The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-19
FOREIGNERS IN OUR NAVY.
No Sailors More Loyal to Uucie Sam
Afloat.

washington Letter in New York Sun.
The question has often been asked
whether in the event Of war between this
country and European power the large
number of foreigners who wear enlisted
mems uniforms in the United States
try maintaining them. 1t was pretty
satisfactorily answered by the conduct of
the foreigners on board American men
of-war at the time of the Venezuela ex-
element. The foreigners up forward on
the ships were just as greedy for fight as
the native-born Americans. 1t was not
simply that these foreign blue jackets
wanted to get crack ct England, for
there were scores of Englishmen in the
blue jacket uniform of U ncle Sam who
were just as genuinely anxious to get
within hitting distance of the enemy in
case It a war as their American ship.
mates. One does not have to seek very
far for reason for this sentiment
among the foreigners in the United
States naval service. The reason is that
they are desirous Of showing their graft
tude to country that treats them well.
About nine-tenths of the men of foreign
birth serving in the United States navy
have put in one or more enlistments in
the navy Of their own country before en-
tering the American sea service, and
when they contrast the severe, skinny
and unnecessarily harsh treatment they
endured in the naval service of their
own country with the liberal and just
Treatment they receive in the navy of the
United States-and the foreigners are
perpetually drawing this contrast in con-
versation among themselves and with
their American shipmates-they are gen.
timely grateful and this gratitude fills
them With a desire to have their loyalty
to the flag Of the republic put to the test
Besides being Obliged to take the oath
of allegiance, men of foreign birth apply
ing for admission to the naval service of
the United States are asked the question
whether, in case OF war betwee the
United States and the country of their
birth, they would fight unhesitatingly
and zealously for the United States They
are, as a matter of course, required by
the recruiting officers to make positive
affirmative reply to this question After
tie foreigners have had taste of the
kindness and iberality with which they
are treated on American men-of-war,
they a1e anxious for an opportunity to
arise that will give them chance to ex-
hibit their loyalty to the flag they ser We
under. With reference. by the way, to
this questioning by the recruiting officers
of applicants for naval enlistment on the
point of their devotion to the American
flag in case. of war, q recruiting Off Ger on
one of the receiving ships mischievously
asked a young Irishman, who wanted to
ship as coal passer, whether he would
fight against the country of his birth in
case of war.
g. sFoight agin Oireland p exclaimed
the Irishman. "Niver, sor. Sure,
there'd be no made fur it. Oireland 'ud
become nothin' but a 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 Am 5r1-
can nativity is that the American blue
jackets often twit them, generally in a
joking way, but not infrequently with a
dash of meaning mixed up in it, upon
their foreign birth. An American blue
jacket and a German man forward are
standing at the gangway talking.
Well, that last batch of papers makes
it look like war;" says the German.