The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-09


rights, and knowing dares maintain,
the foreign-born sailor, ten chances to
one, has never set hts more sluggish
mind studying the laws Of his own
status. The British sailor has been
mentioned In contrast with the Ameri-
can merely because they may be as
sumed to spring from the common
stock, and to have had their traits diff
ferentiated wholly by their home sur
roundings and education; but the same
difference Is to be observed in even
greater degree between American sail
ors of any other nationality. While
tn nativ recruit. thrfor. isc always
welcomed on the receiving ship, the
foreign-born citizen constitutes a valu-
able leaven to distribute throughout
the lump, and all experienced naval
officers recognize this fact.
There is another reason which gives
the naval officer a kindly feeling for
the foreign-born sailor who has become
naturaized. The latter's citizenship Is
Of his own deliberate seeking, and his
estimate of its value is liable to be
higher than that which the native sets
upon his involuntary heritage. Some
of the most heroic conduct recorded in
our naval annals has been that Of men
born under another flag, but seeking
service under ours through love of the
liberty 1t represents.
The movement for AmericaniZing the
navy has gone on for several years. A
glance over the roster of the old Brook
lyn in 1885, for instanc, shows only
1O6 Americans in a total Of 236 blue
Jackets, and only fifteen Americans in
total of forty marines. At that time,
although inducements We're held out to
native Americans to enter the service
Of those who did enter by far the larg-
vi lod hot
eign-born by only one generation. The
Yankee who can trace his American
lineage back to Revolutionary time or
earlier was then, as he is now, rare
bird in our naval service.
Concentration of Facilities.
Not a little CONSERVATION has been
spread among historical students in
Washington by the Introduction in the
senate of joint resolution authorizing
the library committee ito cause such
historical manuscripts as are in the
possession of either of the departments
of the government to be transferred
to the national library, under suitable
regulations for their care and preser-
vation." The purpose of the resolution
Is obviously to concentrate all the fa-
cilities for historical study in the his
torical branch Of the library of con-
gress, the new custodian of which is
naturally anxious to make his collection
the most complete in the United States.
What the students dread, however, is
the greater difficulty they are likely to
have for the present in getting at these
resources If transferred as proposed
The principal department aimed at Is
the department Of state, the library of
which contain some extremely valuable
unpublished material. 1t is not in an
ideal condition for reference the
mounting and indexing having been
hampered by lack of means, but it is
in vastly better shape for the uses
of students now than 1t would be If
thrown into hurly- -burly at the new
library. There is a saving clause in
the senate resolution, in proviso that
no transfer shall be made from any
department without the approval of
the head of such department, and it
Is believed that Mr.. Sherman will be
able to appreciate the unwisdom of
making transfer now. When the his
torical branch Of the library of con-
gress shall have been put into thorough
working order, with its present store
of manuscripts carefully classified and
indexed, no objection will be raised to
proposal to cossSentrate the entire
government collection, but on the con-
trary the proposal will be welcomed by
5.
The present premature movement is
doubtless a relic of fight made upon
the state department library while Mr..
bancroft was in charge, because he re-
fused the request Of a writer who
sought to have the department do his
work Of searching and copying for him.
This person happened to be journalist
by profession, and had the ear of
number Of colleagues, who, out Of
friendship, voiced his woes in various
newspapers. The department allowed
the first stories to be very widely dis
seminated before 1t awoke to the ad-
visibility Of publishing the other side.
AS Mr. Bancroft had always aimed to
give the best possible service to his
torical students, and as Henry Cabot
Lodge and some others, who were un-
der newspaper fire at the time had
availed themselves Of the privileges
open to all, the charge Of favoritisun
was very vigorously pressed, and the
echoes Of the controversy are still heard
here from time to time.