Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-01-16
''BllgREF Devil DOG
IS PRIDE Of MARINES
Annapolis People View Career
Of Brigadier Gen Barnett
With Interest and Pride
FREQUENTLY COMES HERE

Among the men Ih&t NHA4 MAI HAS
made, there IS none, perhaps. whose
iaurels have been more deseryedly
won than those Of BrigadIer General
George Barnett. United States Marine.
IN his career, Annapolis has been most
keenly interested. First. because he
il 4 graduate of the Naval academy,
and second. because he is SO well
known here where he frequently visits
at superintendent Eberies. with his
charming wife
Big chief Devil Dog they call him
in the navy They call him that In the
army, too. as 4 mater of fact Why
Because ne is boss Of All the Devil
Dogs. those lighting bearcats who
made the HeInies hunt holes crawl In
ana pull the holes III after them He
ii the men who holds the most en-
viable, the most glorious. the place OF
places in.the American army and navy
today General George Barnett, com
mander of the United States marines.
He Is the marine of marines Beyond
that, there Is nothing.
George Barnett was horn Ia the lit
tie wisconsin village Of Lancaster. In
1859 He might have become farmer
or storekeeper or lumberman. all
handy careers for Wisconsin youths,
bat fate. spun his wheel III another di-0
rection Here Is The way he tells the
story OF how he came to take up fight
Ing as business:
Il was Ioafing along the street one
eyening swinging my school books BY
strap and wondering What mother
was going to have for supper. when I
met congressman from our district.
i was Just kid and he was very.
great man Id our community. so i
sidled away and doifed my cap, he be-
iiig d friend of fathers and neighbor
George, he said, signalling me to stop.
.how would you like to 90 to the Uni
ted States Naval academy !? thought
he was. joking at first, but when saw
he was In earnest let out q whoop OF
Joy.
II had heard of Annapolis but never
had the renoteat notion I would be
able to 90 there He tarfsd It over.
with sfather and II was frranged
should study for the examinations to
be held ths following June. was the
-prondest Aoy IN the country when Il
passed and received my appointment.
/ couldn't think OF anything but how
swell was going to look in that uni-
form and those brass buttons. shall
never forget the day set out Tor the.
academy. The thought Of the ocean
and o1 real battle ships overwhelmed
me. Up to that time the biggest body
OF water / had seen was pond, and
the biggest craft, a Skin "
Barnett was graduated from Annap.s
oltssin 1881 AT that time there was d
considerable oversuppIy of trained
men for our miniature navy and many
OF the 81 class were given years pay
and sent back TO civil life The young
Wtsconsfnite showed SO much promise
he was among the fortunate ones re-
tanned He was sent aboard ship,
Where he served two years as cadet.
Then came his third stroke Of good
fortune He was transferred TO the
marines Had he remained Ia the line
he would nos be captain of4a ship, d
rank equal To that of colonel IN the
army. And nsre We find him a gem
erai, leader Of the most illustsioua
band OF American lighters that ever
broke through a boche line.
Lieutenant Barnett's first experience
with the marines was ia Alaska where
he served as d sort of guardian and
magistrate among the Indians. From
there he. went to many ships ID many
waters China the Philippines, Cuba
and Panama. He was III Lisbon when
the Spanish American storm broke
BY iint Of several hairbreadth escapes
and smashing all speed limits he man
aged to reach an English port, from
which he sailed on war chip hastily
bought from foreign nation. 1t did
not take him long to get into the thick
of the fight and To render distinguish
ed service.
Since the attack Of the Boxers on
Christians and foreigners IN Picking
ten great governments Of the world
maintain armed guards ii that city.
For three years Barnett commanded
this detachment and helped make the
life Of the American troopers In far
land pleasant and cheery
at the beginning Of our part ia the
great struggle In 1917 the marines
we're praatieAlIy An unknown quantity
they never bothered with anowitsan-
ship, preferrtng to do things and then
forget about them Since that events
ful day when Uncle Sam declared him
self tn on tbs bout. the marines have
.trebiad Iii number. Thay did not need
70 treble ID skill They have always
been Al as aghters.
.For thirty eight years. says Gen
eral BarnegG, 81 have Etved with my hat
III nv hand. Sixteen Of these Pears
Rave been spent aboard ahap. Yon
know q marine Eas 70 kesp himself
Iii Ii one spot ready 10 puE Mp stakes
iii j hurry Hs 1anst bs SICK azass
gx,An 20 Saks ship ct A1l h0nTss NOTES