Washington sentinel., 1898-06-04
Our NAvy's Prize Money.

The large earnings in prize
money already secured by all OF
Admiral Dewey's war vessels and
by some OF the vessels Of Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley
have naturally attracted public at
tention. Hostilities, however, will
have to last long time before the
navy can equal it's prize winnings
from 1861 to 1865, which amounted
to nearly ST. 900, 900, derived from
hundreds oi captures, including
many blockade runners.
1t may seem strange that sailors
who capture ship by firing
blank shot across her bow should
reap rich reward theretrom, while
soldiers who reduce a town by an
assault that may cost a thousand
lives get nothing. But the rule
denying to the army a share in the
spoils is due to the abolition
among civilized nations of the
ancient sacking and looting OF
towns. The old time incentive
offered to prowess on the seas has
remained to this day.
The rule is that if the prize is OF
equal or superior force to the ves-
sci or vessels making the capture
all the net proceeds go to the cap
tors; if OF inferior force, one-hali
to the United States and one-halt
to the captors. Half the value OF
a neutral merchant ship trying to
run the blockade or of an enemY's
merchantmen taken on the high
seas, may seem a very large re-
ward fer the captors, since this
kind of work is usually easy. But,
like the moiety to informers under
statute law, it rests on ancient
usage, and that, in turn, on the
value of an extra stimulus to Wig
lance. No one will dispute that
while such rule exists regarding
ca 9tured merchantmen one other
provision as to an enemy's war
ships is jvst. This is that bounty
is given to a ship which sinks or
otherwise destroys an enemy's
war vessel in an engagement. This
bounty is Saoo for each person on
board the enemY's ship at the be-
ginning OF the engagement, if she
Is equal or superior to our own
force, and 800 if she is inferior.
II she is destroyed in the public in
terest Immediately after capture,
the bounty for each person on
board at the capture is $50.
Sometimes the question OF infer
iority or superiority and also OF
the enemy's complement may have
to be one for judicial opinion. In
dividing the total prize money,
either Tor the merchantman or the
warship, the division is made pro-
portiOnate to the pay ol officers
and men, except that the COM
mander OF the squadron or feet
gets twentieth part, and the COM
mander of a single ship one-teuth
OF his ships share, unless acting
independently of superior officer,
when he gets ree-twentieths.
For feet captains and commo-
dores OF divisions there are also
special percentages.
1t may be doubted whether prize
money, as now reckoned and paid,
will last through the twentieth
century, as through centuries in
the past. If the powers that took
part in the Declaration of Paris OF
1886 had acceded to our countrv's
proposal for the exemption of pri-
vate property at sea from capture,
prize money would have received,
in one OF its applications. a hard
blow. But even in blockade run
ming and in battle it does not seem
likely to be perpetual, and wher
goes Jack will do his duty, like
his brother IN the army, for moth
ng but his regular pay.
Meanwhile he will certainly wiz
bis prize money all through tn,
present war, and a good deal o
such money has been accumulate
during the last six weeks.