New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-20
PERSONNEL OF THE NAVY
THE MAJORITY ARE NATIVE BORN, BCT
MANY GOOD MEN ARE ALIENS

Correspondence Of The Boston Transcript
IN "Cld Reader" makes this inquiry:
Referring to ar article our naval sail)r
il would be very interesting to know how many
Of them are native-born Americans and what
proportion Of foreign birth. Many people claim
that the larger Humber OF sailors are foreign
born or naturalized Is that correct or not, ana
are there any records 10 show it?
There are records which very carefully
made UP from the returns Of the recruiting OIL
GERS ard kept file IN The Bureau OF Naviga-
tion Al the War Department. Thesc show max
at the close Of the fiscal year 1891. when me
last statistics were summarized, the number or
men in the general service was S6S.' ana IN
special SerV ~ including Fish Commission ana
! Coast Survey. LOIS OF the men in the gen
! eral service. IND We're petty ohlceis =, Per
| cent If whom citizens OF the United states,
| and more than - per cent natives Of the re-
naming j.sio about 80 per cert We're citizens
| and - per cent natives. Taking the service
| entire. including some special branches We Nnd
| ~ per cent citizens and more than ~ per cent
! natives as against about - per cent and y
per cent respectively ore year before, ara more
| than - per cent u the remainder had declared
| their intention Of becoming citizens. In pur-
suance f Secretary Longs policy Of American
| zing the Navy the latest instructions sent TO
| recruiting officers require them to enlist as ap-
| prentices none but citizens
| Some little importance has been given To TINS
| movement by the raising Of the question. what
| rights would be recognized. in such a case as
! the Maine disaster for example. on IN" part OF
| the several Governments To which a!.'n ehiiSted
| men owed allegiance. II an indemnity were TO
| be paid and divided Under ordinary circum,
stances. undo ubtedy foreign Governm' ntS wouiu
| generally share the feeling expressed by the
| diplomatic representatives, Of Japan. ~ conn
/ dence that the Government temporarily employ
! ing the men would see that their dependent
| families were remembered in the Distribution
regardless Of their nationality but IT ~ poSslDIe
10 imagine complications arising IN which the
status II these meE might cause embarrassment.
! and il would be better general principles u
| have rule applied throughout the ser'lce'
Efforts have been mad" 70 procure lcEsiat ,
| in behalf Of the naval service similar 10 mat
which was enacted for the army IN July, -;
providing that any adult alien who has enlls'en
and been hOnOra5y discharged shall b" ddHll'-
| ted 10 citizenship without previous declaration
| Of intention or proof e more than one year
| residence: but thus FAR without avail Ihere
| seems 10 Turk in the public mind susplcinn
that no material for making sea'nen Is 80 sooo
/ as American native stock rms - not D"rne
| out by facts. in the judgment OF some OF our
| most experienced naval officers. These experts
/ commonly agree that although II IS hlShly IT.
/ portant that We should have citizens OF the
| United States command our ships-men whose
/ natural sense OF loyalty 10 the Government
/ would not be questioned and whose material
! interests would point in the same direction.
/ since they would have no other Government 10
| appeal to in tim" Of trouble. yet the adopted
/ citizen makes quite as good a sailor ana some
| Tines a little better. This Is not 50 much
/ question II ancestry as Of early environment
I and training The Yankee-bOrn IS apt 10 nave
much more quickness Of perception. promptness
OF action and general adaptabiiity than ms
British born cousin. for instance but on the
other hand the duller Brton is apt 10 have
been trained in the school Of Difference 10 81
rarjors ard urreasoning obedience. which on the
| sea prove highly valuable. Where the Yankee
sailor knows all his rights. and knowing dare'
maintain the fOregn-b born sailor ten CHANCES
to one has never his sluggish mind 10
studying the laws Of his own status. the Erit'
ish sailor has been mentioned IN contrast WIFE
the American merely because they may be as
sun.ed TO spring from common stock ana u
have had their traits differentiated wholly by
their home surroundings and educatlOn' Dut
the same difference is to be observed III even
greater gree between Americans anu sdiiui >
OF any other northern nationality. While the
native recruit therefore. is always welcomed
on the receiving ship the foreign born citizen
constitutes A valuable leaven 10 distribute
througho the lump and all experienced naVa
officers recognize this fact.
There is another reason which gives the naval
officer kindly feeling for the foreign born sailor
who has become na:uraliZe1. The latters clti-
zanship is OF his own deliberate seeking. ana MS
estimate of it's value is liable II DO higher thah
that which the native sets upon MS Involuntary
heritage Some OF the most heroic conduct re-
corded in our naval annals has been that OF men
born under another flag. but seeking service
under ours through love OF the liberty II rep
resents
has gone on for several years. glance over
the roster II the old Brooklyn in lSNI. for IN
stance shows only one hundred and six Amerl-
cans In a total OF two hundred ard thirty-s.X
hluejackets and only fifteen Americans IN a
total II forty marines. At thai time although
&, . Inducements we're held out 10 native Americans
IN enter the service Of those who did enter
by far the larger part had escaped being foreign
horn by only one Se:eration. The Yankee " no
can trace his American lineage back To Revo-
lu,ionary time Or earlier then, as he is now
. A rare bird in our naval service
TiRnIRS