The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-10
BLUE BLOOD FREELY SHED.
How the Princes Of Great Britain
Serve Their Country.


From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Britishers are somewhat surprised at the
prominence given by some of the Ameri-
can papers to the sons Of well-known
wealthy men who enlisted to fight against
Spain. Accustomed as they are TO the best
army and navy, and the most heroic
deeds of land and sea battles being done
by scions of noble houses, it would be
more matter of surprise if aristocratic
names were absent from the roll of the
killed than that they should be there
''WeI does Great Britain merit the SOW
ereignty of the sea-" said a Spanish ad-
miral to an officer of her majesty's navy.
on seeing a future King of England doing
duty as a petty officer In a warship,
when her Princes of the royal blood are
content to learn their duty in the humble
stations of her navy"
In the younger days of the Duke of Sake
Coburg-Gotha he served on board the
'Euryalus.' When the ship touched at a
South African port some native chiefs
who came aboard were surprised to see
the Duke directing the swabbing of decks.
They watched with amazement. and then.
retiring, dictated of their own. accord a
sort OF manifesto to the captain of the
Euryalus: up to this time we had not
ceased to be amazed at the wonderful
things we have Witnessed which are be-
yond our comprehension. But one thing
we understandable reason of England's
greatness. When the son of her great
queen becomes subject to subject he
may learn wisdom; when the sons Of Eng
lands GhiafE
and wealth Of their fathers, and with
their young Prince endure hardships and
suffering in order that they NAV be wise
and become a defense to their country.
when we behold these things we see WHY
the English are a great and mighty ma
ton. WHAT We have now learned shall
De transmitted to our wondering country
men and handed down to our children
VINO VIII be wiser than their fathers and
your mighty Queen shall be their sover-
elgn ana ours in all time coming
Englishmen recall with pride other ~
stances of similar nature. The sailor
Prince, afterward King William ~
whose praise Britishers never tire of sing
ing, was with Rodney's squadron after
the relief of Gibraltar, when a Snanlsb
admiral came on board under a 6ap OF
truce. The Spanish admiral was intro
yucca 10 INlnce William, and bowed be-
icie MN win all the extreme Difference
that etiquette would have demanded mad
the meeting taken place in the presence
chamber of his Catholic majesty himself
Then the admirals began TO talk on mat
tiers of business, and The royal younester
forthwith left the cabin. He came hack
again little later on, word being PASSED
that the visitor wished TO leave. and en-
tering the cabin In his capacity as mid
shipman of the watch, saluted and report
ed the barge ready alongside. The span-
lard gazed in wonder al the spectacle of a
royal prince making obeisance to an ordi-
nary naval officer. and could scarcely he
convinced that he had not been the victim
of practical joke
No difference Is made in the British
navy between the treatment accorded
these royal middles and that of the boys
of more humble origin. When the Prince
of Wales first announced his intention Of
sending Prince George into the navy his
royal highness said that, his son having
adopted the navy as his calling, he should
expect him, as far as possible to take his
chances of promotion on the same footing
as his brother officers, and to gain expert
ence in the service In the ordinary way.
This procedure has been followed through
out the Dukes career.
Joining the navy In 1878. he now takes
his first command as a captain after TWEEN
~ years service as a naval cadet and mid
shipman on the Bacchante, then service
as mdshipman and lieutenant on the
Dreadnought and Alexandria, and later
service in command Of torpedo boat No. TO-
of the gunboat Thrush and Of the cruiser
Melampus.
The history of the British navy IS full
of gallant deeds done by sons OF royalty
In the two successful battles OF the second
and third Dutch wars, fought off loves
toft on June 3, 1865 and off Solebay on
May Is, 1872. the English fleet was under
the direct command and leadership of the
Duke of York. TWO grandsons of King
George II. served in the royal navy. One
was Prince Edward, Duke of York and
Albany, King George III's next immediate
brother. and the other Prince Henry
Frederick, Duke Of Cumberland. son OF
the Butcher" of culoden. or these the
Duke of York saw active service with the
channel fleet in the seven years war be-
ing present as midshipman with Lord
Howe at the capture of cherbourg IN 175S
and In the next year with Hawke in the
long blockade OF Brest The Duke Of
York only just missed taking part In the
historic victory OF Quiberon bay by the
accident that his ship had TO put into port
for a refit Immediately before the battle
came of.