THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
Application made April 1, 1918, at the postoffice at Nenana, Alaska.
for eniry as second class mail matter, unde? the Act of March 3, 1879.
“WHERE RAIL AND RIVER MEET”
Published every afternoon except Sunday, by the Nenana Printing
Company, at First and B Streets, Nenana, Alaska.
R. G. Southworth.Editor and Manager
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MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for re-pubii
cation of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also all the local news published herein.
A WAR PROBLEM
i
The problem of keeping the com
bat units of the United States army
up to full strength, or replacement
as it is technically termed, has been
a perplexing one to the military
authorities. The experience of the
French and British did not answer,
their systems of replacement are
based on different conditions than
those that confront our officers.
Both are fighting virtually at home
while we are overseas.
Originally it was planned to create
one Replacement Division for each |
corps. This was to be a fully equip
ped and organized division fed from
a depot division as men were drawn
from it to fill the combat divisions.
Theoretically this was perfect, but
problems of many kinds began to j
develop in practice. First in time'
of need is was seen that a com-1
pleted and trained division could
not lie idle but inevitably would be)
drawn into the combat troops, thus j
destroying the essential replacement
reserve.
Then came a question of per
sonnel and morale. A very high!
percentage of wounded soon are able t
to return to the front but, under!
the proposed system when they were J
discharged from hospital their origi-1
nal units were filled and they w’ere !
sent to strange commands. In this
way the spirit and loyalty that is
developed in each division, making
it a coherent body with character
istics all its own, wrere threatened.
Officers and men returning from
hospital went into the Replacement
Division and then might go where
chance sent them, into new regi-1
ments and new divisions, even into
new corps.
The military authorities soon saw
this was destructive of morale and
€rere then faced with an alternative
system. j
A recently' issued general order!
provides for a “Replacement Bat-,
talion” for each corps. This is to:
be under command ()£ the corps1
commander, its strength is not fixed I
but will vary as circumstances re
quire and it has only a small per-1
sonnel. As wounded officers and
men of class A are evacuated from
hospital they go to the Replacement1
Battalion of their original division j
and eventually find their way back j
home to their army family. Only j
when a division commander’s re- j
quisition exceeds the number of men |
of proper grade and arm originally j
belonging to his division do new
men find their way in.
The plan has been worked out
after a careful analysis of British
and French casualties with a view
to determining what percentage of
casualties are evacuated from hos
pital of class A, that is, men able
to return to combat troops, and
the army authorities believe that
for the present at least it will meet
the situation that had arisen. It
tends to pgrpetuate the unit per
sonnel and non-commissioned grades
will be to a certain extent filled
by promotion from within the di
vision itself.
*****
HUN CAMOUFLAGE
Long before Marshal Foch began
his brilliant counter offensive on
the Marne, the Germans had been
told that his reserves had been ex
hausted. This is shown by a Wolff
Bureau dispatch published in the
Berlin Tageblatt, which described
the fighting about Chateau Thierry.
“The hope of the Entente regard
ing a decisive intervention of the
great army of manoeuvre has been
definitely shattered. The proud
army of reserve which the war coun
cil of Versailles played out as its
trump exists as such no longer.’’
reads the despatch.
“The great victory of the Crown
Prince has shattered a considerable
part of the enemies’ fighting force
and has resulted in the dissolution i
and complete dispersal of the Foch
army of manoeuvre. The tremend- j
ous losses suffered by the Entente 1
on the extensive fronts between!
Ypres and Rheims will be difficult;
to replace.”
This was published in Germany.
about a month before Marshal Foch i
struck the Germans on the Marne j
salient and drove them back to the j
Vesle. It probably shows, says a j
correspondent of the Associated j
press, why the German public was j
so greatly surprised by Marshal
Foch’s brilliant stroke.
Ill POTATOES EIGHT
- They Save "Wheat.
When, you eat Potatoes
don't
FOOD A^M-IhflSTKATlOH
JU ‘ 1 RECEIVED
ALL THE LATEST
June July August
• VICTOR
PHONOGRAPH RECORDS
ALL THE LATEST POPULAR SONG HITS
SIMSON’S
BAFFLE PAINTERS !
CURB SUB MENACE
WASHINGTON.—New develop-,
merits in the art of marine camou- j
flage have effected radical changes |
in the painting of ships to protect [
them from the enemy. Modern j
naval warfare no longer reckons j
upon “invisiblity” as a defensive;
factor, authorities having arrived at
the conclusion that paint itself be-j
ing dependent upon light, will not
overcome shadows. “Baffle paint
ing” has been developed as a sub
stitute to deceive a submarine com
mander as to the size and form
of a ship and her course and speed.
Camouflage on land still is sue-1
cessfully applied along the lines of
protective coloring, by which guns j
and roads and men are made virtu-1
ally invisible under screens which j
blend with the surrounding terrain.1
In the case of moving ships under
conditions constantly changing and
the elusive horizon always a diffi
cult matter to deal with, similar
principles were found less efficient!
than those which frankly admit the I
existence of a boat, but by peculiar j
color -schemes offer the torpedo i
such a queer, deceptive target that
a hit is only a matter of luck.
Lieutenant Commander Norman
Wilkinson, Royal Naval Volunteer
Reserve, the inventor of “baffle
painting,” came to the conclusion
after long experience that the mom
ent a submarine comes to the surface
within striking distance, NO method
of painting would render a ship
sufficiently invisible to escape be
ing seen.
“There was a time,” the artist I
says, “When I thought i.t possible to j
increase or decrease a ship’s visi
bility. But that was before the j
submarine was considered as a real j
active factor in naval warfare.”
His decision took into consider-j
ation the submarine hydrophone, by j
which the presence of a ship, her |
probable size and her course can be :
ascertained under water. The prob
lem therefore was resolved into
rendering the ship as difficult to
hit as possible and baffle painting
the only present nationally accepted
method of marine camoufuage, was
evolved.
Baffle painting is simply a pro-!
jeet for breaking up all accepted
forms of a ship by masses of strong- ]
ly contrasting colors, distorting her i
appearance so as to destroy her ’
general symmetry and bulk. The
idea is totally to mislead the sub
marine. Of course some vessels
so painted have been also sunk, but;
there are records of a far greater
number at which torpedoes were
fired unsuccessfully. Equally im,
portant, a much larger proportion
of baffle painted vessels which are
hit by torpedoes are able to make
port than ships painted gray, ow
ing to explosion in less vulnerable
parts. The aim of the submarine
is thrown off by the camouflage.
Frequent reports, appearing some
times in newspapers, confirm the
success of the system, and prove
its value of defense against the sub
marine. The newspapers recently
contained a story of an bucounter
between a baffle-painted freighter
and a German U-boat in which the
later was rammed and sunk. The
article concluded with this pertinent
paragraph.
“The theory bearing on the in
cident held by shipping men is that
the system of camouflage designed
especially to elude submarines, de
ceived the German commander. On
his assumption he mistook the course
held by the ship, and instead of
coming to the surface at right
angles to the course, got squarely
in the way.”
A clever story is told of a meet
ing between an excursion steamer
and a vessel outward bound from
an Atlantic port to dare the sub
marine under the protection of her
baffle color design. The passengers
crowded the excursion steamer’s side
to gaze at the queer boat, which
ploughed steadily forward. Ap
parently the camouflaged steamer
was heading straight for the heavily
loaded pleasure boat and when a
woman shrieked, panic was immin
ent.
“Shut up, you fool!” yelled a man
wb > understood the principles of
baffle painting. “She’s heading six
points off.”
It was true. The camouflage had
so changed the aspect of the boat
that she seemed to be going in a
lirection where she was not head
ing. •
That is the purpose of baffle |
painting—to keep U-boats guessing
as to whether their prey is “going;
or coming.”
Marine camouflage is under the
direction of the navy department
with the work executed by the Ship
ping Board’s Department of Camou
flage, headed by Henry C. Grover, ;
of Boston.
i
In each district of the Shipping
Board is stationed a district camou
fleur, with a corps of trained men.
The organization now comprises
more than one hundred camoufleurs,
including a number of artists of na
tional repute. New baffle designs
are continually in preparation.
In the opinion of Mr. Grover,
camouflage is a. decidedly disturbing
factor.
“We know from valued sources l
that the submarine does not like I
our baffle painting,” he observed. .
“Mr. Wilkinson informed me that
the enemy had sketched a number
of their baffle painted ships in
neutral ports, but I don’t think that
will help them a little bit.”
A school for training camoufleurs ^
has been established by the Ship
ping Board, under the direction of,
William Andrew Makay. The edu-'
cational work is based on the re-1
suits of research, investigation and
the actual experience gained in the |
painting of ships by camoufleurs. ■
Students in applying for this branch
of service are required to have a
good elementary knowledge of line
and color, and light and shade;
therefore professional artists, com
mercial artists, and scene painters
are given preference.
SJ*TE SUGAR
:^r:
TOR THE
MM!
’VTT'O
WINTER WORK
Work in the various departments
of the Alaskan Engineering com
mission will be continued next win
ter on a scale similar to that of past
winters, was the announcement made
by William Gerig, engineer in charge
of the Anchorage division, at a con
ference recently with the heads of
departments.
“Other than the cessation of work
that has always been occasioned by
cold weather, there will be no dis
continuance of activities in any
of the departments of the Alaskan
Engineering commission next winter”
said Mr. Gerig. “Some of the out
side work, next winter, as in the
past winters, will have to be sus
pended because of climatic condi
tions, but other work, like that in
the machine shops and other de
partments and in the offices of the
Commission, will be carried on with
out any interruptions.”
So long as the boys are at the
front, difficulties are to be subdued,
impossibilities to be trampled down.
Reports from Seward state that ^
Lowel creek, running through the j
city, went on another one of its'
frequent rampages recently- this !
time doing considerable damage. All!
the briges with the exception of the i
Broadway bridge were washed away,!
the railroad on Spencer Flats was j
torn up and considerable damage j
was done to the electric light plant, |
necessitating the closing down of j
the plant for repairs. The town
has been without electric lights for
several weeks. The city has been
working on a new channel for the
past few months, but the flood
washed this out and the creek is
now running down the old channel
bed again. I
I
WANT ADS
LOST—Large red baseball sweater
with grey stripes on arm Finder
please return to News office.
bOR SALE—Panoramic views of
the town of Nenana in 1916 and
1917; taken by Johnson, of Fair
banks, from hill overlooking the
town. Apply at News office.
FOR SALE—Steamer trunks, trav
eling bags, suit cases. A large
variety to choose from. Simson's.
FOR SALE CHEAP—Business lot at
Third and Market; also shot gun.
Inquire Mrs. Lavin. 9-12
FOR SALE, CHEAP —Large tank
heater and pipe drum; flush toilet,
good as new; also sink. Inquire
Simson’s.
FOR SALE—Mrs. W. F. Lyons is
leaving for the Outside soon and
offers shop, fixtures and business
in cleaning and pressing clothes,
for sale. No reasonable offer re
fused- Shop is on A street, near
blacksmith shop.
FOR RENT—Upstairs residence,
four rooms furnished. See Slippern
FOR SALE AT A BARGAIN—Sew- ’
ing machine, phonograph, launch
Bunny, with 2% h. p. Ferro en
gine, shot gun, rifle, etc. Inquire
of J. A. Slippern.
FOR SALE—Beaver Board, in plain
and oak finish. Doors and win
dows, sash stock and mouldings.
Inquire Simson’s;' ‘
FOR RENT—Upstairs residence,
four rooms furnished. See Slippern
FOR SALE CHEAP—Cook stove in
good condition. Inquire News
office.
We'll substitute corn for wheat
and victory for defeat.
I
COLES AIR TIGHT
HEATERS
RANGES
OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS
Yukon Stoves and Drums
Air Tight Heaters
Any Thing in the Sheet Metal, Plumb
ing or Heating Line
Tanana Sheet Metal Works
A Call To Arms
BUY HER A BRACELET WRIST WATCH—WE HAVE THEM
IN STANDARD MAKES AT STANDARD PRICES
THE NEW RAILROAD HOWARD WATCH
• 21 JEWEI_MONTGOMERY DIAL, AT
$70 $75 $100
HAMILTON, WALTHAM and ELGIN WATCHES
SOLD AT STANDARD PRICES—(OUR PRICES)
WATCHMAKER
JEWELER
ENGRAVER
| SAFE and RELIABLE SERVICE
LAUNCH PEERLESS
Leaves for Fairbanks Every Two Days, 8AM
Make your Reservations at the Portland