Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-06-27
OUR OWN M|DSH|PMEN
Capture The English Metropolis
And Make A Big Hit In City
OF London
AN UPROARIOUS WELCOME
Accorded Middies On Practice Cruise
Their Smartness Attracts LOndeners

The British metropolis SURRENDERED
itself utterly to the 525 midshipmer
from the United States Naval Acad
emy who invaded the city of Londor
Saturday afternoon bv two special
trains from Plymouth, where the
three American battleships. the Iowa
the Indiana and the Massachusetts,
! carrying them on summer practice
cruise, will lie at anchor until next
Thursday.
Looking trim in their blue uniforms
they received a noisy welcome as they
tumbled out of the trains at Pad.
dington station, and during the even
ing they were cheered in the street
by Americans and Englishmen alike.
Squads who visited the theaters
and music halls were constantly hail.
ed with an uproarious welcome.
Each naval cadet has been consti.
tuted an officer commanding himself.
He is at liberty to see the sights OF
the big city as he chooses. The
only injunction which has been laid
npon the youngsters who will become
some day officers in the United States
fleet is that they report promptly at
noon yesterday at the railway station.
Special trains carried them back
to the warships.
Their smart appearance has at
tracted considerable attention. Lon
doners expected to find them clad in
the regular garb of enlisted men.
Consequently they rubbed their eyes
when they saw them in uniforms not
unlike those worn by retired British
soldiers and sailors who serve as COM
missionaries in London, excepting the
rows of medals usually decorating the
latter.
The hotels are jammed with the
"middies," who will tour the city as
they see fit. No formal program has
been arranged for them. The Amer
lean Society in London and other
organizations sought permission to
entertain them, but Captain in COM
mand of the cruising squadron felt it
necessary to decline all such invita-
tions and to allow the boys to spend
their time in their own way
While the midshipmen are enjoying
shore leave approximately one hun
dred bluejackets from various ships
are also having a good time here.
They have been taken in tow by Brit
ish sailors. Practically all are quar-
tered at the Union Jack Club and the
Shore Club. The ''hands across the
sea" sentiment has been eli nched
more firmly than ever by mutual
good fellowship.
Down at Plymouth Friday, while
the battleships were coaling in the
inner harbor, Captain Clark, attended
by his aid, made formal call on the
Mayor of that city. The latter point
ed out to his visitors the original
paintings of Drake and Hawkins.
The Mayor will return the visit to-
day.
Paymaster Spear is buy. He drew
SIS, 600 from a local bank for the
expenses of the midsIipmen and blue
jackets. They have made themselves
popular there by free expenditures of
money prior to their London inva-
sion. Practically every man ordered
new civilian clothes, the battleships
having been visited by host of
tailors with their samples.
Midshipman G. A. Smith, of Chi
cago, who was removed to Plymouth
Naval Hospital, suffering from ty-
phoid fever, is making good progress
though he may not be able to leave
with his ship.
The Baltimore Sunday Sun had the
following news item, copyrighted by
the New York Herald Company and
special to the Baltimore Sun:
London, June 25.-The 525 mid
shipmen of the United States Nava
Academy, on their summer cruise
have learned why London has contrib
uted to mankind the sartorial fashion
of turning up ones trousers.
ITO man they proposed today thai
hip boots should properly be adopted
by Londoners as more practicable, 70
torrential downpours of rain almos
continuously swept the city aud inter
ferred greatly with the sight-seeinI
trips which had been planned.
Every moment of their visit ha
been cherished as most precious, fo
tomorrow at noon all must return t
Plymouth and the cruising fleet, com
posed of three battleships, the lows
the Indiana and the Massachusetts
The warships will not weigh ancho
until Thursday, however.
From early morning until late a
night the midshipmen defied the rain
frequently to the detriment of thei
trim blue uniforms. Many visite
the Tower of London. Some went t
Westminster Abbey and the houses o
Parliament The lighter minde
sought the shelter of theatrical matt
nees.
'On every hand they received warn
greetings. Many Of the 'middies
caught their first glimpses of Britis
soldiers on leave from AIdershoi
The gaudiness of the uniforms {
Great Britain's fighting men, it wa
laughingly decided, is necessary I
keep up their loyalty in face of s,
perfiuity of genuine English weathe
MANY of the visitors were permi
ted pivate inspections of old tripi
mouth cannons captured by the Bri