The National tribune., 1908-11-19
THE MARINES.


factions in the Navy favoring and op
posing the Marine Corps has ended in
the victory of the latter, and an order
! by the President of the United States
aboiishing the marine squad as n part
of the crew of every ship. The party
opposed to marines has contendcd that
now. since all the sailors are soldiers
marines are unnecessary. They were
separate portion of the crew under
different commanders, and thus made
| complications that were unnecessary
The duties of the marines could be
| quite as well performed by sailors,
since these are now drilled in the use
of the musket and the school of the
soldier.
The marines run back to the far dis
tant past, when the galleys and ships
were merely for the transportation of
fighting men. The bigger part of the
men on every ship or galley was at one
time the fighting force, while the SAIL
ors took no part in the fighting except
to manage the ships. AS marine artil-
lery grew in size and effectiveness the
sailors were drilled to work the guns in
addition to their sailing duties, and the
part of the soldiers was reduced to
preserving discipline. standing guard
over the magazine, the brig" the
stores, the gangways, etc.
In the days Of the press gang all sorts
of desperate characters We're forced in
to the service, and it was necessary to
have guard of disciplined soldiers to
hold them in order and enforce disci-
plinc. This was done by the marines
i'll the British navy, and when we es-
tablished our Navy we copied that fea-
tur2. Like the English, our marines
were armed with muskets, and had
nothing to do with the operation of
the ship, but stood guard, and in battle
acted as sharpshooters and formed the
landing parties which went ashore. In
this latter service the American marines
have won great reputation all over the
world. They are the oldest of our Ma
tional military bodies, and it is claimed
are the best disciplined troops in the
world. They have made n high repu-
tation for themselves, from our earlier
war with the Barbary powers to our
later struggles with Spain and in China.
The marines were first established by
an act of Congress of Nov. 10, 1775,
and the corps really dates from June 25,
1776, when it was made to consist of
one Major. nine Captains, 10 First Lieu
tenants and 72 Lieutenants. The corps
had q varying strength during the Rev
olution, but when the reorganization of
the Navy took place, in 1898, a strength
of SS1 officers and men was authorized,
commanded by a Major. The useful
ness OF the corps led to its expansion
in 1902 to one Brigadier-G General, five
line Colonies, three staff ColoneIs, six
Lieutenant-Colonels, 10 line Majors,
four staff Majors, Sc line Captains.
three staff Captains and Sc each of
First Lieutenants and Second Lieuren-
ants and 5000 enlisted men. The head
quarters of the corps are in Washing
ton, where the Commandant, Brig
Gen. Frank George Elliott and his staff
IF Adjutants, Quartermasters and Pay
masters, with their offices, are MAIN
tanned. The practice has been to have
4 squad of marines of from 10 to Is
per cent of the strength of the crew
upon every ship, with an officer in !
command of rank in proportion to the |
strength of the detachment. According |
10 the Presidents order, this use OF I
marines will be abolished, and their !
iuties confined to guarding magazines, |
navy yards and Temporarily garrison
ing positions held outside of the United !,
States. The duties now performed by !
marines aboardship viii be discharged |
by sailors, who will also form the land
ing parties, as they can Well do with |
their present arms and drill.