The Pulaskian., 1920-02-06

l "A cherish because in tsem. they
 feel, is visibly incorporated the prestige of England. not the least picturesque and interesting is Walmer castle, on the coast of Kent, the offi- cial home of the lord warden of the Cinque ports.
 The lord wardenshIp is an older and more picturesque monument than Wall mer castle. The office of lord war den Is far more ancient than his dwelling. About that office are gath cred the earliest activities out of which the British navy grew, writes Martin Conway in Country Life. The present functions of the lord warden may not be of any executive value as contributing to national defense, but, as long as there is a lord warden liv- ing at Walmer, the small beginnings of the navy in remote past remain vis- ibly memorialfzed. Such a memorial is more efficient than any pile of stone that the ingenuity of man could raise. Nothing more vividiy brings the past into the present or enforces on living men the amount of their indebtedness to those from whom they descend than a living ceremonial recurrently per formed in accordance with an ancient and unbroken tradition.
 No one knows when the lords war denship was founded or by what earliest stages it came into being. Ne eessity enforced the defense of the southeastern coast or England, and to that end the small maritime forces of the little ports along it had to be CO., ordinated The original five ports were Hastings. Ronlney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich; to these others were added, as we'll as inland localities which had to contribute financial aid. Ultimately the jurisdiction extended round the coast from Seaford in Sus- sex to near SIargate in Kent.
 importance of the cinque Ports.
 Throughout the Middle Ages down to the time of Henry VII the Cinque ports thus enlarged and organized had to furnish the crown with nearly all the ships and men needed for naval purposes The oldest existing charter dates from Edward I, but it refers to older documents as far back as the l time of Edward the Confessor. Duties and corresponding privileges went on | accommodating. Such an organization could not exist without a head. but his office was of correspondingly gradual growth. At one time it was an office of great power and importance. It was generally coupled with the goyer- norship of Dover castle. The lord warden was admiral of the ports. He had his court of chancery at Dover. He still retains the duty of appointing the judge of the admiralty court of the Cinque ports as well as the justices of the peace in the same areas; but his most important functions have be- come decorative monumental and pie turesque. not. however, as aforesaid, unimportant.
 The maritime activity which led to the discovery of America and the be ginnings of a world commerce neces- sarily made great change in British naval affairs. Local levies of ships and sailors were bound to be replaced sooner or later by something in the nature of a national navy. The change Is already apparent in the days oi Henry VIII, and from that time the importance of the Cinque ports as the nations naval base declined and with it the power of the lord warden. 1t is noteworthy that the erection of Wal mer castle dates from this period. Ii was built in the reign of Henry VIII along with other castles round the coast, such as the neighboring Dea } and Sandown and the remote Lindis farne on Holy island in Northumber land. Previously the coast had beer protected by a succession of earth works, the Great and Little Bulwarke for instance. within the parish of Wal mer. They had embrasures for guns and were connected by communication trenches.
 Built by Henry VIII.
 The Kentish castles built by Henr, VIII were completed about 1540 ant : placed under the control of the lort warden. The following description O them is compressed from Elgin: II } the center is the keep--a circular tow CT containing bomb-proof magazin' for ammunition. It Is surrounded b. s bastions with fifty-two port-holes be low. commanding the encompass.n; rloat Tunnels or chimneys were con : trived to carry off the smoke of tn : guns. There were larger embrasure