The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-30
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER


Dor riots and lynchings the pop gun"
soldier is out of place. Nothing but a
firm and determined front on the part
of the military can uphold the civil
authorities in such crises. Col. Cor
don deserves the thanks of the entire
state for his prompt and emphatic ac-
ton.
The Army and Navy Register news
paper of Washington, D. c., refers
to Mai. Gen. William r. Shafter, u.
S. A., retired as a "brigadier gem
eral." And such is fame in a semi
Army Of Santiago de Cuba has elected
Maj. Gen. John c. Bates, U. S. A..
as president for 1904, and Brig. Gen.
Joseph Wheeler, ST., L. S. A., re-
tired, as first vice president. A
high born japanese has just been en-
tered as a midshipman at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis. His name is
Kitagaki, and he is the successor of
Midshipman Tamura, who graduated in
1900. He is only about Is years old
and is in charge of Prof. Wilmer to
improve himself in the English Ian
guage before he enters the academy.
So far the Japanese Middies have not
only made good records at Annapolis,
but have left behind many warm per-
sonal friends in and out of the acad-
emy. -" Capt. Cornelis Dew
Wilcox, of the Coast Artillery, who is
acting as quartermaster at Fort De-
Soto. near Tampa, Fla, has been put
in charge of the construction of the
new buildings at that fort. He is
son of the late Prof. Wilcox of Athens,
Ga, and is an officer of superior merit.
The American Boy of Detroit, for
November contains the third of a Sc
ries of valuable articles on My Four
Years at West Point" by a graduate.
This third article covers nearly two
large pages and is illustrated by scenes
from real life at the academy. To
ambitious young men DESTROYS to fill
the soon to be vacancies in that insti-
tuition, these articles are of great value.
They cover every phase of cadet life,
from entrance to exit at the academy,
and clearly show how minute a thing
will bring a demerit mark to the ig
norant or careless cadet. In all the
world there is not a place. If we ex-
cept the United States Naval Acad-
envy at Annapolis, Md, where such
strict discipline exists. 1t is no Won
der that hundreds of fine young men
have failed to get through the acad-
envy. In all the professions, strange
as it NAV seem, can be found brilliant
and eminent men, who failed to grad
uate at West Point. The causes of
these failures are varied, and they
show that wealth. family influence,
previous good conduct and high schol-
arship. and even color of the skin, are
not considered in the matter of demer-
its and deficiencies. All cadets are
on the same level.
N Iauf Vie Mnr~1atnD In
her article on the Hopkins family, the
wrfter-Eleanor Lexington-eays: THE
Hopkinses have always been famous
sailors. They take to the sea as ducks
to water The first commander of the
American navy was Essex Hopkins,
born In Rhode Island in 171S At the
beginning of the Revolution he was
commissioned commander-in-chief Of
the navy. His brother, Stephen, was
Governor of Rhode Island, member
of the Continental Congress and
'signer' of the Declaration OF indie
pendence." Now there was no Essex"
Hopkins in the navy, but there was an
Ezekiel Hopkins who was appointed a
captain and commander on Dec. %,
1775 In 1876 there was also a Capt
John B. Hopkins of the Warren. There
have been some thirty officers named
Hopkins in the United States navy.
III Dec0fTD0Ts lG0S a Sfnall squadron
was placed in command of Commodore
Ezekiel Hopkins. ranking officer, but
he failed to discharge his duties prop
erly and Congress passed vote of
censure, and later on his name was
omitted from the list arranging the
rank of the various officers of the
navy. His offense consisted in not go
ing from Rhode Island to the south
ern coast to annoy the enemy's
ships" His explanation for not going
was not satisfactory, hence the CEN
sure. but not removal. from COM
mand.
In a recent letter, in speaking of the
monuments to Gen. Hugh Mercer and
Gen. Enoch Poor of the Revolution I
STATED that thought Gen. Mercer fell
in battle near Princeton, N. J. Gen.
Poor, whose monument has just been
unveiled at Hackensack, N. j., died
of fever and was buried there during