The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-23
An OLD sAILoKs COMPLAINT
Foreigners Manning Our Navy, and Foreign
Songs Heard In Our ships.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Su: The
United States ship Marion arrived at the Brook
Ign Navy Yard to-day. To persons living ashore
she might have looked we'll. but. alas an
American sailor who knows when a ship looks
we'll could not say that the Marion looked we'll
She did not look like a Yankee man-of-war by n
long shot. No Yankee man. of-war that ever
saw had straw -coored spars. All our ships
that ever saw. and / profess to have seen a
few. had black painted spars. and white painted
lower masts, and white masthcads. and that
way all our ships looked well. II hadn't seen
the good old American flag at her spanker peak
I would have taken the Marion. for n lime
Juice" ship, or English ship o. war: II Is
everything about Il looked American but
things have changed very much for the worse.
don't know Just how many men there are in
the navy, but do know that 1t would not take
mo long to count the Americans, Tor II IL rare
ulihg now 10 nh1 yen n IN any snIp IN
know much about them. but know they are not
like they used TO be. for before and during the
war they came for honor. but that Is more than
| can say for those that have taken their places.
There are some gentlemen among them, but
th5ey are fey and far between. ., ,.,.,,
you will not find moro than seven per cent OF
Americans. About 80 per cent are English
man war s-men. In fact the English have
almost got the whole charge. as 1t is not safe 10
be heard saying that you are an American.
Then the Germans are 70 per cent; and the
order comes from Washington to ship so
many mon. regardless OF recommendation or
nationality. SO long as they pass the doctor
and answer the questions that Is all that Is
REQUIRED: ! have known men 70 saiP in the
l don't know that any criminals come but they
might for all We know. rs they are never asked
for q reference. II they answer that they have
been to sea before. although they have not been
In the navy. that IL enough. and then they ure
asked few questions about a ship. and are
passed.
1t is rare thing to hear an American song
sung In the navy at present, | can tell you.
But 1t is not rare thing to hear
lime Juice" or Dutch song or story.
! do wish II was as II used 10 be before and dur
ing the war, for then i would DO navy. but at
present you might call It a refuge for tramps
and runaway foreign sailors. As it is an
American sailor don't care about staying in the
navy, because he has no life here. He Is
watched worse than thief. and punished for
the least offence. There Is no allowance made
ior him being an American, but II a Dutchman
Tor not knowing any better. The majority ~
the present United States Navy officers don I
like sailor that has any grit in him, and all
Americans. sailors IN particular. are noted for
their grit. Those Englishmen and Dutchmen
would lie down and let an officer walk on them.
but no American sailor will DO walked on If he
knows II. At least | won't.
IL was only the other day that heard four or
five English Oiwar's men shipped in our
navy blowing about the British navy and Brit
lsh Government being SO much better than
ours, ana about now quick England could lick
us. until l couldn't stand 1t any longer, and |
told them to dry up. and asked them II they
knew whore they we're. They turned on me
IKE 30 many lions , and thought they would
got the better OF me. | concluded TO say no
more and. for the sake Of getting along thought
would try hereafter 10 DO an Englishman or a
Dutchman, put itwouldn't work. My American
grit got the better Of me.
Please see II you can't help TO get up an
American navy again. Speak q word for the
American Boys In Blue. Condemn the foreign
rules that exist here. and ask the adoption Of
American rules instead. TRUE BLUE,
IAN 1874