The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-19

"And what if they do9' replies the
American, to draw the German ouS,
Where would you out in, you bloomln
squarehead, If there would be war?
Thus the good-natured argument wouiu
be precipitated.
serving ON an American cruiser In dry
dock at the Brooklyn navy yard when tne
Venezuelan excitement was at it's helgnt:
well, you blasted lime juiner, said
one of the Englishman's American snip
mates to him one day, II suppose you II
be lnmpin' back to England on cattle
packet, now that we're about due to drup
youf''
The Englishman, quiet, middle aged
mastering shirt and showed, tattooed on
the innerside Of his right forearm, q re-
cum bent lion.
when that washes off, mate, - said he,
I'll go back to England; not before; M
an old enough man to have been in the
British navy when the cat soreeched
through the air up for'ard. For that
reason, I've got more to get even for than
you have, for felt the cat more than
once"
There are exceptional cases naturally
among these foreigners in the American
naval service. A young Englishlnan was
shipped on an American cruiser as a
mess attendant q few years ago in Homo
lulu. He was devoid of tact or even com
mon sense. He had not been aboard the
ship two days before he began to attempt
to emit British roars and to disseminate
sort of Rule Brittania spirit up forward
The substance of his comment was what
a simple task the English navy would
have in sweeping the American navy off
the seas in case they ever came together.
The cockney WAS thrashed dozen times
before he had been aboard week. He
complained at the mast about it, but he
did not state the occasion for the thrash
ings he received. nor did the men who
were called before the commanding officer
reveal why they had pummeled the Eng
llsh 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 Epglishman
for giving utterance to disloysl senti-
ments, they would have been instantly
cleared, and the Englishman would have
been beached. After the cockney mess
attendant 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 body after their
countryman. They met him in an Eng
lish saloon on Beretania street, in Homo
lulu. The eldest Englishman Of the lot,
a deep-voioed gunner's mate, took the
cockney mess attendance by the ear
screwed the ear couple of times, and
said:
"We ave decided, ye dirty little cove.
that ye're not to return to the Ship
Ye're to stay ashore and keep on being
the crawlin' little beachoomer that ye
was when ye were taken on board o
Hameriean nlan-o'- war and fed and treat
ed like white man, which you are not
Ye're a foul-tongued little tripper, and
ye're not gwine to live among men. II
You come of to the ship, it'll be the
worse for ye. Ye wont be taken as de.
serter. Well fix that. But don't ye come
back to the ship"
The cockney didn't return to the ship,
being in fear Of his hide, and jnstidablY
in fear Of 1t. The Englishmen serving on
the American cruiser went to the skipper
in body and told him about what they
had done when they returned to the ship
land .the cockney mess attendant was
not picked up az deserter.