The Washington herald., 1914-05-03

It was gasoline. notes the Philadeiphia
Public Ledger. that made Rear Admirai
Thomas Henry Mayo an internationa
figure, Gasoline and grit, and the long
arm of coincidence, seem all to have
played a part in securing q place Tor
the admiral in the annals OF the day.
The gasoline operated negatively by fail-
ing altogether on the launch Of the gun
boat Dolphin. Coincidence brought
party OF Hueristas to the Tampieo
landing Just in time to have their sus-
picions aroused to an irrational pitch
by the arrival Of the gasobne-seeking
launch. The grit was displayed by the
admiral himself. and this undoubtedly
was the most powerful agent of the
three in determining that the name OF
Mayo should be cabled around the world
II Is a testimony to our too slight In
terest In those who serve US that this
man has. remained wholly unknown to
the great majority Of Americans until
SC recently. In the navy. says the Puo-
lie Ledger. almost any naval officer can
tell you a lot Of things about Mayo
the sandy-haired Vermonter." who gave
Huerta a lesson in international ethics
Mayo was eficient from the day he
was graduated" said an oficer of the
battleship Louisiana just before that
ship sailed for Tampico the other day.
"and he has been efficient ever since. in
every position he has held, from the day
that his active career began on the old
monitor Tennessee in 1871 until he hoisted
his two-starred pennant to the masthead
Of the battleship Connecticut. the day
after last Christmas. the commander OF
the fourth division Of the Atlantic
Fleet
Liked scientihc Work.
Admiral Mayo began his naval career
at the age of sixteen. when he appeared
as a candidate for Annapolis on the ap-
pointment of Worthington Curtis Smith,
a Representative from Vermont Four
years later he took the post Of Passed
Midshipman on one Of the old comnina-
ton steam and sail vessels. and within
two years had received his ensign's
stripe His inclination for scientific
work. which has since been responsible
for his very efficient knowledge Of the
man-'o-war as a fighting machine, led
him into such departments as the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. the United States
Naval Observatory. and the naval branch
of the Photographic Office at Port Town
send. Wash. The article continues:
Promotion was very slow in those days,
but the Spanish war found Mayo
lieutenant, a naval rank corresponding to
that of captain of the army. The records
afford no inkling that he performed any
particularly conspicuous service during
the war period. but. like most Of the
other officers Of his rank. he went
through the hostilities on one OF the war
ships.
II was as a lieutenant that he served on
the gunboat Bennington. the little ship
on board which occurred the terrible
boiler explosion in July. 1906, in which
d. rAfa los hat
lives But Mayo was not of the official
personnel of the Bennington at the time
Of that historic naval disaster. His service
on the Bennington was during the Span
ish war.
After the Spanish war. MAYO served
as a lieutenant-commander on the battle
slip Wisconsin. and when he reached
his captaincy was made the commander
of the armored cruiser California, then
the flagship OF the Pacihc Fleet. and now
one of the ships that have been ordered
TO the west Mexican waters in connec-
ton with the blockade Of the Pacihc
ports of Mexico.
Rise In His Profession.
Admiral Mayo was commandant Of the
Mare Island Navy Yard. near San Fran
cisco, in the latter part Of last year.
when he was sent for by Secretary
Daniels TO discuss with him the PROPOSE
ton to reduce the yard from the status
OF first to a second-class establishment.
Mayo came on from the Coast. and when
he met Secretary Daniels the impress
sion he created was so favorable that
the Secretary had him relieved as COM
mandant at Mare Island and assigned
him to duty at in Navy Department at
Washington.
Secretary Daniels needed an aid for per-
sonnel. There are four aids, as they are