Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-10
LOYALTY IN TIE NAVY

lDeAn interview the other day On the cub
ject OF the exclusion OF biuejackets In uni
form from places Of public amusement.
Admiral Dewey called attention to the fact
that ABOUT 50 per cent of the sailors of our
navy now are American-born or naturaiized
citizens, said a naval oficer. This fine
showing has only been made during recent
years. Up to ten years ago the proportion
OF foreign-born and non-naturalized citizens
In our navy was a discreiit to the service.
But 1t would be a mistake to suppose that
the foreigners attached to our sea service
whether natura}ized or not previous to
entering 1t. would not do valiant work for
their adopted country. This has been
proven so conclusively in actual engage
ments that tt ID not even open to question
One does not have to seek very tar for
reason for this sentiment among tae
foreisners in our naval service The reason
IS that they are DESTROYS. of showing their
gratitude to a country in whose service
they are treated SO we'll. About nine-tenths
OF the men OF foreign birth serving In the
United states navy nave put in one or more
enIistments IN the naval service of their
own country before entering the American
navy and when they contrast the severe
! sklnPy and unnecessarily harsh treatment
Trey endured in tie naval service of their
own country with the liberal and just treat
ment they receive in the United States
navy they are genuinely grateful, and this
sense OF gratitude fills them with desire
TO have their loyalty to the flag of the great
republic put to the test of battle.
Besides beng required to take the oath
OF allegiance, men of foreign birth apply
ing for admission to the naval service Of
the United States are asked the question
Whether. In the event Of war between the
United States and the country of their birth
they would hight unhesitatingly and zeal
ousiy Tor the United States. They are, as
mater OF course, required by the recruit
m q
reply to this question. After the foreigners
nave mad taste OF the kindness and lib
crafty with which they are treated on
American men-o'-war they are generally
actually anxious for an occasion to arise
good ~
With reference. by the way, to this ques-
tfon!nS by the recruiting officers of annIi-
cants for naval enlistment on the point of
their devotion to the American flag in case
OF war. recruiting officer on one of the
Tece.vlng ships mischievously asked a young
lrisnman. who wanted to ship as a coal
passer. whether ne would fight against the
land OF his birth in case of war
Fofght agin Oirelandn exclaimed the
irishman: Niver. sorr. Shure there'd be
no made for it. Oireland I'D become nothin
but big American coalin' station!' This
lrlshman was shipped.
another reason why the foreigners ex-
fray as their shipmates of American ma
uVity is that the American blueia ckets
often twit them, generally in a ioking
way. Dut NOT infrequently with a dash of
meaning mixed up in 1t, upon their foreign
pirth. An American bluejacket and a Ger
man man for'ard are standing at the gang
way talking
We'll. the papers say that 1t looks like
little war cloud
..Mell. and what If they do? replies the
Adnerican Where would YOU cut in. YOU
bloom.n squarehead, If there was war;
mus the good
precipitated. - oA-e-A
just befora-the Spanish war broke ont
mere was an English quartermaster serving
BROOKLYN navy yard -
Wen, You blasted lime juicer.' said one
OF the Englishmans American shipmates IN
back bsm one E aay. spOse You'll be lumpin
Europe 1o piece
The Englishman. quiet, middle-aeed
and sh, pulled up the sleeve of his shirt
ms r1ght arm. recumbent lion.
,,, When that washes OF. matey,' he said
= II De going back to Europe; not before
sh m an &, oid e. enough man to have been aboard
screened through the air I'D for'ard Eor
that reason I've got more cause to get even
WIN europe than you have for my hacE
1eit the cat more than once
Ihere are exceptional cases, naturally
aInons these foreigners in the American
naval service. A young Englfshman was
snIppeo on an American cruiser as mess
dttehodnt rev years ago in Honolulu He
was devoid of tact or even of com,nn
sense He had not been on board the shin
Tor two days before he began to attemnt
~ emit brush roars and to disseminate a
sort OF Rule Britannia spirit up for'ard
The substance of his comment was what n
simple task the English navy would have
IN sweeping the American navy from the
seas in case they ever came together Tbe
a
ne hao been on board the ship a week He
complained at the mast about It. but he did
not state the occasion of the thrashings he
mad received. nor did the men who were
called before the skipper reveal why they
had pummeied the English mess attendant
american sailors hate unnecessary fax
Ihey never tell anything at the mast
even to clear themselves. Fad they told
the commanding officer that they had licked
the Englishman for giving utterance to dis
loyal sentiments they would have been in
have been beached. After the cockney
mess attendant had made an offensiya
nuisance Of himself aboard for nearly two
weeks, he went ashore one day. There
were six ex-British sailors serving on boar
he American cruiser-solid loyal men They
went ashore in a body after their country
man. They met him in an English saloon
IN Honolulu. The eldest Englishman of the
bunch Of sailors. deep-voiced gunner's
mate took the cockney mess attendant by
the ear, screwed the ear couple of times
and said:
We ave decided. we dirty little cove
that you're not to return to the Ship Ye're
to stay ashore and keep on being the
crawlin' little beachcomber that you was
when, you were taken Oh board Hamerican
Aman-o'-war and fed and treated like a
white man. which you are not Ye're a foul
tongued little tripper, and yere not gyme
to live among men. If you come back to
the ship. it'll be the worse for We. Ye
wont be taken as deserter. Wen fix
that. But don't come h0Cl. tho
THE cockney didn't return to the ship,
being in fear of his hide. TIE Englishmen
serving on board the ship went to the
skipper in a body and told him about what
they had done and why they had done it
when they returned to the ship-and the
cockney mess attendant was not picked up
as a deserter."