New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-07
A SERVICE OF PATRIOTISM.
READING THE ARTICLES OF WAR ON
AMERICAN NAVAL VESSELS.
AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY ON THE FIRST SUM-
DAY OF EVERY MoNTH-sELDoM SEEN

AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY ON THE FIRST SUM-
DAY OF EVERY MoNTH-sELDoM SEEN
| BY OUTSIDERS.
| There Is no pretter ceremony. and at the same
| time none more solemn. either In or out OF
church, than that which takes place on all Amer'-
can men-or-war on the first Sunday OF every month";
| Ii is known as the reading OF the Articles OF war
and is attended by much pomp and circumstance
| as the simple American naval customs VIII allow
For It should be known that these articles OF war;
or articles for the government OF the Navy as
they are also termed In the official regulations. are
nothing less than sort Of professional Decalogue.
or an expression OF the faith in which every
American naval officer must live.
The regulations Of the Navy require these articles
70 be read to the assembled officers and crew OF
| every ship once a month and the day selected by
custom for this purpose is the first Sunday or tho
month. On the morning OF that day there Is in
| the wardroom a great furbishlng-up OF swords py
| officers servants and the depths OF bureau
| drawers are ransacked to fish out the gold-bound
coats, laced trousers. cooked hats, epauiets ana
gold-laced belts that must always be worn on THIS
day unless the weather be unfavorable or unless
the ship be at sea. In the latter case the UNIFORM
prescribed for the occasion Is not quite so glttering
as when in port, though the difference is slight
AS these superfne clothes are rarely used al o'her
| times unless important State OCCASIONS as ior
| Instance when officers attend reception Oh INC
| President Of the United States when they visit
| or are visited by a foreign ruler. they are kept
slowed away with careful protection against moth
and mould for they are costly affairs, and every
OF them must como out OF the pockets OF tne'r
owners Not only the officers but likewise all the
sailors Of ship ordered on the morning or the
FIRST Sunday in the month 10 put on their best and
cleanest clothes n in tho tropics, summer uni
| forms arc shaken out, and the whole ships COM
pany sparkles in partcolored contest OF blue with
| white.
ALI. HANDS ON THE QUARTER DECK.
II s about 10 o'clock when the chief boatswain's
mate raises his voice and passes the order through
the ship Of all hands to muster" At ono" every
soul on the ship, except the sick. and. If AT sea-
| half dozen others. who cannot be spared from
| the wheel or from the englne-room repairs ait 10
| me ouar;er-deck The men land K should be un-
| derstood by al who read of naval matters that
| the term man has technical meaning IN the
navy, and refers only 70 him who lives perore
tho mast, in contradistinctlon 20 the one VINO hves
abaf; H. who Is an oflcer) then ranged IN
long ranks on the port side OF the deck facing the
! officers who stand IN line on the starooard
side where they are placed according 10 rahh'
with the senior officer att
Az he respect which attaches 20 the quarter
deck OF a man-of-war IS progressive az one walks
aft from amishps and gets nearer 10 the snano"
OF tho flag Il is the captain of the ship VINO, IN
tho present function. takes his place farthest ait
OF anv one Here he stands by himself and he may
be fanc.el resting upon his sword
HIS first Lieutenant raising a white-goved hand
20 his cooked hat sautcs him, and Informs him
| that all his officers and men are up ana af''
Nv order o. the Cfcer Of tho deck. silence reigns
fore and aft. II IS pretty picture II mo SNIP DO
a, sea- no siege presentment OF nauticai seems
| can Ia more picturesque than tnls one WHICH,
moreover ire advantage OF being tho rea 'hhs'
In tho old days Of sailing ships. when all sails were
n q
! brighter life than that which Is lived on snore
! in tho cities OF men.
AT word from the commanding oncer' the
first lieutenant begins to read the articles or war
and as no does all heads are uncovered. IL VIII
be OF Interest to know something OF what ne
| roads and here are some of the most Important
! n,ssares The first article begins as follows: me
commanders Of all fleets. squadrons. naval stations
and vessels belonging to the Navy are reqa'feu ~
show in themselves goodi examP;e Oh virtue
Gr,iccls second earnestly recommends all officers
and seanl'n IN the naval s.Ivics dsTn o Hmshty
God Further Is another article which inlorms
semSlei Is an intent listener that the punishment
Of death or such other punishment as court-indr-
| In m, Naval service who enters into mutiny or
who dsobeys the lawful orders Of his superior 9ii
cer or who strikes The nag 10 an enemy or renei' -,
| The same penalty awaits any one VINO, IN time Oh
war deserts who sleeps upon his watch or ~n or
| when in battle displays cowardlce negligence OF
disafrecton or keeps out or danger 70 wn'S b nc
| should expose himself These ohences are p s a
| FEW OF the many which all wearers OF the uniform
are cnioined 10 commit. ONE OF the others are
'profanc swearing. falsehood drunkenness gam gam
| Jurt tending 10 the destruction OF good morals,
and II IL also forbidden 20 any one TO be guilty Of
| cruelty toward any person subject TO MS orders.
4 CHANCE TO Re IMPRESSIVE.
Other parts OF the articles contain similar In
| functions 70 all in the Navy TO maintain the honor
u The flag and the Integrity Of their lives 1t takes
In all not moro than fifteen minutes to read the
| Articles OF War ana the forcibeness OF their Ian
cllage affords a good opportunity TO the reader to
| make himself impressive. Immediately after th'
| reading muster IS taken OF the whole crew, under
the direction OF the pay officer. whose clerk calls on,
the Of every man Oh the snip AS sh enc ma
answers his name, he steps lorWard ol the iao1
until gradually the quarter eck IS deserted am
nothing but the small group If and the
| mony IL over for another meath.
| II Is brief affair. and yet an impressive one &c
ures OF naval HE the most distinctive scenes OF
which are seldom beheld by outsiders. THIS cere.
mony is little known TO the world that lives on
shore and yet IT is one which should possess q
peculiar interest to all Americans when they con.
slider that II is celebrated in the cause OF patriotism
only. and that year after year on me SINE gay ani
in all quarters OF the globe the same words ana
thoughts r.se from those widely scattered sahS.u
aries OF their countrys patriotism Long aosenG G
f,om America OF those who take part In II only
serves to emphasize the spirit OF their devotion
In the presence OF such n ceremony as this, luxe
warmness has no place. and any one VINO wit
nessos IT cannot fa.l to be impressed by rs DIS
closure Of faith that. one feels sure. could move
mountains In remote lands 1t Ia a rite which
derives even greater seriousness from us 'orelSn
su,rouniings Its words have often echoed against
~ .ails - foreign forts while a sunday calm has
brooded over the latter and robbed them OF .heir
threatening aspect and many Soys m sss durb b t.
iook M IRON, their quarter-decks TO the cottages
and fields OF some other land. where different
tbe,r own II may be asserted that while this
ceremony lives the country Is safer than 1t would