The Press., 1916-04-05
CLAIMED THE SHIP
Marc Thought He Was Eligible to
 Command a Cruiser.
AN OLD TIME NAVAL PRANK,

by Some of Uncle Sann's Sailors With Whom He Had Shipped.
 "A number of years ago the cruiser
 on which was serving shipped boil ermaker while we were on the Medi- terranean station" said retired petty officer of the navy. Our former boil ermaker's time expired while we were | at Gibraltar. and as he was not in good physical shape he wasn't re-enlisted. | but took his discharge and returned to the United States by mall steamer. So | the ship was shy boilermaker, a very important and necessary petty officer down below in the engineers depart ment, and when the ship pulled into Naples harbor the chief engineer went ashore to see If he couldn't dig up a boilermaker.
 "There was clause In the enlist
 ment regulations permitting command ing officers to ship necessary men on
 foreign stations In short handed emer-
 gencies. The chief engineer brought back to the ship a Greek named Char lie Marc. The man couldn't speak any English to speak of, but he was a good man at the boilermaking busi- ness. and he was duly shipped aboard
 of us for three years. He was wild, hairy looking lot. Marc was, and he got a good deal of laugh at the hands of the crew. especially the younger fellows. from the time he first came over the side.
 Marc thought that there wasn't any other country on the map except Greece. and after he got hold of enough English to make himself understood he used to take some of the young appren- tice boys up into the eyes of the ship and tell them, with many gesticula tions and furious words. of the differ ent kinds of tar Greece could knock out of Turkey.
 ''The ship was around on the Pacific station when the war broke out be- tween Greece and Turkey. When the news of the outbreak of the war got to Marc, our boilermaker. he nearly had heart disease and a whole lot of other sudden things from pure excitement. He just couldn't hold himself in. he looked so tickled.
 "'Da Greek man villa bim, bim, bim da Taurka man. was Charlie Maro's way of putting 1t, and he didn't see that the Turk had ghost of a show. All hands forward encouraged him in the belief They all acquiesced in ex- pressing the belief to Marc that Greece would simply eat Turkey up. Then a bo'sun's mate who knew how to crack the most impossible jokes with face as solemn and wooden as an Indians took Charlie in hand and told him some things. He told Marc that the United States was so much ill sympathy with Greece in the struggle with Turkey that the navy department had decided to turn over all of the ships of the American navy to Greek commanders.
 Here's a chance for you, Marc the bo'sun's mate told Marc. You just want to work your edge. Here you are already shipped on this cruiser, and it's dollars to doughnuts that if you ask for the command of this ship in order to take her over to Greece to mix it up with the Turks you'll get it hands down. Better try 1t on.'
 That idea impressed Marc heap. He asked the bo'sun's mate whom he'd have to apply to to get command of the cruiser.
 "'Why, to the commanding officer, of course,' was the reply.
 Marc was tremendously important for day or so while he let this huge idea grow within him, and he bullied the men detailed to work with him down below in the boiler room good deal. The bo'sun's mate kept working him up to 1t, and finally Marc appeared on deck one morning logged out in his very best mastering suit of blueJacket clothes and went up to the officer of the deck and asked permission to see the commanding officer at the mast. | The officer of the deck was rather sur prised to see the man all done up in his mastering togs when all hands were at work; but, as he is obliged to do when an enlisted man requests per mission to see the commanding officer he sent word to the skipper, who soon from his cabin and appeared at the stick
 Well, my manr said the skipper to Marc, who stood bolt upright and sa- luted with a flourish.
 "'Sare,' said Marc to the skipper, I hav-a da honor to her-a-by taka da command of-a da ship'
 Hey? said the commanding officer. putting his hand to his ear and looking as if he hadn't heard aright
 'Da ship repeated Marc. Fora da | navee of-a Hellas-de Greeka nayee-I hava da honor to taka da command
 "All hands among the enlisted men were up on the to'gallant fo'c'sle talk ing the thing in, and they broke into a roar that you could have heard five cable lengths distance. Marc heard it | and. suspecting that his confidence had | been abused. got red and flabbergasted. | He suddenly bolted for the engine | room hatch and made his way below. and it took three marines to drag him | aft to the sick bay, where the surgeon | at the slippers command gave Marc | a half hours examination as to his san | ity. Marc was game enough to decline | to give the name of the enlisted man | who had told him he was eligible for | the command of the ship upon its being turned into the navy of Greece but | the thrashing he gave that bo'sun's | mate when he got him 'on the beach was certainly savage"
 
 ar Buddy Mars.
 There seems to have been no reason et,