Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-31
The Fathers Of the Navy.


hands. both of these naval heroes o
Revolutionary days are heraldcd as tn
father Of the American navy by thei
respective admirers, and the con
troversy is reaching an acute stag
now that their statues are to be erect
ed in Washington. For each statu
Congress appropriated the generous
sum of $4,000. but the national legis
lative body wisely sidestepped any at
tempt to settle the controversial ques
tion regarding the navy's pedigree.
The claim of John Paul Jones. ol
rather the claim of his admirers, ha:
receive! more general recognition, per
haps, and this is no doubt largely due
to the added interest in his life ant
career which was aroused by the
bringing back of his body fron Paris
year or two ago after it had reposed
| in French soil for more thar a GEN.
| tury. To be sure, some doubt has
been cast upon the genuineness of the
remains, but General Porter> our min
lister to France, stOutlv maintains that
their identity was absolutely estab-
lished and that there is not the slight
at Annapolis is other than that of
John Paul Jones.
John Barry was Il native of Ireland,
| while Jones was a native Of Scotland.
| This injects a little racial prejudice
| teristic loyalty the people of Irish des-
cent in this country are rallying around
the Barry standard ready to fight any
body wto disputes his title as the
father OF the navy. Nobod,' vii! deny
that both Barry and Jones diG valiant
service for the cause of, independence
and there was glory enough in that
war on both land and sea to go around.
Everybody who knows Revolutionary
history knows that the first naval en-
counter OF that war took place in Ma
chias Bay on the coast of Maine. and
the gallant patriots of that town who
captured the armed British sloop
Margaretta after az brief and bloody
encounter in which the British COM
marder was mortally wounded deserve
a bigger place in history than has
Jr1 D,,f oil ,frI,
they won the first naval battle, they
make no claims to the paternity of the
American navy. That is something to
be settled between Jones and Barry.
AS for the facts of their service, it
is a matter of record that both placed
themselves at The disposal of the Con-
tinental= Congress in 17175 at the very
credit Of flying. an American flag for
the first time on the water and also for
making the first attack upon a British
vessel. That was on April 8, 1915, when
his little fleet attacked the British
frigate Glasgow off Block Island; the
Glasgow escaped, however 1t was
Garry who captured the first prize a
few days later. On April II, 1916. he
encountered and captured the Edward
off the coast of Virginia.
Both of them played brilliant part
in the warfare waged upon the high
seas during the next few years. cap
turing and sinking British war YES
sells and merchantmen and spreading
terror on the British coast. 1t was
the lot Of Jones to display the stars
and stripes in June, iii. upon the
Ranger, the first time it had been dis
played upon a man-of-war. His cap
turc of the Scrapis was one Of the
notable naval victories of the war.
OF Barry's many notable victories per-
hars the most distinguished were The
carture of the two British privateers
and later the capture of two more vcs-
sells. the Atllanta of Is guns and the
IL PeSSNS VI ~ suns. ipiii h''' l1bu
the honor of carrying Lafayette to
France in 1871 and in 1882 during
three weeks cruise he captured eight
Briti,t, vessels These were the last
fights OF the war.
After the war WA; over Jones went
to Europe where he was highly honorcd
in France and Russia. and his death
occurred in Paris in 1872. Barry re-
n.ained i'll this country. was {. delegate
t" the convention which revised the
Articles of Confederation and when the
new navy was established In 1874 he
was the first of The six captains com
missioned by President Washington
In this sense. disregarding their Rcvo-
luticnary services. Fairy certainly has
a superior claim to Jones. In the lit
tie unpieasantncss that occurred be-
tween this country and France in the
early years Of the 18Th century Barry
a squadron and captured
several French privatcers and sank