The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-10-09
FAIR NAVY SPONSORS
Chrlsteners of the Nations War
ships to Organize.
SUGGESTION is FROM SOUTH

AlsS Mary campbsII Of Birmingham,
Ala, Took the Initiative-Approvod
by Naval Officers, Who Believe Such
Society Would BE AmSrlea's Burks'a
PosraeS For Women.
The Society Of Navy Sponsors now
being organized win be one OF the
most interesting and exclusive in the
United States, says a Birmingham
(Ala) correspondent of the New York
World. In its ranks will be numbered
the daughters Of governors, senator's,
congressman, wives of naval officers
and many Of the most beautiful wO-
men in the United States, each sponsor
having been selected on account OF the
social prominence OF her family, it's
political importance. as well as for
her own rank in the list Of national
beauties.
Every woman who has dashed bot
tie Of sparkling wine over the prows
Of ship of the United States navy Is
eligible to the society, and from time
to time others who act as sponsors will
be admitted. There are 100 women
who are eligible to such a society.
Application to the navy department
has revealed the fact that no Official
record Of sponsors has been kept. The
task Of obtaining the names and ad-
dresses of eligible women has been
undertaken by group Of navy spon-
sors, who are anxious to be supplied
with complete record. When 1t was
found that the navy department was
unable to give an official record, in.
quiries were made of government OH.
cials, representatives in congress and
other prominent folk. Navy sponsors
from one end of the continent to the
other are in communication. A list Of
eligible women is now being prepared,
although the complete record will hard
~ be obtained until the society Is we'll
organized. A meeting Of navy spon-
sors will be held in Washington this
fall
From the far south came the sug-
gestiOn to organize society of women
who have christened the nations war
ships, Miss Mary Campbell of Biz
mlngham, Ala, who broke bottle Of
champagne over the cruiser Birming-
ham at its launching in Fore river last
spring. has taken the initiative. From
the interchange of letters between this
southern girl and one from the north
the Society Of Navy Sponsors had
FITS inspiration.
AS sponsor of the Salem, the sister
ship of the Birmingham, Miss lorna
Pinnock of Massachusetts wrote a
eongratulatOry note to Miss Campbell
on the successful launching OF that
vessel. MAY we trust" wrote Miss
Pinnock, that these two ships-the
Salem and the Birmingham-wilI long
carry the stars and stripes and be en-
blematical of the friendship and love
OF the north and the south"
Miss Campbell's reply was most cor.
dial and enthusiastic. "Can we not
organize a society of sponsors Of the
United States navyT' she wrote Miss
Pinnock. From the pleasant asso-
citation and comradeship that should
grow out of 1t we would contribute our
mite to the development of our navy
and to the furthering Of the good feel
ing which should pervade all sections
OF our country" were some of the pa
tr1otic sentiments expressed by the
young sponsor.
The suggestion reached Washington,
Naval officers were delighted that a
movement had been started to organ
lie society of women who had stood
sponsors for American warships. The
navy regarded itself fortunate in hav-
ing the cooperation of so many beau
ttful young women at the hundred or
more launchings of the grim destroy
ers. Navy people expressed the opin-
ion that such society would be Amer
ica's Burke's Peerage for the feminine
sex. The approval Of the navy was
equivalent to the successful launching
Of battleship. and national social IN
terest has now become conferred in the
plans Of the navy sponsors
Many Of the sponsors are eligible to
the several other patriotic societies in
the United States. As members Of the
Daughters Of the American Revolu-
ton they are interested in preserving
war records and establishing the claims
Of hundreds of women who are eligible
to this organization. The Colonial
Danes Of America also numbers many
navy sponsors who are direct descend
ants Of colonial governors. The south
has its Daughters of the COnfederacy.
Claims in other societies are estab-
lished through lineal descendants, but
the Society Of Navy Sponsors VIII be
distinct IN its eligibility clause. Not
through the patriotic role Of an an
cestOr will its members be elected, but
for the individual part that she has
played In the history Of her country.
Admiral Dewey has warmly Endorsed
the object Of the society. He has
written Miss Campbell Of his sincere
snfaraaf and baIfpF that the anrfafr Hrfl1