The citizen., 1914-07-10

the ranking off1cer among the navles
Of the world that might come here.
AS soon as the United States At
lantic fleet started to assemble at Vera
Cruz Admiral Craddock. In the West
Indies, was ordered to proceed at all
speed to this spot. AS soon as he ar
rived on the cruiser Essex. flying a
rear admirals flag, he was the rank
ing officer in port. In case Of any
concerted move by the world powers
he would have commanded. and Great
Britain with It's one cruiser-now the
cruisers Berwick and Lancaster have
Joined the Essex-would have domi-
mated the situation.
Rather technical" says the layman.
True, but In affairs Of the sea and
nations rules of precedence are strict
Consequences have been serious and
farreaching from similar situation
In the time of the Boxer uprising in
China, when the allied powers landed
their forces to restore order, it was be-
lieved that Captain McCalla, an Amer
lean campaigner Of long experience in
China, would command. But Great
Britain, with foresight In 1900. just as
today, had hurried Vice-Admiral Sey-
mour to the scene of action. He out
ranked the other officers. Great Brit
ain wanted to dominate the situation.
Vice-Admiral Seymour surprised every
body by going ashore and taking COM
mand himself. To the Chinese-from
mandarin down to coolie-Great Brit.
ain was the ruling power. American
naval officers on the Asiatic station
say that the opinion formed then con-
tinues.
Among officers of the American
navy whose duties take them on con-
tinuous round of foreign capitals.
there is constant embarrassment AL
most invariably the American trails
after the British, German, Austrian.
Italian, Dutch. Danish, Swedish. Nor
wegian, Russian, Japanese, French.
Spanish, Portuguese. Greek, Turkish.
Argentine. Brazilian, Chilean. Peru
Wan. Chinese
mirals and most of them full grade ad-
mirals. Foreign war vessels which
come into Vera Cruz today salute the
British colors first, steaming silently
past the rows of American ships. some
of them as large as all three 'limeys.
as the Britishers are called,
Native Mexico sees. Mexico also
pays respect to the British If Amer
lea had admirals or even vice-admirals
in command of it's imposing fleets, the
situation might be reversed.
In the Atlantic fleet along the east
coast of Mexico, centered at Vera
Cruz, are six rear admirals. All are
of equal rank, but hold precedence
according to the date of their promo
ton. The commanding organization.
according to precedence among the
rear admirals consequently is:
Charles j. Badger. commander-in-
chief Atlantic feet, March s, 1911.
Cameron MGR. Winslow, command
ing special service squadron. Septem-
Der IA, 1911.
Frank F. Fletcher, commanding first
division, October II, 1911.
Frank E. Beatty, commanding third
division, April 27, 1912.
Clifford j. Boush, commanding Sec
ond division, March 26. 1913.
Henry T. Mayo, commanding fourth |
division, June Is, 1913.
In any American commercial organi- |
zation of the magnitude of the At |
lantic fleet there would be an ascend |
ing order of ranks, the officers dimin |
ishing In number as the rank ascends. |
In almost any other navy there would
be an admiral in command of such
large feet and two or more vice-ad-
mirals and rear admirals in command !
of each division.
The men in a division of fleet out |
number those in a brigade Of the
army. A single ship compares to a
regiment in men. In armament it
equals three or four regiments of ar
tillery. The smallest battleship has |
between 900 and 700 men. The entire |
Twenty-eighth regiment of infantry |
here has only $50 men. A dreadnaught
has between LOO and 1000 men, The
Seventh-the largest regiment here
Las not 1000. A battleship is a city
in itself-homes and workshops in |
which the population must be drilled |