The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-09-02
THE MARINES
Christian Science Monitor)

their history that the United States marines are giving good account of themselves in France. They have done nothing less since the first establishment of military service in the United States And it is fact probably surprising to millions of people in the country that the marines constitute the oldest branch of that service This branch is older even than the republic itself, for its organization antedates the foundation of the nation upon | its present basis In short, the Marine Corps is the outcome of resolution adopted by the continental congress in November, 1775, some months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The corps was formed, of course, on the model of the British Marine Corps, the first authentic record of which, in America, bears the date of 174O. In that year three regimnets of marines were orga- nized in New York for service under the British flag, the home government consider ing native Americans better fitted than Euro peans for operations in the western hen1is phere. Some strange notions then prevailed in Great Britain as to climatic conditions in the New World
 While an American Marine 'Corps was established in 1775, not until the close of 177o did the continental congress provide the nuc-,
 
 ing of thirteen vessels was authorized, and at the same time Asek Hopkins was made commander-in-chie of the continental naval forces In February, 1777, battalion of 300 marines and landsmen, under command of Major Samuel Nichols, was landed from the newly formed fleet of Commodore Hopkins, on the island of New Providence, in the Ba hamas, where the force captured the English fo~ o1, # i quantity of military stores.
 Throughout the following years the work of the marines proved extremely valuable. They distinguished themselves in numerous naval battles. Reorganized, the corps took 9 prominent part in the war with Tripoli, figuring in a spectacular way in the remark able march of General Eaton, the American consul at Tunis from Alexandria to Derne, nearly GOO miles across the desert Upon the arrival at Derne, the marines, under Lieu tenant O'Bannon, storned and captured the native Notifications, hauled down the Tripoli- tan flag and, for the first time in the history of the American republic, hoisted its stan dard on fortress in the eastern hemisphere
 In the Indian wars, and in the Mexican, Civil and Spanish-American wars, through out all the disturbances ill which the United States has been involved, during more than l4O years, whether domestic or foreign, whether in South or Central America, China, Cuba, Santo Domingo, or Haiti, the marines have played leading part. They have per formed remarkably efficient service in work Of rescue and succor.
 Strange to say, the year before Germany ran amuck there was talk of disbanding the United States Marine Corps, on the ground that it was no longer serviceable branch of the navy. Big guns, it was said, had made boarding in sea fights impossible It was urged in congress that the marines be with drawn from the warshps, to make room for a larger number of regular sailors. In the United States, as in Great Britain, the regular sailors had always professed a certain con- tempt for the marines, notwithstanding that the latter had proved themselves in every sense worthy of respect as fighters. Not being seamen in the strict sense, they were "lubbers," and the expression "Tell it to the marines" was intended to convey the impress sion that the sea soldiers were gullible and inferior.
 But the move to abolish the marines aroused the nation. The record which they had made was recalled. It was shown that they had, on many occasions, saved the day. Gratitude went out to them from the public A great reaction in their favor set in. Their praise was sounded and sung everywhere. The result was that, instead of ordering the disbandment of the corps congress took measures to strengthen it. It is, in fact, due to the attempt to destroy the marines, in 1913, that the corps is capable of performing the splendid work it is doing in 1918.
 A WHOLE lot of children will read with