The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
HOW TO NAME OUR WARSHIPS?
TITLES THAT MIGHT BE. BUT ARE
NOT, BORNE BY THEM.

4Msiuta,nins the Traditions Of the
Service" BY Preser,ing the Names Of
Famous ships Of the Revolutionary
and seesud war Navies - How
~ Fsreagn Governments Give Titles
70 Their ahips-Commander seaten
Schroeder Review Of Our Naval
History. and suggestion fer Names
for Our war vessels OF tho Future.
The United States. a. individuals a. we'll
O. in their federated capacity. take an inter-
EFT In their navy, which has been consid-
erably quickened by the recent evidences
Of It's worth. There Is undoubtedly broad
cast throughout tho country a feeling Of
affectionate respect for the men and ships
that have done 90 well. But there Is also,
perhaps, an incomplete appreciation. or
possibly comprehension, Of the feelings and
the esprit dc corps Of the naval body. Small
a. our numbers have been. We have vast
pride Of our own, and the highest endeavor
Of every man Is to always maintain tho
best traditions OF the service
That expression, .the best traditions Of
the service Ii not a super-sentimental bit
OF rhetoric, an empty-eounding piece Of
bombast. It 10 q factor most potent, vital.
and at times more weighty than a heavy
gun. Not long ago the verdict pronounced
upon an officer In q certain foreign navy
contained. as singing fnality. the opinion
that the unfortunate man had failed to
maintain the best traditions Of the service
no stronger condemnation could be for
INFLATED. In the navy Of the United States
the jealousy Of our good name IL not one
whit less acute.
Who has not heard, with profoundest APP
probation. the dictum pronounced in the
halls OF Congress, Millions for defence, but
not one cent for tribute'i Who stops to
think that. In our lengthening history, the
one instance OF suggestion Of tribute was
repealed by the navy. who, indeed, carried
the war into Africa and imposed terms
upon the Pacha OF Tripolii That was In
defence OF our citizens and their property
upon the high seas, when other nations were
paying tribute for non-molestation Of theirs;
and the most daring exploits Of sea annals
characterized the operations Of our ships
and men In those far distant waters.
The idea Of military prominence being
once planted, the persons who 60 to form
such organizations are thenceforh ami
mated by the lsudable desire to maintain
their proud identity ! remember talking
upon this subject many years ago with an
English Colonel Of Royal Scots, who OBJ
served that II his regiment and the Innis-
killens (of the same garrison) were put at the
enemy together, they would probably die
- q man before letting the other regiment
~ ahead-'and that he added. sin spite
- tbs fact that there In probably not an
9rishman left now In the Inniskillens.'
BY the same token. that gallant Colonel
affected to speak contemptuously Of
third regiment, also there present, whose
record lin Ashantee, ! think IL was) had
been most enviable, but who were mot q
hundred years old" With us the local
and fanoiful names do not exist at present:
but. TO speak only OF recent events will not
The Tenth Cassy always E Sl0T$ I n the the rso -
Of Cuantanamo2 Since then the Ninth
Infantry and other regiments have made
history In the Orient which they will be-
queath to those upon whom their mantles
and regimental number shall fall. The
navy has the same pride. and with equal
right; and II Graves like consideration.
/. The different conditions which control
our service make II impossible that officers
or men should remain unchanged perrns-
nently on board the same ship; even n
II were possible, Il should not be done, for
IL would be manifestly unjust to keep some
indefinitely in q dancing Runboat, and Others
In a sober-sided battleship; some In the
gloomy depths OF monitor. while others
cruiser. But the legends remain. II We
IMAGINED that their people would not feel
doubly spurred on 10 see TO II that the
honor. OF Pcry's nsEship and Of John Paul
sones's cruiser should b sustained Or