The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-04


foreigners have had a taste OF the kind
ness and liberality with which they are
treated on American men-of-war, they are
anxious for an opportunity to arise that
Will give them a chance to exhibit their
loyalty to the flag they serve under. With
reference, by the way, TO this questioning
by the recruiting officers of applicants for
naval enlistment on the point of their de-
votion to the American flag in case OF war,
a recruiting officer on one of the receiving
, ships miseheVously asked a young irish
man who wanted to'ship as a coal passer.
whether he would fight against the coun-
| try of his birth in case of war.
"Foight agin' Oireland" exclaimed the
lrishman. "Niver, sor. Sure, thered be
no made fur 1t. Olreland 'ud become moth
in but big American coalin' station"
This Irishman was shipped
Another reason why the foreigners ex-
hibit every BIT as much eagerness for the
naval fray as their shipmates OF American
nativity Is that the American bluejackets
often twit them, generally In a joking way,
but not infrequeutly with dash Of mean
Ing mixed up in IT, upon their foreign
birth. An American bluejacket and a
FGerman man forward are standing at the
| gangway talking
Wen, that last batch OF papers makes
It look like war" says the German.
and what IL they dor" replies the
american, 70 draw the German out.
Where would you cut in you bIoomin'
| squarehead, II there would be war;" Thus
| the good-natured argument would be pre-
cipitated.
There was an English quartermastef
| serving on an American cruiser in dry dock
at the Brooklyn navy yard when the
Venezuelan excitement was at its hight.
Wei, you blasted lime juicer," said one
OF the Engiishmans American shipmates
m icsy
IN back to England on a cattle packet,
now that we're about due TO drub your
The Engllsbman, quiet, middle-aged
saiorman, pulled up the sleeve of his mus
terng shirt and showed, tattooed on the
inner side Of his right forearm, recum.
bent lion.
"When that washes out. mate" said he,
"Tll go back to England; not before. I'm
am old enough man 20 have been IN the
British navy when the cat screeched
through the air W for'ard. For that res
son, I've got more to get even for than
you have. for l felt the cat more than
once"
There are exceptional cases naturally
among these foreigners in the American
naval service. A young Englishman was
shipped on an American cruiser as a mess
attendant few years ago IN Honolulu.
lie was devoid Of tact or even of common
sense. He had not been aboard the shin
two days before he began to attempt to
emit British roars and to disseminate a
sort OF Rule Brlttauia spirit up forward.
The substance Of his comment was what
a simple task the English navy would
have in sweeping the American navy OF
The seas In case they ever came together.
The cockney was thrashed dozen tiracs
before he had been aboard a week Iic
complained 81 the mast about it, buf he
did not state the occasion for tho thrash
/ ings he received, nor did the men who
were called before the commanding officer
reveal why they had pummeled the Eng
lish mess attendant
/ American naval sailors never tell any
thing at the mast, even to clear them
selves. Had they told the commanding
officer that they licked the Englishman
| for giving utterance 10 dislOya aenti-
ments. they would have been instantly
cleared and the Englishman would have
been beached. After the cockney mess at
tendant had made an offensive nuisance
of himself aboard for nearly two weeks,
he went ashore one day. There were six
ex- British naval sailors serving on the
| American cruiser-solid loyal men. They
went ashore IN a body after their country
man. They met him In an English saloon
on Beretania street. in Honolulu The
eldest Englishman of the lot deep-volc-
ed gunner's mate, took the cockney mess
attehudnL Dy the ear screwed the ear
couple Of times, and said:
eve ave decided, we dirty little cove.
that ye're not to return 10 the ship. Yere
TO stay ashore and keep on being the
crawlin' little beacheomer that We was
when We We're taken on board a Hameri-
can man-o war and fed and treated like a
white man, which you are not. Ye're a
foul-tongued little tripper, and we're not
/ gime to live among men. If you come Off
To no ba VI.
won't be taken as a deserter. Wen fix
that But don't We come back TO the
ship"
The cokney didn't return to the ship
being in fear Of his hide, and justihably
in fear Of *. The Engisbmen serYing on
the American cruiser went 10 che Skipper
in body and told him about what they
had done when they returned to the ship
and the cokney mess attendant was not
/ picked up as a desefter.