Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-29

The first little fracas between the
Evans fleet bluejackets and the water
front folk happened Mt Rio Janeiro.
| IL didn't amount TO much. though Il
couple OF sailors were slightly cut by
the Brazilian negro who started the
AFFAIR. Admiral Evans quickly called
from shore all of the shins liberty
parties. Then he investigated the lii
tie rough house. He found that the
hmejackets were not to blame. and
so, on the following day. 1000 of the
ships men for'ard were allowed to
hit the beach.
Although nothing serious OF this
nature is looked for In tho progress
OF the long cruise down and up the
| south American coast by the battle
ship fleet, there may be Il few other
minor tits between hluejackets and
| beech frontiers before the trip Is fin
ished With some $4,000 naval sail
| ormen taking their turns ut liberty
| In the various ports visited IL would
be strange indeed If theuS were not
u few melees to record in the course
of SO prolonged a cruise. But moth
Ing so tight-ftting as the fight be-
| tween sailors OF the cruiser Balti-
| more and parcel OF knife welding
Chll3ans. which came close to invoiv-
| Ing the United States in 4 scrap with
| Chile. is anticipated by any OF the
| Officers maxim the present cruise
For one thing. and an Important
thing. the South Americans like us
a great deal better than they used
to- They used TO entertain the idea
that the United States had furtive,
lurking designs on the countries of
South America; that the eventual
| program Of the United States was
to gobble up South America aad Yam
keeiae the South American repub-
lies Secretary Root; tour down
that way had good deal to do with
dlspelling this quaint idea. which for
| SO long time possessed tho South
| American imagination.
All the same while II Is expected
that the cruise will wind IN without
any OF the bluejackets getting into
| serious conflicts with the natives any
where. the admiral of n fleet and the
| commanding Officers of the ships are
| always watching ont for such occur.
| rences. They dread them almost
more than they dread anything else
In connection with long cruise. At
the very least. SUCH mix-ups involve
lot of smoothing over and a lot OF
explaining to the Navy Department
Such affairs are very often magnifej
in press dispatches. the Navy De-
partment wants 10 know and wants
TO know in detail and right away.
The present cruise is safeguarded
In way, from such happenings by n
special order TO the men for'ard
which was Issued by the Navy De-
partment before the fleet left Hamp-
ton Roads. This special order con-
Germs the conduct of the bluejackets
when they are ashore in the foreign
ports. It points out how necessary IL
Is for them to behave ashore on this
| trip for the honor of the United States
sea service and calls upon them to he
! decent. self-respecting, sober and
mindful OF their uniform when hit
| ting the beach. In essence, 1t nuts
the liberty men on sort OF extra pa
role. Now, enlisted men like to have
1t put IN 10 them" in this way. IL
! shows they take 1t that they've been
considered in connection with the
Job. When n special order of ,iiat
sort is written right smack nj them
they'll give ear to It, and digest it
and end by concluding that the spec
ial order is right. all right Before
they start ashore In the cutters this
special order is read to the lined-up
liberty parties OF all of the ships OF
the fleet by the officer of the deck
| just to keep them in mind OF the
terms of the order. Thus the liberty
parties step ashore with the fresh
hint in their ears that they've got to
be good. II helps a good deal Any
body who has ever watched how the
reading of these special orders di.
In practice knows that it helps. II
certainly must have worked out fine
~ at Trinidad, when the governor.
Sir Henry Jackson. sent Admiral Ev-
ans 4 communication stating that
he'd mover seen a big outfit OF blue
jackets of any country behave so well
as the men for'ard of the hattleship
fleet behaved while visiting his place
In addition TO this, when II is ex-
ira desirable that bluejackets visiting
foreign ports should keep an eye on
their shore oonduct for the sake OF
preserving all-round good will. o
particular watch is kept on the hair.
triggerish. quicktempered chaps OF
he liberty parties by the more even
ly balanced fellows who go along
with them. Also. tn lndurateo
rummies among the blueiackets, who
just cannot go ashore anywher'
without getting q skinful OF whatever
/ sort rf eyhilo ratin. ;,,;on thav CON