The Washington herald., 1914-05-03
ORDER TO front
SHATTERED HOPE
Of MANY wives
Officers and Jackies on the
Michigan Were Slated for
Home Visits.
WERE IN MEXICO TWICE
Low of Near Action and Pain
of Adieu Mark Third
Departure.
sUPERIoRS BOOST" RECRUITS
Show Desire to Advance Ihem-FIf-
teen-straisht" Cigars Cost Only
7 Cents Aboard.
By JOSEPH P. AMIN,
staff Correspondent Of The Wash
unrnld
sUPERIoRS BOOST" RECRUITS
Show Desire to Advance Them-Fif-
teen-straisht" Cigars Cost Only
7 Cents Aboard.
By JOSEPH P. AMIN,
Staff Correspondent Of The Wash
iugton Herald.


On BOARD U. S. g. Michigan. Wednes-
day, April 15-Twenty hours and sixteen
minutes after orders to coal ana clear
for Tampico, twenty hours Of sleepiess'
nerve-racking, straining activity tne
staccato notes Of the bridge ring out.
Officers quarters" then assembly;
score or more Of wives and sweethearts
are pushed into the driving rain across
the gangplank, and the U. 5. -
Michigan, our first Dreadnought and
crack ship In her NTH year Of COM
mission, is ready for sea again
While a fearful. waving group gathers
on the deck Of the battleship Idaho un-
dergoing repairs across the dock, for Q
last sight of the ship which bears hus-
bands, brothers. sweethearts southward.
orders to 'Iet go that line" came from
officers In glistening black oilskins, and
to the shrill whistles OF navy tugs. 1900
tons Of gray destruction slide along the
Philadelphia dock, ripping out five great
eighteen-inch bumpers" like so many
toothpicks-
From Capt. Niblack to the rawest OF
IT3 recruits from the naval training sta
ton at Chicago. every manjack aboard
is on the quive vtve. Rumor after
rumor, all OF sensational import many
bearing the stamp of authority, and all
eagerly assimilated and passed along, tell
of the fine hand Of a first-class
power in the present movement. Japan
Is in every ones mind. Japan Is
backing Huerta," says report We know
II as a rumor naturally to be looked
for at this time We know II does not
very well stand the acid test Of logic.
Nevertheless. we store It away for future
reference. and steam on. But for the
possibility that some real action may
result from this movement the ships
would be carrying a sorely tried and
thoroughly disguised complement OF Of
ficers and men.
Home Only Forty Days.
Since July l. 1913 the Michigan has
been in the United States less than
forty DAYS. In that time she has twice
been to Mexico. But recently she return
ed from a six months stay at Vera Cruz,
where the men were confined exclusively
TO the ship. She had laid up at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard only ten days.
having returned from target practice.
Except for the hope Of action, Mexico is
one of the last places in the world the
men want to see, Tampico quite the last.
I didn't know this when / boarded ship
and ducked below the cluttered decks TO
the Junior officers messroom a few hours
before sailing. Four couples were there,
finishing their luncheon as l sat down.
Well / said, happily. following intro
ductions all around by Ensign E. F.
Enright, Il suppose you gentlemen are
glad to get away"
It seemed the natural thing to say. II
was my first faux pas on board. Three
Young naval wives and one who expects
to be answered in unison, They had
better. not be glad Four future ad-
mirals promptly supplemented, I'VE are
not
Three young wives had come from far
of parts of the United States in anticipa-
ton of a long deferred visit with three
Young husbands. The latter had been on
shore less than ten days when they were
again ordered to Mexico.
Married ten months and have seen
my husband less than forty days"
summed up one young naval wife re-
sentfully.
Many DisnpPOIntments.
apoIogized. commiserated. said
mean things about every one I could
possibly blame, and climbed to the
compare lively cheerful atmosphere of
the rain-swept deck. Later l heard
the same hard luck stories from ward
room and general mess. First Class
Gunner's Mate Leonard was to have
been married tomorrow. Commander
AlthoUse, our executive officer, had
packed to leave ship to commence his
long-deferred shore duty. Junior
Lieut.. James Garfield Stevens was watch
ing the progress of a dangerously sick
wife in Norfolk when recalled. And
there were others.
But don't let these men be put down
as complaining. They weren't These
are the cold facts. and IL they do not
regard this cruise as a pleasure junk
ct. these are the reasons: Not one
would have avoided the trip IL he could.
for the simple reason that deep down
in their hearts they hope and believe
some real fighting will come of IT,
Our steaming plans call for the most
economical speed-twelve to thirteen
knots an hour. This means we will
not hurry particularly unless orders
are changed.
Get to Work Again.
Hardly had We cast OF when the men,
most Of whom had been working con-
tinuously for twenty hours. set to work
removing the 6rst layer Of coal dust and