dear. expensive super
dreddie NJ that moment was passing under
Brooklyn Bridge on her WAY To- the brooklyn
Navy Yard To go into dry dock. where the nasty
little sub-boats can't get at her. In these per
ilous times the safest place for the only navy
We have here j. in dry dock.
I;ut have we army enough ~ guard the dry
dock: Baron Theodore thundrrs the negative.
but | have 4 cloudy recollection ~ having seen
an awful III ~ army g%aIIopinG and trudging
about somewhere last summer and | am told
that they aren't doing anything much just now
| suppose thry could guard the d~ry-dock.
That idea II mine is really keen. l would
send it to the General Beard Of the Navy only
| recall from blood curdliug articles by Mr..
Henry Rcutcrdahl and MIR. Admiral NIahan that
a General Board j. another thing We ought To
have but haven't. Iut haven't We q Naval Con
sulting Board instead "a sort of Naval nuija
Board. you might call il. We have. | think |
shall send The idea IN u them.
After getting thr navy nicely duckcd, wiped
dry. and covered with \ linen slip-c"ver ~ keep
m the dew. NJ could turn The y. q. u. :.
into the Natural Guardians ~ the United States
Navy ~ simply adding y. There would IT,
quite 4 profit ia selling brass and bronze and
gold and silver NJ t. the y. q. 4. :. Pos
sibly l should have cinchrd the exclusive con
tract to furnish the final NJ before unwilling
the big idea. But | WAS AWAY impractical and
always will be-. except, Of courc, in Naval AZ
fairs.
Anyway | submit the idea for what il j.
worth. and. like Colonel Lewis. who thought up
the worlds best seller IN machine guns. ! ~
fer il u NY country AZ 4 gift. Doubtless il
Will ~ turned down ~ Colonel I.rwiS'S idea WAS.
and then I'M ~ zen ny idea " the British A.
H. did bis.
The idea ought ~ find 4 ready market IN
England. The Royal Navy would have right
now 4 fine lot - urcr-drcadnaughts that the
subbics have pinkcd for thcm-if they had
made use at The dry-docks they had nj Pen
zancc and Portsmouth and elsewhere. II they
had known in the beginning what they know
now: that YOU have got To- set a tuy-boat t.
catch . submarine. they would have laid M
their big boats where the police could guard
them.
Neither yuu nor ! would send uut little .Aggir
out ~ take The morning air through Ilolls-
Half Acre with Y thrcc-m million dollar diamond
necklace round her girlish neck. Vet that H.
what The British Admiralty did,. ID effect. and
they lost several times three million dollars
for their folly. That il the FOLLY ~ might cun-
criyably commit. il war with the Submarine
Empire should come. which il may in about two
weeks. In medic tutiSsismus hex. said our
college chum Horace. meaning the middle Is
the safest place for the goat. I'ut between thr
goat and q drcudnought there il q certain dis
similarity. Thr safest place for 4 dread
nought j. not IL The middle hut ~ the shore.
When news II the railroad strike came iu
M happened M think ~ the Iiu Grandr I;aiI
road and it- faithful employee. lose AyaIa. who
started tu work with thr read III thc year III
WAS built AMI uus ben working steadily ever
since. burning question: viii Jose AyaIa ~.
out: We arr afraid a. interview him. II JuSc
strike, il j. I'D 1T. There will D. ~ more usr
IN struggling a. live in 4 world gone suddenly
and completely mad.
~