Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-24
BIG PRIZE MONEY
FOR SAIL 0RS OF
ALLIED FLEETS

Sailors of the allied navies in war are
to receive a substantial reward If the re-
ports of prizes taken SO far are any in
dication of what is to come. According
to the incomplete lists obtainable the al
lies have captured about 90 merchant
vessels. All of these will be condemned
by the prize courts of the various coun-
tries and a proportion of the money OBJ
tained will be divided among the blue
Jackets.
Customs of the different nations in re-
gard to prizes and prize money are not
definitely known by the consuls here, but
the English rule on this question is the
same as that used by the United States
prior to 1899. At that time all the rules
governing prize money disposition were
repealed. 1t was the habit in the English
navy then, and it is believed 1t still is,
to give to the commanding officer of the
feet or squadron one-twentieth part of
all prize money taken by any vessels un-
der him.
The commanding officer of a squadron
or division under a commander -in-chief
awarded to the capture The fleet cap
tain gets one one-hundreth of the amount
given to any vessel in which he is serv-
ing unless the capture is made by the
ship he is on board. In that case he OBJ
tains a share In proportion to his pay. A
commander of single vessel receives
eHe-tenth of the booty If ne is acting IN
n Uf ha ic L fr,ur
independently he obtains three-twen-
tieths. The officers and crew receive
share of what is left in proportion to
their pay. All vessels within signaling
distance and in condition to give aid II
required share in the prize money.
Examples of what the awarding of
prize money means to the men of the
navy may be gained from the amounts
paid by the United States In the civil
war and the Spanish war. A
rule which held in the United States and
1t is believed to be in law in England,
says that if the capture is made by a
superior force half the money goes to the
government. If the captor is in less
strength than the prize all the money
goes to the men. But in spite of this
rule more than s15000,001 was paid to the
men of the Union fleet at the close of the
civil war. Sums varying from 10 cents
to $1,000 were paid to tho seamen. The
largest amount to any single officer was
s3S, S1s
Although there were not so many YES
sells taken in the Spanish-American war
the shares of prize money were even
larger than in 1866 1t was computed In
May 1898, that the share to Admiral
Sampson, as commander of the North At
lantic squadron, which took so many
prizes at the outset of the struggle, was
100000 The capture OF the Spanish fleet
at Manila by Admiral Dewey's ships
brought 1871, 531 Sc to the men Of the fleet
The Naval Pension Fund received a like
amount Admiral Dewey's share of this
was s39.S7657. The men on the average
received a sum corresponding to three
months pay.
So far the allied fleets have taken about
GO prizes. 1t is believed that these will be
held until the end of the war and then
be judged by the prize courts of the diff
ferent nations. According to an inter
national agreement signed at The Hague
in 1907, an International Prize Court of
10 members has been established to which
appeal can be taken either on an error of
the decisions of the prize courts of the
captors. All the contending powers are
signatories to this government.