Evening journal., 1919-02-18
IS QUIT U. S,.NAVY
FOR TURKISH WIVES
Remainder of Scorpion S
Crew, Interned at Constan-
tinople, Reach Home
THREE TRANSPORTS
REACH NEW YORK

NEW YORK, Feb. tS.-Three troop
carrying ships. including the Holland
America liner Rotterdam and the Italian
liner Dante Alighieri, impressed into
service to facilitate the bringing back
OF American soldiers from the congest-
ed port Of Brest, arrived yesterday with
1910 officers and men.
On the Dante Alighieri came Lieu
tenant Commander Herbert S. Babbitt,
two officers, three petty officers and
thirty-five men Of the American war
ship Scorpion, formerly the steamyacht
Sovereign, the only vessel OF the United
states Navy TO be interned in the war.
she was near Constantlnople when the
United States entered the war.
The Scorpions original crew was
larger by eighteen men, all OF whom
married Turkish girls and preferred do
mestic life 10 naval service. The old
est OF the benedicts is Joseph Darley,
IS, who was the lieutenant command
er's' yeoman when he was fascinated
by a twenty-year-old Turkish beauty
at least that Is what he called her. He
had been thirty-two years In the navy.
Commander Babbitt said that the
Turks did not molest the Americans.
although they put an. armed guard
aboard and also set small steamship
20 watch the Scorpion. The officers got
shore liberty only every two weeks and
were accompanied by a Turkish ofticer
when permitted to go ashore once every
two months, and this did not pleace the
married men, who had been in the
habit OF meeting their Turkish wives
every two days.
All the overseas craft that arrived
yesterday united with the troop car
riers in reporting ugly weather on the
trip. The Dante Alighieri had a par
iicularly rough time on Jonuary and
her commander, Captain Angelo Stur-
lese, sent officers TO warn venturesome
soldiers not to stand forward, where
crests occasionally leaped over the
bows.
Three doughboys disregarded the
warning. A resistless comber hurled
them against the rail and they were
taken to hospital. They are James s
Cofey OF Boston. left thigh broken;
Harry Valenciam, New Orleans. ankle
broken, and Amos B. Thrupp, New Or
leans. left leg broken.
The Dante Alighieri brought the en-
tire Sixty-flrst Coast Artillery Corps OF
thirty-tUo officers and 1856 men. mostly
from the South, which did not set 10
the front They are commanded by
Major Austin Frick OF Savannah. Ihe
only New York Oflcer in the command
is Lieutenant Thomas 4. Cannon OF
Battery D. whose business address Is
No. IS Liberty street.
Two naval aviators OF this city were
in the ships naval contingent Ensign
Lawrence White. son OF the late otan-
ford White, and Ensign Daniel Hugnet
az 1915 Madison avenue. who Joined the
Foreign Legion IN 1917 and later Jew
with the Lafayette Escadrille.
D. A. Trudax OF Mcdonnell & Truda.
S state street, agents Of the Dante Ali
ghierl. returned from a two months
visit in italy and noted that the people
were preparing for a big commercial
expansion. Prominent industrial firms
headed BY G. Ansaldo & Co.. which
made the largest individual contribution
IN war material, including airplanes,
are changing to a peace basis The two
Young men at the head Of the firm.
eignors Po and Mario Perrone. Mr..
Truda said, are OF the most venture !
some and progressive type in Italy, ana
are acquiring q leet Of ships.
There was no doubt about the genu- |
fneness OF the admiration Of the Ital- |
fans for the United states. and It SEEM
Cd TO Mr.. Truda that the merchants
of the two countries should make the
moa Of the mutual good feeling that
has been promoted by their alliance in
war.
Among the gallant Americans who |
returned by the Rotterdam are Lieut..
Sumner Sewan. who won the Legion Of
Honor and the CroiZ de Guerre, bring
Ing down. ofloially. eleven Boche |