Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-30
Bathon Tells of Life on the
BattIeships as They
Steamed to Vera Cruz.
SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS
IN THE MARINE CORPS
Landing Parties Were Organized on
Each Vessel and Drilled Daily
During Voyage.

Need for senior officers on hattlsships
and for the marines. who have been
called into service in Mexico with about
30 per cent less officers than the reSu-
lar army forces. although they are
both soldiers and sailors, toe" is one
or the important comments made by
Vyingroye Bathon staff CORES pondent of
The Star with the American forces now
at Vera Cruz.
In a series Of letters. printed below, Mr..
Eathon gives interesting descriptions of
IN. life aboard ship and the feeling of
the marines and bluejackets while they
were hurrying to service in defense OF
their country's honor in Mexico. These
letters were delayed in transmission by
the unsettled conditions at Vera Cruz.
The first of Mir. Bathon's letters, written
after he had landed during the third DAY
of fightng at Vera Cruz, was published
in The Star yesterday.
Letters Written Aboard Ship.
la the following letters. written on
shipboard. Mr.. Bathon writes enter
tainingly of the sailors and soldiers daily
life He describes their ship drills. their
methods of punishment. their limitations.
their cagerness TO learn all they can
about the country they are called to in
wade, their discipline, their menu, their
ship tailor shop. He describes their
little world afioat, with its various in
terests, at the same time reminding his
readers that this battleShip and its COM
plement OF bluejackets and marines are
but a unit in the powerful fighting force
that the Navy Department of this gov
eminent has sent TO Mexico to exact
respect for the flag these youngsters love
so devotedly.
Mr.. Bathon also gives an interesting
description of Tampico as pictured to
him by men who have been there and
studied Its topography from a military
viewpoint 1t was there the Michigan's
equipment expected to see service. While
n sea and near Tampico, wireless orders
sent the Michigan to Vera Cruz.
Familiar With Tampico.
On BOARD L. BATTLESHP MICH
IGAN, at Sea, April IL tby MaiD.-
Sleeping bags of the officers and men
IF the Michigan have been in readiness
so often for use in the city of Tampico
mat conversations on this ship about that
city are cast in as familiar a vein as
me would talk in Washington of the
Potomac. the Monument, any of the gas
works or parks.
Inch by inch Tampico has been gone
over by the officers and men of the Mich
gan. Now that this Mexican town is
occupying such a prominent place in the
eyes of the world and is likely to con-
inue to do so fer a while. some descrip-
ion of it may prove not uninteresting to
Washington readers.
The city numbers something less than
2o.oto population. II is situated on a
small peninsula formed by the River Pa
3uco and Lake del Carpenterio, about
SIX miles inland along the River Panuco
channel and on its north bank. The At
attic fleet vessels, because of the shoal
water and the fact that there is a sand
BAR stretched across the mouth of the
river, anchor about three miles off the
coast, so that from the battleships to the
city proper the distance is about ten
miles.
: The heart of the town. making the ad-
5itonal mile in distance mentioned, is
separated from the wharves along the
liver front and the customhouse by the
ascajal canal, which connects Lake de
ahirel. above the city TO the north. with
lie Panuco river, below. This custom