Milford chronicle., 1903-05-29
UphoIding the Flag.

OuT udlloudl luNeDlcuIeSS 10 our ma
w is not confined to its prowess in
battle. We owe much to the tact and
! craftsmanship Of our naval command
ers. They have not only to uphold the
/ honor Of our flag in distant seas, but to
display the courtesy and consideration
! to the navies of other nations which
! are necessary to the maintenance of
/ friendly relations. 1t would have been
/ possible for Admiral Dewey by an in
| discreet act while lie lay in Manila bay
J to have involved us in an international
quarrel. Thousands Of miles away
from home. there he lay, surrounded
by the cannon Of foreign ships. By
one false move he could have made
Germany an enemy and involved us in
war with Emperor William. Had he
been careless there might have ensued
a scramble on the part of other nations
to gain possession of some Of the Phil
ippine Islands for themselves. There
was similar danger in the Hawaiian
difficulty. During all the negotiations
over the Hawaiian Islands there lay
the American war ship Philadelphia,
by careful diplomacy compelling the
foreign governments to keep their
hands off. until at last the American
flag few from above the eX-queens
throne room. What honor is too great
for the memory Of Commodore Mat
thew c. Perry. who in March. 1852. ne
gOtiated the famous treaty with Japan
which for the first time opened the
ports of the mikadO to the ships from
other lands? Incident after incident
could be cited where the American
sailor has won imperlshable laurels in
preventing war rather than in winning
prizes after war has been started.
Our American navy has defied the
severity of the elements as well as the
storm of shot and she'll 1 am not
now speaking Of the hurricanes which |
blow over the Atlantic or the Pacific. |
have in mind the frigid terrors Of the |
far north, which Captain D. L. Braine
defed when he tried to find the arctic !
pole in 1878, and Lieutenant Com |
mander George Washington De Long |
detied when he led the fatal Jeanette |
expedition in 1879 All, those were |
brave men, yet no drawer than General |
Greedy aINl Rear Admiral Melville and
the many gallant fellows who went !
after the De Long party. and faced icy
dangers to bring back the survivors
and the frozen bodies of the dead. They
were no braver men than Lieutenant
Peary, who has again and again tried
to reach the north pole. On returning
home from his latest journey he had
to have part of his feet amputated
because they had been frozen among
the northern SHOWS. In spite OF all
the past dangers and sufferings. he is
again chatting and fretting to go back
10 his old search.
For National safety.
Does any one say that all this sacri-
ice Of heroic naval lives to the northern
elements is a useless sacrifice? | do
lot think so. As a young boy I saw
he long procession of hearses that car
led many of the dead Of the i'll fated
De Long expedition out to their last
esting place. ! heard the sad story
old by a surviving lieutenant who aft
rward. while suffering from injuries
eceived in that rescue expedition. took
lis own life. l said then what / say
ow: Any plan conceived in the inter
st of science or the search after truth.
ny expedition which is born with the
ope Of learning something not known
efOre, is worthy of sacrifice. This
-as the desire that drove Columbus
cross the seas. This was the desire
'hich made Galilei defy the hierarchy
Rome and stick to the truth that the
arth moves round the sun. And this
the purpose which has made many {
noble naval hero lay down his life
pom the spotless white altar of the G
orthern SHOWS, overtopped by the !
'wering memorial shafts Of the arctic {
ebergs. All honor to those brave s
Ienl May such men ever be found |
irving in the American navy-men 1
no in the cause OF science or Of pa +
iotism count not their lives dear unto '
lem. but go fearlessly into danger d
iat they may win honor for their flag. {
ay there ever be, too, in Christs serV-