Evening star., 1913-12-07

ship guns of three, five and six inch cali
Der. Part of their training Is to mount
these pieces in suitable shore positions:
They are taught the various methods OF
singing and transporting ordnance ;,
When not fighting they serve aooard
the battleships and cruisers as sentlneis
They watch over the gangways and over
boats alongside They give alarm m
case of fire. They are to see to 1t tnat
no smoking or washing of clothes goes
on except during the prescribed hours.
They allow no enlisted man or boat 10
leave the ships side without the au-
thority of the officer Of the deck. They
act as guards of prisoners. and at all
times are to maintain discipline and good
order. When the fleet is in port either
home or foreign, they constitute the
deck guard for purposes of rendering
honors. At cities where they are sta
toned they usually form part OF the
guard of honor for military funerals:
Ashore in foreign countries they tight
or discharge peaceful duties, according 20
need. And when there is any fighting TO
be done they are generally the men VINO
start the fighting. They open the way
for bigger fighting. if such should be
necessary. They are the forerunners Oh
both the army and navy. They are
eat 'em alive boys" Except in case OF
big and important fighting the marines
finish the job alone. AS the Marine Corps
all told comprises only 10000 men and
334 officers. it could not fight a war,
but for the dozens of smaller calls for
military aid it is all sufficient. If either
the army or navy, or both. are to come
into action later on it Is usually the
marines who have taken the first step
against the enemy.
i, *
advance base" work has now become
an important. probably the most i'm
portant part of their service. This means
constant preparation to pack up and be
off at a moments notice. 1t means that
in twenty-four hours or less after call
comes they will have all foodstuffs, per-
sonal equipment, guns, ammunition tents,
hospital supplies and everything else that
may be needed. either in cold or warm
countries, aboard ship and be ready to
sail to any part Of the world And of
they go, singing.
Our flags unfurled to every breeze
From dawn 10 setting sun;
We have fought in every CLINE and place
Where We could take a gun:
In the SHOWS of far-on northern lands
And in sunny tropfc scenes.
You will find us always on the 1op:
There has been only one year since 1900
when the marines were not called on for
duty on some foreign shore. and during
that period but twenty-six have been
killed. Nineteen of these, one of them
an officer. fell during the International
relief expedition to protect the foreign
legations at Feking during the Boxer re-
bellion in 1900 In the following year
two were killed i'm the Samar campaign
in the Philippines. Five were killed in
Nicaragua in October, 1912. while fight
ing against revoiutionists. The president
of Nicaragua. members OF his cabinet
and other prominent citizens of the Cen
trail American republic attended the fu-
neral services of the four marines killed
in the fight at Barrancas Hill. near
Masaya. In addition, as soon as Gen.
Emiliano Chamorro, tnen minister OF
foreign affairs OF Nicaragua, now min
lister from that country to the United
States, learned of the deaths Of the ma
rines, he called on American Minister
Weitzel and expressed his sympathy and
that of his government.
In 1900 we find American marines land
rines from other countries in relieving
the besieged legations at Peking. In
eleven days this was accomplished. In
1901 they landed in Samar and also
were called to Panama and Colon. They
were in Panama again in the three fol-
lowing years.
In November, 1903, a company of ma
rlnes had the novel experience Of riding
camels across the deserts Of Africa, as
they accompanied representative OF the
American StaRs Department into the
heart of Abyssinia to its capital for
conference with the famous King Meme
Iik In the same year another company