Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-07-09

mandarin down 10 coOIie-Ure1t 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-
tipuous 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.
All outrank him. All have vice ad'
mirals and most Of them full grade ad-
miraIs. 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. II Amer
lea had admirals or even vice-admirals
in command of its imposing fleets, the
situation might be reversed.
In the Atlantic fleet along the east
coast of Mexico, conferred 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 hrst
division, October II, 1911.
Frank E. Beatty, commanding third
division, April "a, 1912.
Clifford ]. Boush, commanding sec
ond division. March 26, 1913.
Henry T. Mayo, commanding fourth
division, June 10, 1913.
In any American commercial organi-
cation of the magnitude of the At
lantic feet there would be an ascend
ing order of ranks, the officers d1mln-
ishing In number as the rank ascends.
In almost any other navy there would
be an admiral in command OF such a
large feet and two or more vlce-ao-
mirals and rear admirals in command
of each division.
The men in a division of feet out
number those in a brigade OF the
army. A single ship compares to a
regiment in men. In armament 1t
equals three or four regiments of ar
tillery. The smallest battleship has
between 500 and zoo men. The entire
Twenty eighth regiment of infantry
here has only $50 men. A dreadnaught
has between LOO and 1900 men. The
Seventh-the largest regiment here
has not 1000 A battleship is city
in itself-homes and workshops In
which the population must be drilled
Ala. wflese occasion readires,s turned
out to fight
division consists of five battle
ships-one of which usually is locked
for repairs-and when in feet or
sanitation a varying number of aux
iliary cruisers, gunboats, destroyers
golfers and other craft. A fleet of five
divisions would be much larger than
an army division.
captain in the navy ranks with a
colonel in the army. rear-admlra
ranks with major-general.
Rear Admiral Farragut after the
Civil war was made an admiral. Da
vid Porter was made vice-admira
and on Farragut's death succeeded tt
the full rank of admiral. The ranl
Of admiral died with Porter.
Amendment of temporary admiral'
for command of fleets has been sug
qested. They would always be out
ranked by admirals of other nations
because of length of service, as pc
litical pressure would be strong t.
mass the honor around as rapidly al
possible.
The result is that the great Ameri
can navy, which has been built up t.
hold the nation in place as a worlt
mower. is always at tactical disad
vantage when its commanding Officers
are forced into back seats by the OH
GERS of other nations.