New-York tribune., 1907-06-02
SHIPS OF THE NATION.
Gorcrnmem Has More of Them than
Most Persons Realize.
From The Tribune Bureau !

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington, June 1.-Uncle Sam afloat is a
much more imposing figure than most persons
Imagine. 1t is just possible that the well mean
ing critics Of the government who from time to
time make speeches, write articles draw pict-
ures of our respected relative, the big brother
of all our parents showing him in the small boy
nautical class, have i'm reality faint conception
Of just what Uncle Sam owns in the way of
ships THE Stars and Stripes have almost dis
appeared from the seas is a favorite statement
of one class, and if some one contradicts that
assertion, they reply: "Oh, of course, we have
a few battIosh.ps, cruisers and torpedo boats
but that's about aI'-and so the argument is
supposed to end. The First Glass in Admiration
OF Everything Foreign then proceeds to exclairn
over the tremendous number Of ships that carry
the British, German, French and Russian flags
Volumes have been written about Uncle Sans
fighting navy, but few readers of the neyspapers
have given more than passing thought TO his
other navies. We are all familiar with the tur-
retcd kennels Of the Warshlps wherein are
chained the tWclve-inch dogs of war; we have
all seen the 'hghting tops from which the ma
chine guns pour down their rattle of smokeless
death; and we are almost all Of us on speaking
terms with the torpedo boats which send their
arrows of ntroglyccrine shaking through the
water to find the unprotected hide of an encrny's
Honclad But who ever takes interest in the
great navies Of peace that fly the Star Spanglcd
Banner? Who, outside Of a few bureau officials
IN Washington, can count the nober battIeships
and cruisers that go out by day and night, in
calm and storm, in summer and winter. to fight
the winds, the sunkcn reefs. the dcrclicts ard
the pitess surf?
1t may sound more romantic TO face n six-inCh
gun than northeaster; it may seem more pict-
uresque to die in a duel with an enemy that
wears opaulcts than to meet your doom In
struggle with the breakers while the ship you are
trying to save is pounding to pieces a quarter Of
a mile off shore. 1t may also seem more noble
At first thought, to patrol a deck in gold lace
than to plod wcarily up and down stormy
beach in oisilinT but the chances are that the
crew and passengers Of some imperilled shin
who heed the warning signal light flashed by the
lone lifcsaver may have a different notion on the
subjcCt His vigilance may their lives and
millions of dollars worth Of property. but his
wages VIII not be increased nor will he reap
any salvage or prize money from the achieve
ment. He'll keep drawing his $50 a month
IL he retains his health and strength and IL he
dies in the line Cf duty his widow and children
may be lucky enough to collect his pay for two
years after the night he misjudged his footing
on the slippery rocks or was beaten to death
by the sledge hammer waves when he tried to
hunCh the surfboat.
Then there's the revenue cutter navy You
sont hear much about that, except at intervals
when a few lines slip into the paper under an
Alaskan date line. telling about the capture OF
an outlaw sealing vessel Of the chase and
oVerhauling Of some smuggers bringing goods
into port in defiance of the tariff laws The
heroic rescue of sailors imprisoned and starving
on the ice foes of Bering Sea- the ceaseless
search for crippled ships, the quest Of menaces
TO navigation, like derelicts and new grown vol
eanic reefs the aid extended to shipwrecked
craft all up and down the stormy Atlantic coast
hnc-those are only a few Of the ordinary. hum
drum routine duties Of the revenue service men
that they are performing brayely, modestlv. nm
compainingly, day by day.
The Fish Commission has a navy which makes
possible putting back into the depleted waters
millions Of fishes annually and develops new
grounds that will produce yet other millions Of
The hnny tribe, and the latest 1otilla-that Of