The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-25

larly strong demand for such in the
war against the Turks.
Paul Jones Given Command
Consequently John Paul Jones having
at that time the most brilliant naval
record in the world, was placed in COM
mand of the Russian fleet in the Black
sea, to the great disgust of the English,
French, German and Swedish mercena-
ries, and the Russian officers as we'll.
many of whom resigned, rather than
serve under "a vulgar adventurer."
Rear Admiral Paul Jones was not long
in command of the Black sea squadron
before he fell in with the Turkish fleet
on Sebastopol. A terrific battle fol-
lowed, resulting in a glorious victory
for Admiral jones' who, on that occa-
sion, displayed the same undaunted
courage that he had shown in the bat
tie off Marlborough Head, when, in
reply to the question put by the COM
mander of the Serapis Have you
struck" Jones replied: 81 have not
yet begun to fight" The glorious vic
tory won by Jones destroyed the Turk
ish naval power in the Black sea, add
ed the Crimea and Bessarabia to Rus
STA and was productive of greater
crop of hate.
Jones received a handsome present
from the Empress Catherine, but it
estate and other presents given to one
of the German princes who served UNI
der Jones in the engagement, and who
had contributed little, If anything, to
the victory.
Not Adequately Rewarded.
general row followed, in which all
might have gone well enough with
Jones, who would undoubtedly have
come out the victor had it not been for
one thing. Jones was as ready with
his tongue as he was with his sword.
Moreover, he was a stranger to Rus
sian customs and his habit of saying
what he saw fit and not as his Sc
periors directed did not set well with
the Russian nobility. Had he cultivated
the good graces of Prince PotemiSin
he might have obtained his Just re-
ward, but the facts are that the vic
tory over the Turks was won in di-
rect violation of Potemlkin's advice
and Jones mad no bones of setting at
naught the ideas of the Russian
grandee. This offended Potemkin,
who was not accustomed to such in
dependence. AS a result of thus fall
ing at loggerheads with the favorite
of the Empress Jones lost influence
and was removed from the command
of the Black sea squadron and placed
in command of the few old tubs which
constituted the Russian fleet in the
storm-tossed Baltic. few months of
this inaction was enough for Jones
and he left the Russian navy, return
ing to Paris. He never forgot this in
justice and for the remainder of his life
never let a day pass without writing
letters to the Russian court, trying
once again to obtain command of the
Russian Black sea feet.
Foreigners in Russian Navy.
From the days of Peter the Great
down to the present day the percen-
age of foreigners in the Russian navy
has been enormous. The sailors are in
very few cases genuine Russians, but
are for the most part made up OF
Swedes, Commanders, Firms, Greeks and
Odessa Italians. In fact. 1t might be
said that the foreigners have not only
made but are still maintaining the Rus
sian navy. The reason for this rs be-
cause the Russians are not a maritime
people.
Russia proper, that is to say; that
part of 1t inhabited by Russians. and
in which the Russian language is
spoken, is confined to an area about as
large as the Southern states. around
the cities of Moscow and Kiev, the Bal
tic coast having in times past formed
part of Finland, Germany, Sweden
and Poland. Thus the whole Baltic
coast of Russia Is inhabited by Ger
mans, Swedes and Firms. who speak
their own language and are members
of the Lutheran Church, while the
coast OF the Baltic. which was wrested
by Admiral Jones from Turkey, and
the Khans of Crimea, is inhabited by
Tartars, Turks, Greeks, Italians and
Roumanians. AS for the officers, they
are made up from every nation in Eu-
rope, with a scattering here and there
OF Russians. The commander of the
Russian battIeship variag, captared by
the laps IN the battle off Port Arthur.
was a Capt. Rodney. Another COM
mander mentioned in the dispatches
from the Far East is Admiral Stackel-
burg.