The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-09
NAVAL ACADEMY
HAS FINE ARRAY
Of WAR TROPHIES

ANNAPOLIS, Nd, Oct. 9,-The pres
net war has augmented the splendid
collection of articles of historic interest
at the Naval academy, a number Of
trophies having been received here and
assigned to a proper location. In this
connection II may be noted that Rear
Admiral Archibald II. Scales, superin-
tendent Of the academy, has established
the position of curator, its holder be-
ing assigned the work of caring for
the different articles and collecting and
preserving data concerning them. Prof.
Sidney Gum, of the department Of
English, has been named as first
curator.
An interesting article recently re-
ceived Is he bronze statuette Of Joan
of Arc, by MERCER, the French SOUP
tor, which the people Of Brest pre-
scented to the navy. through ViGe-Ad-
miral n. B. Wilson, In token Of the
between tie officers and men of the
United States navy and the people Of
the French city. 1t was presented on
July 4 last, with appropriate cere-
monies, and sent to the Naval acad-
envy by Admiral Wilson.
The spirit in which the gift was
made Is indicated by an extract from
a daily paper Of Brest. 1t says; THE
widows of the war, the orphans, the
mutilated, the wounded. the school
children, the poor refugees, with full
fearts, are all offering their mite"
The ordnance department at the
academy holds W trophies taken from
the Germans, One Is "A minenwerfer,
or bomb -thrower, captured by the First
battalion, Fourth brigade Of marines,
at Belleau Woods on June II, 1918. 1t
Is one Of the first two pieces Of ord
nance captured. The other has been
sent to the Military academy. The
presentation was made through Brig
Gen. j. g. Hartford, who commanded
the marines at the time.
Tho second piece of ordnance ia a
machine gun, still In perfect working
order, and useful In connection with
the instruction Of the midshipmen. as
well as a trophy, During the third
attack Of the Germans on Cambria, in
September and October Of 1918, tn
gun fell into the hands of the Ameri-
cant and was forwarded to the acad-
envy by Capt. r. T. Craven, u. S, n.
German vessels which fell into the
hands of the navy have yielded some
articles of much interest. One Of these
is the flag OF the gunboat Geier. in
termed In Honolulu harbor at the be-
ginning of the war, taken possession Of
by the navy when the United States
enter ed the war. Hanging on the walls
OF the post graduate school Is a pic
ture, by FIGHTER, taken from the for
mer North German Lloyd steamship
Kron Prinz Wilhelm, which represents
the supposed supremacy of Germany
on the seas.
The flags, national and battery, OF
the railroad battery of great 16-inch
guns which the nav arranged and
manned in France, and which were in
position to begin the bombardment of
Metz when the armistice was signed.
have been received at the academy
and are highly appreciated. They were
sent here by Roar-Admiral Charles p.
Plunkett. L. S. NJ, who organized and
commanded this efficient means Of
overwhelming the German fortifica-
items.
The collection of articles connected
with former wars and events prior TO
the world var is large. Among these
may be ment oned "A collection OF auto
graph letters and autographs. which
Includes three letters OF George Wash
lngton and letters Of jefferson, Maoi-
son. Hamilton, Fronklin, Lafayette.
John Paul Jones, ~Talleyrand, Bolivar
and many others. Other autographs
are Of King George II Of England, En-