The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-17

The U. s. S.NOrt
-"9''An' after I met i'm all over the world,
a don, all kind of things
Like landin' 'issef with a Gatlin gun to
talk of them eathen kings:
f sleeps in an ammick instead of a cot,
an e drills with the deck on slew;
There isn't job on the top of the earth,
the beggar don't know nor do.
p y GU can leave i'm at night on bald
mans head to paddle is own canoe;
t'Es a sort of boomin' cosmopolouse-
RI soldier and sailor, too"
'''1 by Rudyard Kipling.
TT war were to break out with Mexico
-ae tomorrow probably the first news that
~ wouldbe brought to the people of Bir-
mingham would be; Marines Landed at
..,Nera Cruz; Have Situation Well in Hand
-rs They would be there. How nobody
seems to know except the powers that
be at Washington.
The marine corps of the navy might
be called the american Thunderbolt," +"
or sundry other pretty titles for it is ever
+ the first machine of war that iii launched
against an enemy.
1t is a matter of proud tradition with
/. the marine corps that they are always
on the job" The army makes ponderous
preparations for war. the war college
drafts elaborate plans for actual hos
tilities but it is ever the marine corps
that strikes first and strikes hardest.
When quick, effective action is demand
ed; when a situation is tense. when fight
ing men are needed to succor distressed
Americans, to whom do the authorities
turn. The marine corps. Why Because
there has never been time in the history
of the corps when it was not ready to
take the field at "a hours notice.
Not only to take the field but to go
anywhere from the juugles of South
America, to the wild steppes of Thibet
and the deserts of Northern China. Not
rronly to go but ready and prepared to
2 tackle anything from the disorganized re-
sistance of horde of Jole islanders TO
the trained troops of Japan.
Formidable Weapon of Offense
Beyond question. the marine corps. TO-
600 strong, is the most formidable weapon
'aof offense possessed by the United States
today.
Early last winter when the Balkan war
broke out, when massacre of Christians
was feared in Constantinople the whole
world was on tiptoe dreading an explos-
ion. The United States had no force in
Turkish waters. The nearest marines
We're on a cruiser en- route to China. The
vessel was divertedgand proceeded to Con-
stantinople to act with the European bat
tleships and relieve the fears in America
America.
If revolutionary Latn-American poll
tieians run amuclS and begin to raise
cain it Is the marines who step In and
arbtrate the matters by force of arms
Last summer when affairs in Nicarauga
We're reaching a crisis When women and
children were being slain in the lombard
inent of Granada by the rebel general,
Mena: when hundreds were being starved ;
when untold distress was being caused
by the depredations of bandits whom 1t
would dignity to term revolutonists. the
marines stepped in, captured town after
town held by the rebeds. and whom final
~ defied. stormed the position held by
the Latin-Americans in overwhelming
e. odds.
Ready at All Times
Innumerabe instances might be cited
but it is unnecessary. The marine corps
is held in readiness at all times for the
a
field. They work unostentatiously and
seldom attract attention. But when trou-
BILE comes they are there-a buwarlx
against which enemies dash in vain.
Due probably to this fact, an air of
mystery has always surrounded the ma
iine. There Is perhaps less known about
him. about his every day life, of the
methods by which he is trained than in
any other branch of the service
What of this soldier of the sea?
Where do the marines go? What are
y their duties, their characteristics? How
do they dress? Ii would be interesting
i and perhaps enghtening to hear the
responses to these questions by the first
100 persons to whom they We're put.
Considering the part he has played in
the maritime history of the world the
ignorance that prevails in regard to this
military unit is surprising. The marines
operated on Phoenacean galleys and the
iriremes of Greek merchants. five cen
turies before the Christian era. Through