The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-08-26

and took the same ground that Oliver
had on the Portsmouth.
Commander Irving explained that the
pennant the Portsmouth flew was alto
gether different from that of the navy.
1t was distinctly the pennant of the New
Jersey Naval Militia, that it was not
split as the navy emblem was, and that
in the blue field were two plows which
We're part of the coat of arms of New
Jersey.
This explanation did not convince
Captain Chadwick He insisted that his
position was the right and legal one, and
that the Portsmouth should fly no PEN
nant. Commander Irving bade the great
war college president good day, saluted
properly and steamed back to his sloop.
As soon as he stepped over the side he
ordered the pennant run up and she's
been flying ever since.
CHADWICK FIRES AGAIN.
But Captain Chadwick did not give up
the battle at this point. He fired a
broadside into Commander Irving in the
shape of a letter to the Secretary of the
Navy, which, after giving an account
of the circumstances of the case, said:-
''The question arises. should any pen
nant which so strongly resembles the
pennant used in the navy that it can only
be distinguished from the latter by near
by inspection, be allowed to be flown by
vessels other than those of the navy and
revenue marine, which latter have a dis
tinctive pennant authorized by law"
The captain then quoted the section of
the law which he claims substantiates
his position.
Before this letter was cold Captain
Chadwick followed it up with another TO
the Secretary. in which he sets forth that
Commander Irving had called upon him
and explained that the offending pennant
was really State flag, but he didn't
think that changed the situation. Lieu
tenant- Commander Oliver. he said, nos
ticed the pennant at the masthead. He
also saw it when it was halfway down
on its journey to the deck. and it looked
identical with that Of the navy. The
change was not sufficient to prevent
mistake Then the gallant Chadwick
plunged into history and said that law
passed October %, 1776, and as yet cr-
repealed provides that no ship shall fly
peanant escept those of the Continen-
tai Navy. Then he goes on to say:
The extreme Importance attached to
I
think, aActear, explicit understanding as
to the limitations Of the use of the
pennant"
The Secretary of the Navy was away
when these communications reached the
department. and Assistant Secretary of
the Navy Darling sent them to Adjutant
General Oliphant. at Trenton with
this:-.sIn view of the generally recog-
nized restriction of the use of the mar
row pennant, / beg to urge that PEN
nant of this kind be not again displayed
by the naval militia of New Jersey, as
its use would be irregular and mislead-I
ing, indicating that the vessel flying 1T
was either man-of-war in commission
or vessel of the revenue marine"
ADJUTANT GENERAL CALLED IN.
The Adjutant Generals Office, through
Colonel James L. Kiger, forwarded the
papers to Commander Irving and called
attention to the Assistant Secretary's
suggestion that the New Jersey reserve
fly no more pennants. This was taken
on board the Portsmouth as a sort of
you may fire when ready, Irving" and
the Jersey commander let go with his
heaviest literary guns. He wrote to the
Adjutant General that he suggest to the
Secretary of War that the Portsmouth
does not fly a navy pennant, but State
pennant, distinctive flag, not split as
the navy pennant is and having the State
coat of arms on the blue field, and that
the use of this pennant seems to be war
ranted and required by the laws of New
Jersey. 1t should not be misleading, as
it distinguishes clearly the naval reserve
vessel from a man Of war or a revenue
cutter.
Lieutenant Commander Oliver based
his request to pull the pennant down
on the naval regulations" Commander
Irving went on. ''As the ships loaned
to the various States for the use of the
militia are no longer in the naval service
of the United States these regulations do
not apply or govern the case, and be-
lieve no authority rests in any officer
of the navy to base request of this
character upon them.
..As to Captain Chadwick's contention
that the United States regulations are
call attention to the fact that these
regulations are part of the military
code of this State as far as they may
be applicable Commander Irving then
asks if the request of the Secretary of
the Navy is general and applicable to all
states that maintain naval reserve ships.
To his knowledge naval militia ships:
have flown these pennants for twelve
years. These naval vessels while flying
this pennant have lain at navy yards,
have been in company with vessels of the
navy and have received on board many
officers of high rank.
Il have never until now, continues
Commander Irving, heard any objection
to or criticism upon the use OF PEN
nant.
SELF.
Further than tllis. the naval militia
pennant has been saluted by flag Ulcers
of the navy, and on one occasion, tlf my
memory serves by the Secretary of the
Navy himself. Yachts and other vessels
carry pennants which are not more read
ily distinguished from the navy pennant
than the State pennant carried by the
Portsmouth, and army transports carry