Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-25

The armored cruisers forming the second
squadron will be in command of Rear Ad-
miral Brownson. Practically all of the
spectators will receive their first glimpse of
the brand new Georgia. New Jersey, Rhode
Island and Virginia of the battleship class
and the newly commissioned cruisers Colo
RADIO, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West
Virginia.
Statutes and Ceremonies.
AS the President puts foot on the gang
plank Of his official yacht he will be saluted
by twenty-one guns the marine guard will
be paraded the drums will roll of 'rufies.'
the bugle sound fiourishes, the band will
play Hail to the Chief" the marines will
present arms and the officers and seamen
salute, the Presidents official flag being
run up at the mainmast, where 1t will re-
main as long as he is on board the vessel.
The men not employed at the saluting guns
will be sent to the rails or to man the
yards as the ships rig may permit.
According to our strict code of naval ct
iquette an ex-President of the United
States or a foreign ruler receives the Same
salute as the President, twenty-one guns;
the Vice President or an ambassador, nine
teen guns; the president pro tenn of the
Senate, Speaker, cabinet officers, chief JUS
tice. governors, general Of the army of
admiral of the navy, seventeen guns. For
eign or United States ministers, the vice
governor of the Philippines, assistant Sec
rotary of war, or the navy and lieutenant
general or major general of the army
ceive each fifteen guns, and so on down
the list of home officials or those of for
eign countries liable to visit our vessels
There is no authorized salute in an even
number OF guns, this invariable choice OF
an odd number being a survival of the
supersttious belief in the luck of numbers
| which cannot be divided by two, the Same
being observed by foreign navies as well
as by our own. In olden times a blank
discharge Of guns was regarded as an
empty compliment and the custom of sa-
luting with guns loaded with cannon balls
| was not brought to an end until after con-
siderable damage had been done to coast
towns lying in range of these dangerous
though friendly compliments.
Vessels in Gala Attire.
Each vessel in the pageant will bs
dressed" The number of pennants.
flags, ensigns, etc, which a naval vessel
must carry runs far into the hundreds for
she must be QUILTED for international sig
mailing with flags of every nation in tho
world The principal flag of each battle
ship is national emblem SO by 10 feet in
dimensions and flow only in clear weather.
Here there are five smaller ensigns of va
rious sizes flown according to the weather.
In the naval review there will be flown the
"pennant"-the personal flag of the ships
commanding officer. indicating his rank.
is rigid as that of the salute. Whenever
an officer of rank superior to that of the
ships captain boards a man-of-war down
comes the latter's pennant and up goes
the visitors in its place. Each Of these
ships will, in addition, be dressed in the
rainbow with a continuous line OF flags
extending over all the masts and descend
ing to the deck at bow and stern.
The parade fleet will be fresh from the
summer maneuvers. now in progress. Since
our navy has doubled in size in the past
five years there is great curiosity abroad
as to just what progress we have made.
An unusual number of foreign naval at
taches and experts are now watching the
maneuvers and will remain for the review.
In years past the entertainment of WISH
tors on the reviewing vessel would have
had to be personally borne by the Presi-
dent or Secretary Of the Navy, but accord
ing to recent Interpretation of the law the
Secretary of the Navy can defray out of
the contingent fund of his department the
expenses of entertaining public men aboard
our warships
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.