The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-18

Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan, U. 2.
 N, in Norman E. Mack's National
 Monthly. YY OwHERE in all the world is the
 M Spirit of Christmas entered into more whole-heartedly, than on board the ships of the United States navy.
 Observance of this chief of all national holidays, varies, of course. in form with the location of the fleet at the time.
 Into each of the continental home ports" headquarters of certain individual vessels) the big gray monsters come dropping in by twos and threes till. in New York and Philadelphia, and Norfolk and Frisco. it looks almost like a naval review. According to long established custom, they are there to give the boys in blue run on the beach (''liberty," as they call 1t in the service) and every man jack who Is not actually undergoing pun ishment is allowed and encouraged to take his look at the bright lights-go home on leave or up town for fun or any thing else he likes as long as his money lasts, but away from the ship in any event. This custom applies not alone to the enlisted men, but to the officers as well; and, when Christmas morning dawns in a home port, there are not likely to be many more persons on board any man-o'- war than the regulations call for in the minimum.
 The few "ship-keepers" cannot under such circumstances make a very success full effort toward merriment; but what they lack in numbers they invariably make up other ways, one of these ways being the complete satisfaction of the inner man. There are turkeys and fruit cakes galore for the men as we'll as the officers: and in a quiet way all hands make the best of it, even though they are not lucky enough to go home.
 In accordance with immemorial usage, the mastheads are decorated with green. with a touch of color also about the decks: whereas the individual decorations of tables forward Is often elaborate, if not indeed pretentious.
 At that, however, Christmas is almost blank in home ports because of the number of authorized absentees. Abroad and at sea, though, 1t is alto gether different. Every soul on board from the usually sedate flag officer and
 the more or less unapproachable first
 lieutenant down to "Jimmy-legs," and the ships cook and the messenger boy voluntarily constitutes himself com mttee of one to see the thing through in .soy tune, when he comes on board on "cross- ing the line' to douse every hayseed and landlubber, has a formidable rival in the Spirit of Christmas"
 It matters not much whether the ship be anchored off Vera Cruz or blowing through the Pacific ocean, moored head and stern in the grand canal or bounc- ing about in 'the roaring forties'' of Australian waters,. the distance from ] home and friends renders it incumbent on all to do their level best to make at least a brave try for Merry Christmas" And 30, though one and another may no wand then stine a sigh for loved ones far away (he hopes alive and well In the land of liberty, but for all he knows even now passed on to the regions of I iest). the celebration is invariably carried out witht he greatest possible zeal and ardor. Routine drills are entirely suspended; and. except for cleaning ship (cleanliness in the navy being deemed not only akin 1 to. but actually alongside of and run
 ming neck-and-neck with sodliness itseif), not a lick of avoidable work Is allowed
 to be done by anybody.
 "All hands' are called to be sure, on schedule time; but many more men than
 usual are allowed to ''sieep in;" and after the tiniest minimum of tidying up 1 preparations for the days festivities are l gotten under way
 There is var1ed athletic programme i that begins in the forenoon. and. after | an hour or 90 off for dinner at mid-day
 continues well along toward sunset | Sailors are taught to be thorough. Sc
 they go at their potato races and pie. eating contests and tugs of war and jumping contests with the same <crvol
 that they show when trying for 1s-incf turret gun record or stamping out z Caribbean revolution. There is no lacl
 of interest That can be depended on And, when mess call is sounded, they ars tired enough to stop skylarking and hun gry enough to do full justice to the tra
 ditional diuner. which, in theee iatte days of supply ships and cold storage, il
 just as ample and as tempting in thu
 middle of the Mediterranean or in tho In dian ocean as 1t would be if the ship were tied up alongside the cob dock Il Brooklyn navy yard or swinging lazfi, to her anchors inside of the Colder Qats.y .i< as s A.s
 For awhile at least, there is . luil il