New-York tribune., 1907-06-30
SHIPS OF THE NATION.
Proud Historic Claim of the ReUenue
Cutter SerUice.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau.l

lFroT The Tribune Bureaul
Washington, June 29-First in war, first In
peace and first 10 be commissioned by President
Washington is the proud claim of the Revenue
Cutter Service. That this boast is pretty well
founded is proved by time stained document
that hangs in the office of the chief Of the ser
vice. Captain Worth G. Ross, in the Treasury
Building at Washington. 1t is the commission
that President Washington gave to Colonel
Hopley Neaton. of the New Hampshire, and
what makes it particularly dear to all the oftl-
GERS and men of the service is the fact that 1t
is the first commission granted by the first
President to any officer afoat. Captain Yeaton
was previous to his appointment TO the ReYe-
ME Gutter Service. lieutenant on the frigates
Raleigh and Dean Of the Continental navy and
most of the officers ana men or the new fighting
and Policing arm Of the government were first
recruited from the same hardy stock. After
our fathers won their freedom from the mother
country, the Continental navy was disbanded
and for time, there were neither ships to sail
against an enemy nor men to manage them
under the flag of the new Republic The Reve-
nut Cutter Service was organized by an act OF
the first Congress, was approved by Washing
ton on August /, 1890, and. by November 1.
1891, ten ships were ready for duty. For six
years after that date the Revenue Cutter Ser
vice formed the only armed force anoat be-
longing to the infant nation.
To-day there more than thirteen hundred
officers and seamen in the service, and their ac-
uvities cover practically every mile OF coastline
of our country ard possessions. from Cali
fornia to Alaska, from, Maine to Panama. from
the Philippines to Porto Rico. Some one has called
the revenue service the busy branch OF Uncle
Sans maritime strength. and if wide variety
OF duties and inCessant movement entities 1t 10
that designation, the designation is apty made.
It is, if anything, buster in peace than in war.
When the country is fighting q foreign foe or
Is attending to a little excitement within its
borders, the Revenue Cutter Service takes back
keat The fighting navy IS then in the limclight.
and if the revenue service helps out at aIl-and
II is always ready to do that also-it must take
its orders from the Secretary of the Navy. But
when the cooling OF the white feathered dove OF
peace browns out the eagles warlike notes It
81 surely an all-important scagoing servant.
Here are a few of the duties assigned TO 1t by
law: 1t must protect the customs and has the
right to search ali merchant vessels arriving
within the United States or within four leagues
thereof if bound for a port in the United States;
II is expected to suppress piracy; shall search
for wrecked and missing vessels; is called upon
to enforce the neutrality laws by preventing
armed expeditions against neghbOrng and
friendly powers; must put down mutinics upon
the high seas or the navigable waters Of the
United States; shall protect the seal fisheries
OF the Alaskan waters and the sponge fisheries
of Florida and the Gulf; must enforce the navi-
CATION laws, the national marine quarantine reg
ulations and shall guard the courses of the in
ternational yacht races it is required to con-
struct and inspect life saving stations and drill
the ife-saving crews; must render aid to YES
sells in distress and aid the shipwrecked passcn-
gers and sailors, and then If the cutters and
their crews have any spare time at their dis
posal they are supposed TO so out in search OF
derellcts and sunken reefs that menace navl-
CATION for the purpose OF destroying them, and
to keep general weather eye open about the
harbors and ports of the country to see that tho
men who follow the sea are not engaged
In anything unlawful under the Between