New-York tribune., 1908-10-21
ABOARD THE ALABAMA
TdilOrs Take Possession -"iStand by,
Liberty Partu."

II may take nine tailors to make a man." ac-
cording to the song but it appeared at the Brook
lyn Navy Yard yesterday that the number reached
more than a hundred. In other words. be-
cause the battleship Alabama had just completed
tour of thirtyfve thousand miles. and also be-
cause she carried some twenty-five officers who had
been on the Asiatic station for three years there
was great demand for up-tO-the-rninute Broad
way tailoring And so the United States ship
Alabama was boarded yesterday by an invading
party whose weapons not brOadswords but
scissors and chalk-bits
When Tribune reporter went on board the Ala
bama at the Brooklyn navy yard yesterday af-
ternoon he had some difficulty in getting through
the throngs of agents for shoe manufacturers suit
case makers and Clothing constructors" These
representatives OF mercantile establishments were
being shunted over to committee CT warrant Off
GERS, when a commissioned officer remarked:
We're not amateur Beau Brummes but we've
been three years the Asiatic station. and we're
Just exactly three years behind the present Broad
way style"
When one Of the officers questioned regard
ing the difficulty relative to obtaining proper
clothing in the Orient he said: II had heard lot
ABOUT INC stories published regarding the initiative
aplilty or japanese and Chinese tailors They are
too initiative For example: I took around a suit
OF cts, which happened to have a much needed
Pateh' 70 Jap tailor for pattern, and when
got my new suit returned from him found that
MS Initiative sense had inspired him TO cut a hole
AAA '44O clStu VI tNS new sun md IN a
So you see that we have not found the Oriental
tailors exactly satisfactory
FROM the time the Alabama reached the FrooL-
lyn navy yard. shortly after O'Clock Yesterday
morning having steamed up from off Tompkins-
VILE, until the evening mess hour the agents for
all sorts or mems filters were "on the lob" The
officers who wished to repIenish their wardrobe
were worried only point. 1t was green
hats.
Nobody could blame the officers because one re-
porter among those who went aboard wore green
hat and did not apologize for H. Without a smile
he declared that everybody Broadway. except
Ing Oscar Hammarstein. was in on the emerald
felt An officer who listened this without show
ing signs OF emotion. remarked that even though
such might be the style he would reserve the
privilege for his next tour of duty on the Asiatic
station Because" he said they don't care what
you the Bund in Hong Kong"
Besides the officers who were homeward bound
from their long service in the Far East there were
seventy three seanen on board the Alabama whose
four-year OF service had expired in the Orient
and who discharged yesterday with full pay
at the Brooklyn navy yard. CThere was some
thing doing the BOvery last night)
Despite the fact that the Alabama had cracked
her starboard high pressure cylinder and that the
entire cost of her repairs will amount to $4,000
she appeared as natty any yacht yesterday with
the waves far asJern. InasmuCh she carried
six hundred men. there point to the
officers remark that under old tradition of the
navy there should be foot the homebound
banner for each man aboard, but that with such
a complement the foot per man rule had to be
a brogated He remarked. however, that when
gunboat of which he was in command returned
to Manila Bay from expedition up the Yang
tse-Kiang they flew the homeward bound ban
ner without difficulty and lived up tc the tradition
because there were only twelve men aboard, and
small the gunboat was she could carry 12-foot
pennant