Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-27
STORIES Of CASTE
SILLY, IF NOT MALICIOUS
Admiral Moore Declares Ster-
ling Worth Alone Brings
Credit in Naval Service.

Rear Admiral c. B. T. Moore, COM
mandant of the naval station at Homo
lulu, Hawaii, has issued a statement in
regard to caste in the navy which has
attracted considerable attention in con-
gressional and military circles.
THE proposition" said Admiral Moore
that there is caste in the navy. meaning
thereby that any officers standing, So
cially, is in any way affected by his
origin, is, to say the least, silly, II not
malicious.
1.-The officers who stand number one
Rear Admiral Charles E. Vreeland) and
number three (Rear Admiral w. H. H.
Southerlan6 on the active list Of rear
admirals in the navy today. were ap-
prentices before their admission to the
Naval Academy. and except for the fact
anything of it, and for all the forty-odd
years Of their service, owing to their
sterling worth. the fact that they began
at the very bottom of the ladder has
been counted to their credit.
Some years ago the law was passed
opening the way to sailor boys for COM
missions. number of warrant officers
have been commissioned, and I venture
to say that not one Of them has ever
had any social difficulty due to the fact
that he had served as an enlisted man.
There is a caste in the navy, how
ever. and if there were more such caste
the country over 1t would be better for
the whole country and incidentally for
the navy. The caste to which I refer
is the caste that demands. conduct be-
coming an officer and q gentleman
ITO be a good officer representative of
the best traditions Of the navy means
to be a gentleman, and no man in the
navy. no mater what his rank. will be
accepted socially who Is not a gentle
man.
Character Considered.
I'm the navy we do not accept man
or woman who is not possessed Of the
character required to represent properly
the service and the country to which
they belong. Occasionally there have
slipped into the navy men wanting in
character. and they have found 1t hard
to hold on. 1t is easy for such a man
to cry out caste If he happens to have
been promoted from the ranks, and there
are plenty Of men wearing Prince AL
berts, long hair and soft felt hats who
are ready to join the hue and cry.
should properly be required to show
sufficient knowledge. 1t is the easiest
thing in the world to get a certain kind
of people to believe in the claim that
ldluT0 III the examination was que 10
prejudice, and there is kind Of politician
who delights In scurrilous speeches
against men whom he recognizes as his
superiors in moral fiber and decency.
Lincoln, for Example.
1T was no credit to our greatest
statesman that he was of most lowly
origin. The credit. the honor, the wor-
ship of the merican people went out
to Abraham Lincoln because he was a
a man. a gentleman. There is nothing Of
record of Abraham Lincoln that would
lead anybody to suppose he could be
guilty of attacking anywhere. to say
nothing OF place where he fancied he
was protected from just retribution, q
body of men merely because they had
standard Of honor and decency that
differed from common political stand
ards.
THE man who thinks that the posses
sion Of Prince Albert, soft hat and
long hair makes him a gentleman has
another guess coming
by the same token, giving q man a
commission in the navy does not make
a gentleman OF him.
Living Up to Traditions.
Living up land I use the word up
advisedly) to the traditions Of the navy
does, however. make him a gentleman.
No naval officer can be truly successful
who is not a gentleman, and therefore
no man who has the interests OF the
navy, or Of the country, at heart should