The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
~ J. \. HUTCHINSON.

"@IE root OF the necessity that
seized the British sailor and
made Of him what he In time
l. became, the most abject crea-
turc and the most efficient fighting unit
the world has ever produced, lay In
the fact that he was island born.
In that island q great and vigorous
people had sprung into being-a people
great in their ambitions. commerce and
dominion: vigorous in holding what
they had won against the assaults, med
,ated or actual, Of those who envied
their greatness and coveted their pos
sessions. OF this island people. as Of
their worldwide interests, the ''chiefest
defence" was a good fleet at sea-
The Peace Of Utrecht. marking though
1t did the close OF the protracted war Of
the Spanish succession. brought to the
island kingdom not peace. but sword;
for although its navy was as unrivalled
as It's commerce and empire, the su.
IRENE struggle for existence, under the
guise Of the mastery of the sea. was
only just begun. Decade after decade.
- that struggle waxed ard waned but
went remorselessly on, the navy grew
in ships, the ships in tonnage and
weight Of metal, and with their growth
the demand for men, imperative as the
very existence Of the nation. mounted
ever higher and higher. In 1855 nifty
thousand sufiiced for the nations needs.
By 1850 the number had reached ninety
two thousand: and with 1909 It touched
highwater mark in the unprecedented
total Of one hundred and twenty-nine
thousand men.
In his endeavors to escape the gang
the sailor resembled nothing 30 much ~
that hopelessly impotent fugitive the
flying fish. For both the sea swarmed
with enemies bent on catching them
Both sought to evade those enemies by
flight. and both. their Intellectual flight
ended. returned to the sea again
whether they would or not. 1t was their
fate, a deep sea kismet a. unavoidable
~ death.
The ultimate destination Of the sailor
who by strategy or accident succeeded
in ending the triple line Of sea gangs
so placed as to head him of from the
coast was thus never In doubt. Hi'
longest flights were those he made or
land, for here the broad horizon thai
stood the gangs in such good stead a.
sea was measurably narrower. while
hiding places abounded and were nevel
far to seek All the same. in spite o.
these adventurous aids to self-enace
mcnt the predestined end OF the sea
raring man sooner or later overlook
him The gang met him at the turnint
# the ways and wiped him of the fac'
II the land. In the expressive words O
naval officer who knew the conditions
thoroughly well, the sailors chances o
obtaining a good run for his none!
were not worth q chaw CT tobacco.
For this inevitable finish to all thu
sailors attempts at flight on shore their
existed In the main two reasons. TIT
first Of these lay in the sailor himself
making Of him an unconscious aide
ana abettor in his own capture. Just al
love and cough cannot be hid. 81
here was no Disgusting the fact tina
the sailor was a sailor. He was marked
~ characteristics that infallibly be
,raycd him. His handy legs and rollint
ga.' suggested irresistibly the way OF
ship at sea. and no soaking" In ale
house or tavern could eliminate the sal
from the peculiar oaths that were a
natural to him as the breath OF life
Assume what disguise ne would n
TEL under suspicion at sight, and n
had only to open his mouth to turn tina
suspicion into certainty. 1t needed NJ
Sh' rlock Holmes OF gangsman 4
divine what he was or whence he came
The second reason why the sailo
could never long escape the gangs wa
because the gangs were numerically to-
many for him. 1t was no question
chance gang here and there. Tn
country swarmed with them.
Take the coast Here every seapor
81 any pretensions in the way Of trade
together with every spot between sue
ports known to be favored or habituall,
used for the homing sailor as landing
pace with certain exceptions alread
noted, either had its own particula
gang or was closely, watched by som
gang stationed within easy access @
th' spot. In this way the whole islam
was hinged in by gangs on shore, Jus
as 1t was similarly ringed In by Othe
gangs anoat.
s u their losdships would sivs me ~
IN ~ D9lDe .hsgA.s .says Leu