Evening star., 1915-06-06


on the Oregon on her journey in July
through the canal.
Dead? Hardly. Observe him at HIS
quiet apartment house home in Wash
valley of Rock creek, or with his
cronies in the Army and Navy Club,
and yo1 will note that he is about the
livest admiral on the retired list OF
the navy He is about far man
can we'll be from that type once de-
scribed by former President of the
United States as "wheezy, onion-eyed,
old stuffed puddings."
~
Clear-eyed, chubby checked as a cher
ub, contentment and well being radiat-
ing from every feature; healthy. active
and agile. he looks At to command any
ship or any fleet af1oat. The law made
him retire ten years ago because, for
sooth, the frequently untruthful cal
endar said that he was sixty-two years
old, and hence beyond his years of use
fulness. What silly things are some
times accomplished by a combination Of
calendar and law!
But Admiral Clark is sailorman,
and sailormen are philosophical; SO,
barred from active command. he graft
fies his taste for things naval by dwell
ing as far as possible in a naval atmos-
phere. That is easy in Washington. 1t
Is particularly easy in the case of Ad-
miral Clark, for his two daughters,
true navy women, married naval off,
GERS.
These two officers Capts Charles F.
Hughes and Samuel s. Robson. now
are on duty in Washington, and the
three families-Admira1 Clark and his
wife and the Hughes and Robson fami-
lies-dwell near one another in the
same apartment house. 1t makes a de-
lightfuI family circle.
Further, ii gives to Admiral Clark
that intimate touch with what is going
on in the navy that he Graves. It is
doubtful if there is any man In the
country today better informed as to
the exact condition of the American
navy, the progress of naval construc-
tion and operation in recent years here
and abroad. the naval lessons of the
European war. than this retired admi
ral But the result of his study and
observations he keeps to himself and
his own circle. Talking for publica-
tion never was habit of his.
Modest In his social activities, as In
all things. Admiral Clark still is gre
earious individual Chess and talk with
congenial companions are his amuse-
ments. In taht large grup of finished.
is found in the membership of the
Army and Navy Club. In Washington.
he stands near the top. He has a fund
of anecdotes that is seemingly mex
haustible. A Clark story Is always new.
always bubbling with humor, always
worth the retelling-and always clean.
His cleanliness of mind and of soul
through his life have been reflected in
his language. Reared in the navy in
an age when oaths were common both
on the quarterback and in the FORE
castle, he abstained from their use In
to the point of primness.
Fighting men are sometimes given
to extravaganza of statement and the
use of picturesque metaphor. Not so
gon, in 1898. was coming up the east
coast of South America, in momentary
expectation Of meeting and having to
fight alone the Spanish fleet. the then
Capt. Clark called all hands and ex-
planned the situation to them. In con-
clusion he ventured the mild asser-
tfon that in the event of the meeting 8
he was sure that SPANS fighting ef-
ficiency on the sea would be dimin-
ished."
You see. Admiral Clark comes from
Bradford, VT, which is not tremen.
dous distance from Boston, Mass. But
the crew understood his language, un-
derstood and appreciated 1t better than
If he had clustered and boasted. -
I'VE gave him three rousing cheers,
one sailor wrote in his private log,
land the old man blushed," which was
the first time that the blushfng pro-
pensity of the admiral had been made
of record.
Admiral Clark has been called "ehe
beau ideal of naval officer. His
ability to win the respect, admiration,
loyalty and affection Of the men serv-
ing under him has contributed no little